Movement Intentions

When I awoke this morning, little did I know it would be the beginning of a new leg of my movement journey. Over the past few days I have experienced distorted body image, decreased self-esteem, hopelessness in dreams, and failure in achievements. You could call it a low spot or a slip into depression. Instead I choose to embrace this time as an opportunity to enrich myself in mind, body, and soul.

I believe this opportunistic mindset has come about my current audio snack Eat, Pray, Love by Elizabeth Gilbert. This true story is an account of one woman’s journey of self-discovery, and it has inspired me to dig deep within myself to learn who I am, what I want from life, and to what lengths I’ll travel to achieve my greatest desires. On her quest, Elizabeth takes solace in the practice of yoga, meditation, and prayer. She also receives guidance from a guru.

What I most desire in my life is to help people discover, heal, and grow through movement. On a small scale I’m already experiencing this passion in my fusion bellydance classes. I now set the intention and send out to the universe my energy for this notion to take hold on a grand scale. To bring my dream into fruition, I call upon the dance gurus. Even further, I seek the movement goddesses of past, present, and future.

Too often I think the reason I’m not a more accomplished movement artist is due to the lack of big name instructors available in my local community or the unavailable funds to participate in area workshops and trainings. In truth, I have a host of movement educators always at my fingertips. For anyone who really knows me (or has seen my home dance studio), you know I have a bit of an obsession (perhaps even obsessive compulsion) when it comes to instructional DVDs. I own over at least 100 different videos from a variety of movement backgrounds including bellydance, bollywood, bhangra, ballet, hip hop, hoopdance, Brazilian, African, tap, Irish step dance, hula, ballroom, Latin, swing, sensual dance (aka striptease), Nia, trance dance, and Yoga Booty Ballet (to name a few). In contrast to the exhaustive resources, I can likely count on one hand the number I’ve actually watched or utilized.

It’s time to embrace the many blessings within my grasp including my ability to physically move my body, an eclectic movement library, and a sacred space designed for honoring dance. Today I experienced my first movement through movement in my first experience with Yoga Booty Ballet (a DVD I’ve owned for at least five years and only tonight put into the player for the first time). Upon finishing the basic practice I sat down and this full entry poured forth from me.
I end tonight’s blog with a goal, which I believe to be a desire spoken or written aloud with conscious intention and set in the present tense:

I look within me to find the movement goddess I seek and I call upon the gifts around me to call her forth. I hear her wisdom like gentle whispers into my soul and feel the favors she lays upon my heart. I embody joyful movement through conscious practice, focused dance meditation, and instruction outside my comfort zone.

In movement,
Nayana