Last week on Facebook I shared that I was slightly fearful about trying something new.
I was opening myself up to try the movement practice of 5 Rhythms, run by my fabulous friend Sheryl from Moving Steps.
Dancing or any form of choreographed movement has never been a talent of mine.
At the age of 3, my mum swiftly realised I wasn’t a dancer after a short stint at Physical Culture and even now I find Xtend Barre classes challenging.
When everyone is plié-ing I’m passé-ing…. I’m sure you get the picture!
So trying out a new form of movement class AND going alone was quite a challenge for me!
However, deep down I knew that I HAD to do it and it was the right time to give it a go.
Lately I’ve been really curious about exploring my feminine energy (as I’m pretty much always in masculine mode) and I know that unblocking my lower chakras through movement is interconnected).
I know this will sound Woo-Woo for some off my readers, but please stay with me here!
For me, the 5 Rhythms class was quite transformational …..so I thought I would share my experience with you.
Here we go!
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The warm up itself was an eye-opener!
For a good 10 minutes I sat and watched everyone move gracefully around the room to the music, flowing freely and carefree.
In stark contrast, my warm up was more ‘conventional’ and consisted of a number of static stretches as if I was preparing for a netball grand final!
After contemplating whether I should just sit and watch everyone else dance for the next 90 minutes, I found the courage, stood up from my rather rigid hamstring stretch and started swaying to the music….think a prickly pine tree moving in the breeze ha ha!
To begin with I felt strange and uncomfortable. The question, “What am I doing here?” crossed my mind numerous times and I wondered if I would actually take part in the class.
But as more dancers filled the room and the lights dimmed, I seriously said under my breath ‘F^ck it,’ (sorry mum) ‘I don’t know anyone here and I’m going to give it my all.’
And for the next hour and a half, I. Did. Not. Stop. Moving.
It was such an energetic and emotional release.
As I got more into it I felt uninhibited, dancing freely.
Thankfully there are ‘no rules’ within 5 Rhythms and it’s not choreographed.
As I looked around the room no one cared what they looked like (thank god). They were entirely focused on themselves and had moved from their heads and into their bodies.
The array of music was hypnotic and I was completely in awe of how it all transitioned so beautifully through the different Rhythms.
At times we explored the Rhythms without music (eeekk!). This was challenging as I really relied on the sound for a sense of structure.
The Rhythm that I most identified with (and found myself moving as if I was at a club or a music festival!) was Staccato.
Staccato is apparently linked to the power of masculine energy and is the fierce teacher of boundaries….no surprise as to why this resonated with me so much!
But as we delved into the rhythms of Flow and Chaos I started to open up and I felt wild, passionate and vulnerable.
I stopped thinking and I really started feeling.
I felt more connected, empowered and free.
It was such an amazing feeling.
The most profound lesson I took from this experience is when you open yourself up to vulnerability you truly feed your courage and starve your fears.
Feeding your courage and starving your fears means YOU CAN do anything!
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Let me ask you this – where is fear holding you back in your life? If you have the courage (and I know you do!) share with me your feelings in the comments below!
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Love,