5 Ways to Drop Judgements while Dancing
Many of us hear the guidelines every morning at Ecstatic Dance Evolution and are reminded to drop judgments about ourselves and others, yet still find it difficult to do so. Whether the judgements are about yourself, others or the music here are five simple tips to let go and flow!
Close your eyes or use a blindfold
With this you have to be very careful and move very mindfully around the space. Make sure to move slowly, or find a corner to yourself where you can dance freely. Our sense of sight can be distracting at times and is often where judgements come from. This tip is recommended for those of you who want to cultivate having a good sense of energetic sensitivity and find it difficult to focus and drop in with your eyes open. In dropping the sight, you literally eliminate all the possible judgements you could have about others, then you just have to deal with the judgements you have about yourself. When you see them come up, don’t attach yourself to them. Remind yourself that they are just thoughts and keep dancing!
Focus on the rhythm
If your mind is all over the place and you are finding it hard to let go of your own personal Judge Judy, just focus on the rhythm and move according to the beat. Here are some suggestions: Start to sway side to side in rhythm, clap, or snap. Once you find the beat, stay there until moving to the beat becomes second nature to you. Make sure you become absorbed into the rhythm.
Use your heart
Use your heart chakra as your compass around the space to locate your heart partner. How to do this? It is simple: Put your attention on your heart and instead of moving around with your head, use your heart as a magnet and move accordingly. Feel your way around the space. You may find that You are your own heart partner, if so, keep your attention in your heart and dance from that space. Keeping your attention on your heart space is a very effective way to take your attention and energy away from your judgmental thoughts. You may also find yourself attracted to a heart partner other than yourself. Make sure to choose someone who puts you at ease and pulls you back into the freedom of present moment.
Sing or make funny sounds!
This may sound a little strange, but singing a simple “Om”, “La,la,la”, or barking like a dog can really help you get out of your head into the flow of the dance. This works because it breaks your attention from how you are moving. If you are noticing judgements are coming up while you do any of these things, keep going, don’t stop until you have gone past completely “embarrassing” yourself. Take yourself to the edge, and you may notice other people may join you in your funky, sacred phonations!
Remember your inner child, dance with a child, or dance with an adult who is as free as a child.
When we were kids, judgements were mostly irrelevant when we were having fun with our friends. We just wanted to keep having fun! If you can tap into your inner child, do so. Remember him or her, invoke her or his sense of freedom, wonder, and delight. If you cannot tap into your inner child, approach an actual child and allow them to be your sensei for this dance. Move as they do, play their games with them, chase them around the dance floor! If there are no actual children around, find an adult who you feel is embodying this childlike spirit and copy their movements and play with them.
“The ability to observe without evaluating is the highest form of intelligence.” – Jiddu Krishnamurti
May we be liberated from all that troubles us.
All my love,
Autumn
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