The Warm-Up

I have a piece of beautiful medicine to share with you today. It has passed through many hands, and now I pass it onto you.

In my pre-child life, I was a dancer [ok, yes! I am still a dancer. At least theoretically...] I used to go to Afro-Brazilian or Afro-Cuban dance class at least once a week, usually twice [what luxury!!], where I was blessed to learn from an amazing and talented teacher and dance with inspirational and beautiful people. [and i got to preform in sequins and feathers]

My teacher Donna always started our warm-up with the same movements. Gentle and fluid as well as precise and powerful, the movements came from one of her teachers, Rosangela Silvestre [you should click on this link. It's really awesome]. [oh and this one too.] I knew the movements well but was only vaguely aware of the meaning behind them.

This summer, in order to fill the dance-sized hole in my heart, I helped put on a dance retreat here at my home. It was a magical weekend of movement, connection, energy, awesome people, and [joyous. wild. spirit.] dancing.

On the last day of the retreat, it was very very hot, so we went into the cool shade of the woods to dance. Hope, my friend who has danced for many years with Donna and has gone several times to Brazil to study with Rosangela, shared with us the movements from the warm-up and the meanings behind them.

The movements were like old friends to me. Their meanings were so powerful that I got shivers up my arms and tears in my eyes.

Rosangela dances the set of movements in each of the four directions. I like to start in the direction corresponding with the time of day [East in the morning, South in mid-day, West in the evening, North at night). I also like to welcome in the energy of each direction as I do the movements.

[East represents beginnings, inspiration, the mind, Spring, air. South represents passion, the heart, active energy, Summer, fire. West represents release, the emotions, Fall, water. North represents groundedness, stability, rest and rejuvenation, the body, Winter, earth.]

Doing these movements grounds me, fills me with energy, and connects me to Spirit. And they feel really, really good.

The following is my interpretation of this movement and its meaning, taught by Rosangela Silvestre to me through Donna Oefinger and Hope. [Gratitude.]