When I was getting ready to start to teach here in Columbus, the studio owner I work for asked which of his studios I wanted to teach out of. He has three and two of the spaces would have worked. But one space has mirrors so it was an absolute no-brainer. The yoga space it was/is.
Not working with mirrors and often having our eyes closed helps with entering into a nonjudgmental playful space in our bodies. It also adds to the meditative aspects of Peony Somatic Dance... a sort of meditation for those of us who don't tolerate seated meditation well.
(Seated meditation is not great for depression, anxiety, and a variety of mental illnesses. If it makes you feel worse, don't do it. I’ve written about how it’s okay if you can’t meditate and why that might be the case here.)
For so many of us, the mind feels like a constant tornado of activity and words and images and ideas and stories. It’s constant and it can seem like there’s never any relief.
Sitting in meditation can exacerbate all of that. (Again, see what I already wrote about this.)
But when we work with somatic dance, we become so focused on the prompt and the body and the music that it is like being in the eye of the tornado.
Suddenly we have peace and calm and quiet.
The body is truly the gateway to this.
The body and the mind are one, and when we try to … tame the mind via the body, we are working against our very nature.
When we enter into fully embodied and moving joy, then we are using ourselves as we are built to be used.
Movement is life. And movement is the tool the mind will respond to most easily, most naturally, and most joyfully.
No exertion, frustration, or extreme effort needed. Just be in play.
Not having mirrors in our space removes the temptation to turn toward ideas of perfection and “prettiness” that get in the way of this bodymind-ness that we are seeking.
(Side note: sometimes I work with mirrors very intentionally to work on issues around invisibility. I consider this advanced work that the student enters into when they are ready.)
Here’s some movement to be inspired by.