No mirrors

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.

Bodies change...

These two photos are about 9 years apart. The black and white photo is the older photo and the newer photo was taken in the studio where I teach here in Columbus, OH.

I’m 46 in the first one and 55 in the second. Though this has nothing to do with age.

It has to do with time passing, yes, but it has to do with life experiences over that time passing.

During that first photo, I was in the best fitness of my life, and I was on fire with ideas and passion and energy. I hadn’t met Craig; the pandemic hadn’t happened; so much hadn’t happened. And I was in a “flying high” sort of phase of my life. I felt completely healed of any and all mental health challenges. (Yes, I was a bit naive.)

Come to the second photo and those nine years between the two feel more like a few decades. And I’m betting that most of you reading this don’t just understand that but feel much the same about this chunk of time.

My point here is that our physical bodies end up reflecting the life we’ve lived through and our internal landscape. (Stick with me.)

It’s basic cause and effect.

There were dozens of reasons, but over those nine years, I slowly stopped moving as much. I slowly stopped engaging with life in the same joyful way.

It was so very slow… like a titration of making me and my life smaller and smaller. Again, there were a lot of external reasons for this, but those reasons then fed into old internal crap, and eventually the existential depression monster took hold and would not let go.

Until maybe a year ago. And I think it was almost harder this time through than previous times because I felt such a profound sense of loss this time. Before my depression had developed in micro-bits over decades and it felt like that was simply the water I swam in.

When I got healthy, I didn’t realize what healthy could be like. It was so new to me. To have that suddenly snatched away again felt like a cruel joke.

And so with that existential depression, my already diminishing movement practices got pretty much gobbled up. I got to the point where the only time I was moving was when I was teaching. And it was easy when I was teaching to not move in new ways because I was paying attention to others.

You can see the spiral here.

And it’s really the same for most humans. Except that we don’t look to see the connections.

We blame our bad back on our age and not on the fact that we stopped moving very much decades before.

We blame our bad relationship on the other person and not on the fact that we also disengaged and stopped trying.

We hate seeing cause and effect because it leads to responsibility.

Eventually, our bodies will change, and that change will reflect so many little choices along so many years and so many unexpressed and unprocessed griefs and traumas and so many experiences that are uncountable.

The point is to notice and to understand that bodies change is not just a negative statement.

Bodies change. When I took that new photo of myself, it kinda startled me that to make that shape was kinda... difficult. It took a bunch of tries. It was frustrating. I expected to just replicate it the first try and with ease because it’s my damn body.

But bodies change. And I had not really noticed. Even though that’s my work in this world.

Bodies change. And it's often because we've changed how we are in these bodies.

Bodies can change again.

So I'll be adding a LOT more floor play into my movement work. It was a huge part of my practice back then but it hasn't been as much lately so I can't be surprised that my body has changed in this particular way.

When I started to dance again at the age of 40, my body and mind both changed COMPLETELY in nine months. I’m gonna do that again. Starting right now.

Watch me.

I started just in time...

From a recent class here in Columbus, OH.

I've added two classes at OrangeTheory to my week. This is on top of the six I teach and then the other stuff I do... like Pilates, walking, some weights, yoga, more dance, and soon tennis (as I write this here, I think we’ll be playing tennis this afternoon!!!).

These two classes though are teaching me something really important that I need people to hear but first a little context…

All through my 40s, I just kept getting physically fitter. AND mentally fitter because you CANNOT take those two things apart. Period.

Pay attention to this sentence: I was more fit in the decade of my 40s than in my entire life.

I got back all my youthful mobility and then some and got stronger than ever and more creative in my body than ever.

Then the pandemic hit, and like so many of us, I've come out the other side in a different body. One that's not quite so active. One that just feels different. (I’m not talking aesthetics here.)

After two frozen shoulders, that got even worse. I lost a lot of strength during those two years that I was trying to deal with that and then recovering.

I'm 55.

So... I start to go to Orange Theory and it hit me yesterday after class as I was walking home:

I STARTED JUST IN TIME.

I was a little startled by this thought, to say the least, but I knew in my bones that it was not an exaggeration.

Because I have lost more than I had even noticed. There are weird little things with my balance (which I will VERY QUICKLY get back). Little things in my ankles and my lateral hips (even though I do work on those things but apparently not enough).

I could EASILY blame this stuff on aging. That's what most people do.

But I KNOW that it's about UNDERUSE — because of all I just said about the pandemic and frozen shoulders.

The longer we wait, the harder it will be, peeps.

At any point, you can start to challenge that body and it WILL CHANGE.

I know this from watching elder dancers in their 70s and 80s suddenly being able to squat and come back up without touching anything. (With just my dance processes added to their lives.)

But at some point, you MUST start.

And start right where you are with no judgment.

What kind of aging do you want to have?

I'm not talking about things we can't control like illness and seriosus injury.

BUT there is SO MUCH we CAN control and when we don't take responsibility for that, it's a shame.

