Every Wednesday evening there is a special dance happening in Islington, North London.
It’s more than a dance. It’s an embodiment meditation practice, opening the gateway for a deep internal reflection.
It’s a space to let go of preconceived ideas of how to move or how to be, a call for our life force energy to take over and lead us into the (re)discovery of who we truly are.
It’s a ceremony where we can safely let go, even just for a few hours, of the mundane aspects of reality and enter an alternate universe where movement, sound and feelings intimately intertwine and become a portal for the soul to dance itself anew into existence.
It’s Mira’s Movement Medicine dance. Since I followed the recommendation of a friend to join her class a while ago, I fell in love with it. Utterly, deeply and irrevocably. It is my medicine, indeed.
In this article, I intend to convey the depths and the heights, the beauty and passion, the value and meaning I explore as I bring myself almost every week to this dance floor, like a ritual. Be it rain or sunshine, I come, again and again, to lose myself so as to regain myself, a little deeper each time.
And in so doing, I wish to support Mira by spreading the word about the exceptional teacher that she is, about the incredible dedication that she pours into her work, purpose and passion.
I have utmost respect and gratitude for her, for the space that she so gracefully and skillfully creates, for the magic that her presence is able to invoke.
As we enter the dance floor we are invited to stretch our bodies and fully land in the space that will support our impending alchemy. Mira opens the dance with some slow and sweet tunes, almost as if attempting to entice the awakening of the inner dancer.
Before the dance officially begins, we are asked to pair up and take a few minutes each to share, in turn, how we are feeling.
By sharing what is going on in our body-mind-heart, we let it all out, becoming the empty vessels through which the music will shape-shift our bodies to reveal novel dimensions of our souls.
We gather in a circle as Mira shares her thoughts about how the dance will unfold, on a different theme each time.
We then begin the dance by connecting with different parts of the body, from the top of our heads down to our feet and toes, which allows us to drop from the busyness of our minds and into the felt experience of our bodies.
Even though my mind was initially resisting this incipient part of the dance, deeming it boring, with time I learnt this is actually the most essential one.
Why? If I dance with a constant chatter in my mind, I won’t be able to fully offer myself to how the music wants to move me. And what happens is surprising, each time – I get out of my mind, into my body, which opens up a whole new world of exploration beyond anything that my mind can even begin to imagine.
I become transported into a world of playfulness, of spontaneity, of wildness.
As I rise higher and delve deeper into each musical wave, my heaviness or stress dissolves, transforming into potent life force energy readily available to pour into the manifestation of my intentions or visions.
And that’s why this dance is an alchemy for the soul.
It is said that Native American shamans ask the sick the following question: When was the last time you danced?
Indeed, we come to the dance with mental and emotional baggage, with energy stuck in different parts of our bodies, which we shake off and release so we can feel lighter, freer, happier.
The dance has quite a shamanic feel to it, for Mira plays music in tune with the four elements, in turn: earth, fire, water, air. Each element has a particular aspect to teach us.
• Earth grounds and anchors us in the physical reality, giving us the stability and nourishment that we need.
• Fire helps to awaken our inner fire and passion, inside which we release all that doesn’t serve us in that moment.
• Water teaches us how to be more fluid and adaptable, flowing around obstacles instead of pushing against them.
• Finally, air reveals us a higher perspective, as we fly high above the landscape of our existence to get a glimpse of the bigger picture.
Mira invites us, from time to time, to also connect with various archetypes.
• For example, we dance like the fool, rediscovering our sense of curiosity and childlike adventure.
• Or we embody the character of the warrior, protecting that which holds meaning and value in our hearts.
• Other times we meet our inner wise man/woman, who accepts us unconditionally, offering us guidance on how to move forward in certain problem areas.
The dance is not just about our own personal empowerment, but also about reconfiguring our relationship with the community.
Many times during the dance we are invited to pair up in groups of two, three or more, witnessing each other’s moving expression.
When we witness one another, we give each other our full presence and support, holding each other as we step more into a moreauthentic and liberated expression.
This practice of giving and receiving feels deeply nourishing, reminding us of the power of mutual appreciation that we all intrinsically need in order to embody more of who we truly are.
One of my most memorable witnessing dances was dedicated to our new year’s intentions.
I was witnessed as I danced my shiniest dance, making a solid commitment to myself that I was going to shine to the best of my ability during the year to come.
Halfway through the year now, I can see how that strong embodiment of my intention is bearing exciting fruits. Dancing can, therefore, become a moving prayer, through which we commune with the Divine and give thanks for what we already have and what more there is to come.
Towards the end of the dance, the group feels united. It’s almost as if the individual dancers have disappeared, melting into a co-created piece of art, with no beginning or end.
The dance is about the journey we took deep inside ourselves, which we bring to conclusion by laying down with our heads turned towards the candle in the middle of the circle. As we absorb the last piece of music, we rest and integrate the depths that have been stirred and the heights that have been conquered, in sweet surrender.
Our bodies are exhausted, but our spirits are revived.
We finish the class by gathering in a circle, each expressing a few words that have crystallized for us during the dance.
We accompany the words with a gesture, to convey more aliveness to what those words mean to us. Some of the recurrent themes are peace, gratitude, joy, playfulness, love, community, beauty, flow, ease, etc. It is apparent what the dance does to its dancers…
Thank you, Mira, for working your magic and offering your gifts to the community.
Dancing with you is truly a medicine for my soul, and the souls of many others, as they confess the following:
It was a truly moving and profound experience. - Rachel
Resistance and inhibitions melt away and I am transported by the evocative music to a place within where I can dance with all my being. – Kate
Each class supports me to reach into unexplored parts of myself – to discover a gift of something new, a piece of myself that needed recognition, or a quality that wishes to make itself known and to integrate itself into my life. - Eliot
With Mira's gentle support I've been able to transform old and limiting beliefs I held about myself. In the freedom and creativity in the dance, I'm discovering more of my true potential and evolving into a place of owning and shining my own light. - Asija
I cannot recommend Mira’s Movement Medicine enough.
It is my weekly sacred practice, the place where I reconnect with myself at a deep level, shift through many of the stresses and strains of my daily life and explore novel dimensions of my visionary creativity.
A truly transformational and self-loving experience that I gift myself with and, through this article, wish to gift to you as well!
If you wish to join Mira’s classes at the Arc Centre in Islington or for other events, check out her website: http://www.movementmedicinewithmira.com/
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Be You, Be Wild, Be Free!
Bristena Georgiana