I am trying to write on Mondays.  This week proved that if I don’t make time on Monday, I will not get to it.  I spent a lot of this week daydreaming as I tried to choose what this week’s focus was going to be.  Some of those thoughts may come out later and some have left my consciousness.  What I can take away from last week is that I did not have a focus and it turned out ok.  In fact, my classes went really well.  Three experiences that stick out are a guided meditation session at the hospital, the tai chi class at the VA and the yoga class at the hospital.  Each class had a depth that felt so satisfying to me and I hope to the students.  On Tuesday I started giving a monthly 30 minute guided imagery session to the PT department.  I did my “go to” body scan of starting with the toes and working up to relaxing the head but added in some chakra work from my yoga training.  I didn’t use the word “chakra” but I marked each of the seven points with a question and invited them to meditate on the question.  They were welcome to participate in any way that felt comfortable to them … just listening to the music, tuning in and out of my voice, meditating on the question, using this time for rest… whatever they needed.

This practice comes from a class I took at a yogafit training with Katie Schuver:
I am here because…
I am creative because…
I am strong because…
I love and am loved because…
I am true to myself because…
I am wise because…
I am bliss because…

Then, on Wednesday I taught at the VA, following a delicious master class with BodyCartography Project.  I felt so fed and so open to give to others after dancing that morning.  There were ideas from the morning class that I wanted to explore further and thought my students would enjoy, so we did just that.  We spend some time sensing where the bones in our fingers connected in our shoulders and backs.  We physically traced or mapped the shape of our head down to our arms.  I watched discovery as they investigated the shapes of their skull and moved their arms leading with pinkies or thumbs.  The class flowed so well from there.

The week finished off with our yoga class which has grown to a size of 8-12 people – so energizing!  We have class in a hallway at the hospital – not ideal, but we make it work!  In the summer, this hallway gets very hot and we have not found a suitable alternative.  So, I designed the class to be cooling – we let out heat by exhaling with an open mouth, we flowed through a lot of heart openers, and didn’t get up off of the mat very much.  During savasana (final rest), I cued everyone to acknowledge their accomplishments from the week.  I think we need more of this!  Feeling good about what we did do and not dwelling on the to do list.  Not getting to my weekly writing was a bummer but it meant that I did accomplish other things!  I am so grateful.

This week is all about making the leap from a seed to a fully grown flower.  I want to heighten my observational skills and notice what I already have growing in my classes, in my one-on-one conversations, and in my creative process.  When my friend asked me to water her garden while she was out of town, she reminded me to activate my inner gardener.

Spending 10 minutes in the mornings with her lush and vibrant plants was so grounding.  I felt nurtured while nurturing.  I also realized how much I miss being outside.  I love walks, and picnics, and swimming and so feel so grateful that the warm weather is here.  Any chance I can get, I want to be outside.  The fresh air calms me down, and keeps life in perspective.  Yes, I need to be calmed down and yes I lose perspective.

So back to the nurturing what is already growing metaphor, I am performing a new work on Saturday.  We have been working on this piece for over a year and it has taken many twists and turns.  It is almost performance ready, but not yet.  In rehearsals this week, I want to stay positive and alert.  This process is not about ego, but about the dance itself.  What I love about making dances is that we get up and try out ideas.  It is fun to try something, work on it, and then use it or not.  We are committed to the movements not only looking right, but feeling right – which we don’t know unless we try.  In talking to my friend about her garden, she has a similar creative process.  She plants flowers or vegetables one place, and then moves things around next year, or takes some out, or adds new ones in.  Like dances, the garden is never “finished,” it is a constant experiment.  Whether we are nurturing a dance or a garden, they key is to stop and notice what we have.

This week, I am working with hospital caregivers and patients, teaching a dance class for dancers over 40, rehearsing with Tia Nina, and teaching a yoga class.

Focus: activate my inner gardener.