Lockdowns and Artichokes

Hello, Loves.

How are we doing with the return to lockdown? I have to admit, I’m struggling with it. (insert heavy sigh here) I woke up this morning and found myself sitting at the dining room table resisting everything. I gauge my level of resistance for the day by what newspaper articles I’m reading (and yes, I still read the actual paper edition). If I’ve gotten through all the other sections and then find myself reading the sports section (a section I generally have no interest in), then I’m in full-on resistance mode. Clearly, I’m lacking the commitment to get on with my day. I sat there and got curious about the deeper source of the resistance and I realized it was grief. I was resisting feeling the sadness around this new lockdown. Once I talked through this sense of loss with my husband-once I met it and acknowledged it- I could let the sadness be in my body a bit more lightly. My impulse was to skate over the distress I’m feeling for all of us at so many levels with regard to our current state of affairs in this country. (again, heavy sigh goes here) However, accepting the truth of the way I was feeling let me move through it more readily. And yes, this is what we learn in our dance practice; to really feel the emotional landscape inside ourselves, to touch it, and then give it expression. This is freeing. My body needs dance. I dance for my well-being. I dance to connect with you. I dance to feel the sensual pleasure of my body. I dance to let loose the difficult emotions. I dance to meet my deeper self. I dance to tap into liberation and passion and that beautiful clarity of being. Yes! Come with me to the dance floor tomorrow. I’d be delighted to see you there (in the zoom room).

Our wonderfully wise and free Davida will guide us through the dance tomorrow.

Here's the link: https://www.openfloordance.org/community-dances. We begin at 9:45am Pacific.

The holiday dance is coming on Tuesday, December 8th from 7-8:30pm. It’s going to be unique (in that we’ve never done it on zoom before). Come and check it out!

https://www.openfloordance.org/holiday-dance

My Species

By Jane Hirshfield

even

a small purple artichoke

boiled

in its own bittered

and darkening

waters

grows tender,

grows tender and sweet

patience, I think,

my species

keep testing the spiny leaves

the spiny heart

(last heavy sigh goes here) We will get through this, my beloved dancers. We will get through. Please take good care of yourself in the coming weeks and take good care of each other.

Sending warm, lingering, wrap-around hugs and the tenderest little tendrils of love,

KB