Dance Like No One is Watching
When I was a little girl (maybe 7 or 8), I would go to dance classes at the local gym with my mom. She would do zumba or belly dancing – all unique and fun dance classes put together by one of her friends. I would sit on a big pile of mats in the back and dance to the music in whatever way my little heart desired to move. I loved it! One day the instructor came up to me and told me that I had to stop dancing because I was confusing people by not following the proper dance steps. But my little body couldn’t help but dance in whatever way I wanted to move. I didn’t listen to her, I tried for a little while, but I couldn’t stop myself from moving to the music!
When I look back in time I realize that it didn’t take long for that free spirit to disappear. I wasn’t even a teenager when I began to become very closed off to doing things I wasn’t familiar with. I became rigid and controlled – everything that dancing is not.
What happened to the little girl who couldn’t stop herself from dancing even when someone was outspokenly against it?
Recently, within the past few months, I’ve begun to realize how this strict and rigid demeanor isn’t serving me and my higher self. The deep desire to move to the music has started to stir inside and I’ve found myself having the desire to dance and allow my body to move freely with soul connection. Desire doesn’t always translate into action but I set the intention to begin dancing again.
As the Universe would have it – I met a friend at a unique buti yoga/zumba glow dance class late one night at the gym. She invited me to the local salsa dance club last night and on a whim I decided to go. I had the best time of my life, smiling uncontrollably and feeling so at ease in the environment. I let my guard down and danced with people I’d never met with steps I’d never done before.
THERE IS FREEDOM IN ALLOWING THE BODY TO MOVE WITHOUT JUDGMENT. BEAUTY IN FLOWING WITH CONNECTION TO THE SOUL.
How can you strengthen the connection to the soul?
REALIZE WHAT IS HOLDING YOU BACK
You can’t get to where you need to go without knowing where you are right now. If you feel something is lacking in your life, or you feel a disconnect, it’s important to narrow down what isn’t working. Are you currently operating out of fear? Learned responses to life that have your guard up?
If you’re unsure, journal a full page of free writing. Set the intention to uncover what is lacking or holding you back and write it on top of the page. Then pose the intention as a question: for example, why do I feel stuck? Allow your pen to flow across the page without editing your writing. Read what you’ve written and see if you’ve uncovered some things that surprise you. It may take a while to get deep into your mind with this practice. If you’re not satisfied with the answers in your first journaling session or you feel there’s more for you to learn, make this a habit for a week straight – everyday sit down and journal a full page of notes with the same intention. At the end of the week, review what you’ve written.
SET THE INTENTION
You’ve set the intention to uncover what is holding you back already. Once you’ve figured that out, it’s time to set the intention to correct it; like I did by setting the intention to begin dancing again. I had no idea how I would find a place I’d feel comfortable to dance in and I didn’t worry about it – I knew the universe knew exactly what I needed to fulfill this desire and would present it to me at the perfect time.
Put your intention out there and then patiently wait for the Universe to come through for you.
KEEPING AN OPEN MIND IS KEY
After you’ve set the intention, you have to open your mind to endless possibilities. It’s possible the perfect thing to help you is not what you think it is – for example, I thought I wanted to learn modern dance. I still do, but it never occurred to me that I would be interested in dancing with a partner. Had I been too focused on modern, contemporary style dancing it’s possible I would have declined my friends offer to salsa and missed out on a beautiful experience.
Reaching outside your comfort zone is key to discovering amazing moments!
It’s time to embrace the little girl inside who will dance regardless of what other people think. The little girl who, even when faced with a negative reaction, still follows her heart. There are an endless number of amazing experiences to be had when your an open book – ready to explore.
What is one thing you can do this week to open your mind to experiences and invite them in? Can you be more outspoken about your desire to do something new? Or finally take your friend up on that offer to go to comedy night? In the comments, or via email – let me know what you did to open yourself up to a new experience and how it went!
Much love,
Emma xx
