Limited time only, Paul Coelho's, "Witch of Portobello Road" available, in its entirety here:
Harper Collins Link
"Do you know what I've learned? That though ecstasy is the ability to stand outside youself, dance is a way of rising up into space, of discovering new dimensions while still remaining in touch with your body. When you dance, the spiritual world and the real world manage to coexist quite happily....During any dance to which we surrender with joy, the brain loses its controlling power, and the heart takes up the reins of the body. Only at that moment does the Vertex appear. As long as we believe in it, of course."
It's been a long time since I was at a rave. Or house party. Or dance hall. The last time I danced may have been at RedHen's wedding, now that I think about it. There are two types of people, as far as I'm concerned, those who dance and those who don't. Let me be clear though, and I am in love with both types-but much more so with those that do dance. Lovers are not the people that 'look good' while dancing, but the people that dance without any attachment to 'looking good'. (which usually end up being the people that look the best while dancing anyhow)
Think about the last time you saw someone dancing, really DANCING. Were they with anyone?
Having just bopped around my room for 1/2 an hour - which I used to do quite regularly; there were a couple of things that are worth mentioning:
- How easy it was to become distracted. I started glancing around my room at all the clutter and things I wanted to put away. Started staring at the clock, realizing how hot it was. But at the same time, all of the objects in the room started to become clearer. More in focus and I started to mentally keep a list in my head. Somehow, the endorphins had made everything more focused.
- How hard it was to just dance. There had to be some sort of connection-real or imaginary. I had to stare into the window to try to catch a glimpse of my eyes. After a while I gave up and fell into my easy fantasy-gypsy guitarists with dark eyes and sundry other men. Then dancing, all of a sudden was easy. After a little bit of that, it was easy to fall into just movement. But I needed that impetus.
- How the different types of music affected the type of connection I entered into. I was using a middle Eastern type belly dancing cd. It was a little hard to get into.
- How good it feels now, to just be used up. I can go to bed feeling like I did something.
- How hard it was to stop focusing on the 'look good'-even with the lights off, door closed and nobody here, I kept catching myself trying to do the 'right' movements, which is probably why I danced for as long as I did.
Coelho's novel encourages the reader through imagined interviews about his main character, Athena, to think of dance as more than physical activity or pleasurable activity. But as a way to get in touch with ultimate spirituality (called the Vertex) and therefore purpose in life. As much as I love dancing; this time was different. Because there was an imminent goal, I stepped out of being in the moment. And finally, when I let go of the need to see the 'Vertex', I was able to release into real dancing. Into clarity.
************
By the way: NERD ALERT.
WonderCon is this weekend, featuring Cal alumnus - John Cho - better known as Harold from 'Harold and Kumar' (soon to do comm duties as Hikaru Sulu in the new Star Trek prequel movie) does triple attack as the Con, Chinese New Year Parade and SFIAA Film Festival all come to collide in a huge AZNOMGFest.!!!
ahah. It's less like a yellow fever and more like a yellow epidemic. You know you love it. Yeah...I said it.
*************
Listening to Duffy, 'Mercy' - damn...
That's some good shit right there. Some friggin' awesome, makes my weekend, hot stuff, wish I could look like Brigitte Bardot and sing like Eartha Kitt good shit. (via LittlestYellowestDifferentest)
No comments:
Post a Comment