Again, what kind of aging do you want?

One of constant pain body and ever diminishing mobility and playfulness?

That's what our culture currently tells us is waiting for us all, but that's bullshit.

We CAN have vibrant elder years.

BUT NOW IS THE TIME TO DECIDE.

Do a wide range of things. Make sure you're including things that are uber challenging. Make sure you include PLAY.

A few announcements!

First, as always, there’s a new session of classes starting the week of March 11th. Go here for information about quickie yoga and Peony Somatic Dance classes that are online.

Second, if you know Helen Yee (perhaps you’ve been in a class with her), you might not know that she’s an amazing violinist and composer, AND she just released a solo album that I’m currently playing on repeat. I think my students will love it for movement practice.

Go here to support her work. You can purchase the CD (which comes with digital download) or you can just do digital.

(And hey, if you have anything you’re releasing out into the world, please send me a message so I can highlight you in my/our spaces.)

Speaking of spaces, the third announcement comes with a lot of mixed emotions, but my overriding emotion is excitement and so I know this is the right choice: I’m shutting down the JoyBody Sanctuary after 12 years of running free, private Facebook groups. I need a break and I need that time and energy to work on other projects and writing.

That said, you should be seeing me here more.

You can go here to read what I wrote about the closing of the group. I’ll be archiving the group at some point on Monday, March 4th so until then you can comment and leave responses.

And finally, a short video from a class with Linda Soto. It’s blurry but I found this so beautiful that it’s worth the blur.

Joy list: what's caught my interest lately

I have this list of blog posts that I keep staring at, wanting to share so much depth of thought with you all. Then I can’t fathom where I will get the brain energy to do any of it justice, so for now… a list.

If you’re not in the sanctuary or you don’t often check it out, you’re missing some good stuff so I’m here to remedy that.

To start, if you didn’t watch the Grammy’s, be sure to check out:

This performance by Miley Cyrus, whom I never thought I was such a fan of but apparently now am. Pay attention to the last minute especially.

And Annie Lennox paying tribute to Sinead. I mean, who else could have really done this?

This study shows it doesn’t take long at all to make an impact on your brain with some semi-vigorous dance. (This would mean that you can kinda talk but not be 100% comfortable talking.)

Here’s a reminder that you can still get Vitamin D on cloudy days… it just takes longer, but this makes it even more important to get outside when we don’t want to ((whine)).

If you need a super short and concise explanation about how we got to this single, angry male god version of religion, this is for you. (Just under three minutes.)

And this is one of my new favorite movers. She’s freaking amazing. And she’s an example of how dance is for ALL bodies. (As in… you know the traditional dance world would say no to her… grrrr…)

I just had someone ask me for a Kundalini yoga resource that I like, which is asking a lot because there’s a lot out there that is just meh. Or even just annoying. BUT I do like this person and her stuff is free on YouTube. (Though also remember that I offer a quickie class that is a combo of Kundalini and whatever else is floating my boat at the moment.)

So tell me…

What’s catching your interest lately? Books, movies, whatever! I WANT TO HEAR!!

New Columbus Studio and Online Classes Update

So much has been going on in the 3D world that I’ve been a little lax with my online world, and I apologize for that. This space and all the spaces where we meet in this not-at-all-virtual world is so important to me.

So right up front, know that I plan on continuing my work here and in the private Facebook group and in zoom classes, regardless of what’s happening in Columbus.

That said, I have a new studio home here a mere few blocks from my house, and the fit is just amazing. Beyond what I could have hoped for.

It’s like I found a space where I don’t have to create the kind of inclusive compassion from the ground up … it’s already there. And it’s in full bloom so I just get to step in and do my thing and I’m surrounded by humans who get it very quickly and take it all in so beautifully that it can feel overwhelming.

You can see my Columbus schedule right here. I mean, if you’re nearby, come see me!!

I also look forward to running some workshops out of that studio that will be long enough to justify people traveling a few hours.

And you might have noticed a slight change to the name of my methods. I am hoping that calling it Peony Somatic Dance will help people to understand what I’m up to a little quicker than just calling it the Peony Method.

Finally, for those of you who still want to work with me online, THANK YOU. I feel so much gratitude for how supportive you’ve been through all of these changes to how we work together. I know it can feel challenging sometimes but I hope the work and the community warrants that.

A new session starts next week and you can find that schedule right here.

Resting in Dreamland: an extended winter solstice worksho

Written in the Body: Movement, Ritual, and Writing to celebrate seasonal transitions.

Winter Solstice 2023: Resting in Dreamland

ONLINE from December 3rd through January 5th with a live event on zoom on December 10th.

DEADLINE for Registration: Wednesday, December 6th

Co-Facilitated by me and Deborah Globus (more about her below!)

PLEASE NOTE: Our number one priority as guides is accessibility. All movement prompts, as with all of my teaching, will have space in them for every single body, no matter what’s going on with you in the moment. All of Deb’s prompts, and the entirety of the workshop, will place emphasis on honoring energy levels, so there will be options for low, medium, and high energy explorations.

