What have a bunch of Arm Movements to do with Being More Conscious?
How do they exercise the mind and the body?
What other benefits are there?
Dance of Shiva is a little bit like Tai Ji in that each movement has a specific intent. If we can feel our body as we do the movement we can feel whether we are doing the desired movement or not. Moving the arm Forwards in a Horizontal Spiral we can sense if we are keeping our palm facing up. If not we can correct it.
Doing with an intent to guide us, an idea of what we are trying to do, we can become present in the act of doing. We sense our body and we respond to what we sense. As we get better at sensing our body and controlling it we can get better at using it.
Because the movements of the Dance of Shiva are simple if we make a mistake it is easy to correct our selves. More importantly, it is easy to see when we make a mistake. Maybe we moved to the wrong position, or maybe we chose the wrong position with our mind. In either case with Dance of Shiva we can correct ourselves if we go wrong. And then we can grow from there.
Because the Dance of Shiva movements are simple they can be used as a warm up for more complicated exercises. Because we practice sensing connections or creating relationships we may also find that doing the Dance of Shiva it become easier to learn new things. We see relationships easier. As well as being an exercise for the mind and the body it can also help us to become more conscious.
So what is consciousness? What does Being Conscious mean?
Consciousness is something that takes information in-it pulls it inwards. If we are conscious we notice what is around us by seeing, by listening, by sensing. Consciousness is also something that process the information that it receives. If we are conscious then not only do we notice what is around us we understand or comprehend what is around us. Then we can act on that understanding... or simply enjoy the fact that we understand.
As well as taking information (and energ) inwards, consciousness deconstructs and reconstructs this information so that it can be understood. Being conscious, if we don't understand something then we break down what we don't understand into smaller units of meaning that we do understand. But as well as breaking big "ideas" down into little ones, it can also be used to unify small ideas by choosing a big idea to unify them.
Conscousness also processes the information that it takes in so that it can sense options and so that we can choose from among them. It also senses limits (or chooses them) so that we can move within them.
Being conscious it is like we know where we want to go and we know the ways to get there so that we can choose from among them. If we are on a road or a path, we sense the limits of the path so that we can stay within them and so get to where we want to go.
Conscious can be divided into two main modes, thinking and doing. These could be thought of as corresponding to left and right brain function. Thinking our consciousness is expanded in time, doing it is expanded in space. Expanded across time we pull in from space and look at what we would like to do or have done. Expanded in space we become present in the act of what we are doing. One way of thinking about these two states of being is that the Thinking state offers us the chance to analyze what we would like to do or have done while the Doing state offers us the chance to experience what we are doing.
We may move beyond these two states and understand at a glance. Instead of doing and then stopping to see what we have done, or instead of first thinking so that after we can do the two aspects of consciousness become simultaneous, we can see what we need to do as we are doing it. We can think of this as "Being in the Flow."
Dance of Shiva offers the opportunity to exercise both sides of the brain or if you like, both aspects of consciousness because there is an analytical aspect as well as a doing aspect.
We break big movements down into small movements and we can recombine them.
We sense what we are doing so that we can respond.
We learn possibilities so that we can dance among them.
So what are the benefits of doing The Dance of Shiva?
By moving our arms through the various positions we exercise the shoulders and the wrists and potentially parts of the spine and the ribcage.
Because the movements are the same for each arm we can use them to balance the sides of the body. This can be extremely beneficial for people who habitually do things one sided.
Because we are aware of the movements as we do them (or trying to be) we exercise the brain as well as the body.
By learning more and more movements, ways of connecting different points we create connections within the brain. Thus Dance of Shiva exercises and balances the brain as well as the body.
Since practicing the Dance of Shiva I feel smarter. I'm able to make connections between seemingly unrelated subjects.
I've found my coordination has improved. I think and my body does. I use to be quite clumsy. Now I am less so.
While I do also practice yoga (and Tai Ji) I noticed the improvement in coordination coincided with the time I started doing the Dance of Shiva.
The other interesting thing about the Dance of Shiva is that it offers a useful analogy for analyzing the world around our selves and within our selves. Living the Dance of Shiva, trying to live life more consciously by thinking in terms of possibilities it is easier to get things done. One reason for this is because I practice knowing what I am trying to do. And I also use my senses. My hope is that by practicing the Dance of Shiva we can learn to control ourselves within the flow of life. And once we can do that we then may actually be able to control a small part of the flow itself. We can then become responsible for our life rather than a victim of it.
What are the possible uses for Dance of Shiva?
How can it be practiced?
Does it take up a lot of time?
Do we need to give other things up in order to do it?
Dance of Shiva can be an exercise in its own right. It can also simply be a state of mind. For a few years I didn't practice the physical practice instead I tried to live it. I've come back to doing the practice because I enjoy the movements for their own benefit and I also enjoy teaching it and it is a fun way to profit. The nice thing is that it is easy enough to learn to teach it also so that other people can also profit by learning it so that they can teach it. It's great fun to play with kids too. Imagine our children learning to grow up as flexible thinkers instead of having to relearn it later on in life (or never learn it.) Dance of shiva can also be a warm up for other activities. It can be learned little bits at a time and because of the nature of the movements it can be practiced throughout the day. Five minutes here, one set of moves, five minutes there, another set or the same set. It takes up as much time as you need but sessions of 5 minutes are doable while still having a positive affect on our state of being. And no we don't need to give up other activities. You may find that by practicing the Dance of Shiva, it helps you to do other activities better. And you may find that it helps you to learn things quicker. You become less dependent on your teachers ability and instead are able to see the idea she or he is trying to teach. Or you figure out that your teacher hasn't go a clue and so you look for another one.
Is it easy?
No it isn't. It takes some work to learn, both brain work and physical work. However if you like to learn and you like a challenge then even though it is difficult work it is fun work. And here again, if it is too difficult, we can practice being conscious by breaking down what we are trying to do into smaller steps. Do one arm at a time so that the other can rest.
Do the movements as best you can and trust that you will get better.
Do it in your mind and imagine your body doing it.
And most of all, stop telling yourself that it is too hard or too difficult and just get on with doing it.
One of my favorite quotes is from a movie with John Cusack and in it one of the characters gives some advice saying, "Once in a while you just gotta say "What the fuck.""
As in why am I thinking so much, why am i worrying? Why not just get on and do it and figure it out as you go along.
It's not that thinking is a bad thing, it isn't, but worrying isn't productive and it's a waste of life. So if you have to think, think about ways to move ahead. Think about the life you want to lead. Think about the ways to get it and if it doesn't seem possible think of a diffferent way. And if it is still difficult ask a friend to help you see the way ahead. And if that doesn't work pray for the answer, but know what you are praying for first so that you recognize the answer when you get it. And then get on with doing, or at least enjoying life.
It is fun?
Yes it is. If you don't take it too seriously. If you laugh at yourself when you make mistakes and if you find a group of friends to do it with or even if you do it yourself. And especially if you try to teach it knowing that you haven't got a clue how it will go but you try anyway and you grow from there. And instead of worrying or being scared, if you watch the people you are teaching you can then respond to what you sense. You can help them get better and in the process get better your self.