Online, streamed, and filmed live event: Sunday, December 10th, 5:30 to 7:30 PM, Eastern U.S. Time. (The video will be made available to the group the day after and will remain available until after the new year.)

COST (and please email me if you need a different price. No questions asked, as always): $77

Written in the Body will be a series of workshops that focus on each of the solstices and equinoxes over the next year. It seems right that we start in the winter, this time of hibernation and rest and pause.

The live event part of each of these workshops will not actually take place on the solstice or equinox. It will always take place at least a week or more before so that you can then prepare, based on all you’ve learned and practiced, your own ritual on the actual day and at the actual time.

Perhaps, for example, you’ll take what you’ve learned and practiced and run a group ritual in your area. Or perhaps you’ll take what you’ve learned and practiced and enjoy a solo ritual.

The point is that you’ll get to the solstice or equinox ready in whatever way feels right for you.

Winter Solstice: Resting in Dreamland Themes

“This is the solstice, the still point of the sun, its cusp and midnight, the year’s threshold and unlocking, where the past lets go of and becomes the future; the place of caught breath.”

— Margaret Atwood

It’s rather ironic that this time of year has become so typically frenetic. It’s the opposite of what’s happening with nature, right? And it’s the opposite of what’s meant for us, as we are nature.

We’re meant to come inside from the year’s hard labor and to light a fire and rest.

Rest being reinvigorating and not just the “catching up on sleep because we’re so freaking exhausted” that it’s become.

Rest is quiet time with family and friends. Sharing stories. Making good and warm and filling food. Dreaming…

And so we will be dreaming together. And we do not mean setting goals. That’s not dreaming. That’s the step after dreaming. (As Deb often has to remind me… if you know us, you understand that!)

We will be focusing on a couple of core themes:

Gathering around the fire in community is number one. Coming together to witness one another in our dreaming and to hold space for those dreams as they arise or as they pass away.

Exploring the wisdom in our bones. Another way to think about this is to ask: What is your body trying to communicate to you?

AND

Discovering what supports us in softness. This is something the larger world does not encourage, right? Hustle culture, scarcity mentality, the idea of winning are all about being less vulnerable, less open, and, well, harder. But we know that the opposite is what’s truly valuable. What do you need to really nestle in to your softness? To allow the soft that precedes growth?

The Basic Calendar

On Sunday, December 3rd, we’ll be opening a private Facebook group to which you’ll be invited. Everything pertaining to the workshop will be loaded there, including the eventual video from the live event.

It’s in this space that you can share experiences, ask questions, make connections with other human beings doing this sort of work or learning about it for the first time.

Again, community is a priority.

On Sunday, December 10th, from 5:30 PM to 7:30 PM, we’ll be running the live event of the workshop. This will be recorded so if something happens and you can’t make it, you’ll be able to participate and learn after the fact.

Deb and I will be adding material to the Facebook group in approximately this pattern:

Mondays: I’ll load a breath/movement/rest video so that we start the week getting into these bodies.

Wednesdays: Deb will share a writing prompt to explore our themes more deeply.

Fridays: Deb will share a wide variety of information relative to working with the energy of the four quarters. Everything from information about what crystals might work best to correspondences and pertinent lore and myth.

Live Workshop: Sunday, December 10th

This will take place on Zoom from 5:30 PM to 7:30 PM Eastern time, and again, it will be recorded for you to use and refer back to as much as you want and need.

During the workshop, Deb and I will bounce back and forth.

I’ll be providing movement, breath, and body based explorations that allow you to feel your way into what you need from this time of year.

Deb will be providing short writing prompts and also clearly demonstrating the four parts of ritual.

About Deb Globus

Hi! My name is Deborah Globus and I’ve been journaling for 35 years, and working with personal ritual for almost as long, helping women create beautiful rituals and practices to navigate, articulate, and share the milestones and transitions in their lives.

I draw from many traditions - the Christianity I was raised in, the earth-based practices I believe in, the Judaism I take part in, and the many other faiths and belief sets in which I find inspiration, and I use all that to support others who walk their own spiritual paths.

Oh, and I wrote a book! Which you can find right here.

REGISTER HERE

New Free Video & Last Classes of the Year

We’re going to be making a total of six of these videos (we being me and Linda Soto and Jillian Hynes) to show the fundamentals of a Peony Methods class on 3 different humans.

Here’s part two, showing some examples of possible floor (or chair) warmups. If you’ve been with me long, you know there are a bajillion things that we might possibly do for that segment of the class, but these are pretty standard.

And for the last class session of the year, I’ll be running the usual classes for four weeks. One week on, one week off for Thanksgiving week, three weeks on, and then a three week break over the remaining holidays.

GO HERE to looksie and register.

I would love to see you! Please always know that if these classes are out of reach financially that I will work with you to get you in. Just write to me and we’ll figure out what would be doable. I don’t need to know anything more.