Julia Hope Brightwell - "Earth Wisdom & The Dance"
After a Movement Medicine weekly class with Ya'Acov, I pondered the idea of integrity broached by him in the pre-cycle gathering. How can we truly live with integrity if there is a split between our mind, heart, emotions and body wisdom? Wholeness is essential if we are to be able to live with a sense of honesty to what exists for us what is the full truth for us.
For most of us the perception and experience of our lives is filtered and coloured by past experiences of pain, shame, fear, abandonment and more. To truly act from integrity we need to be able to be and act, with an honesty and clarity, that arises from a deep sense of who we truly are in essence - not a perception arising from conditioned response, and some societal, cultural, projected, collective code of what is and isn't acceptable.
How can we be sure we are acting from integrity if we are a product of conditioning and the ego?
And in that, Movement Medicine and other forms of dance and bodywork help us become conscious of emotions, stories, patterns and codes of behaviour that influence us (without us even knowing they are). Until they become aware to us, they are out of our control and therefore are unable to be released and healed.
This journey to wholeness is not for the faint-hearted; it is not a self-indulgent or self-preoccupation - the journey takes courage to embrace the shadowy parts of our nature, allow the intense emotions and feel the fire of the cleansing.
Movement Medicine with Ya'Acov and Susannah provides a safe space for this treacherous, thrilling and illuminating journey within the supporting collective of a dance community. Yet for each one of us who steps forth to self-heal, we break the endless cycle of co-dependency, abuse and a life of limit to step forth more and more often into our full potential to be expansive, limitless co-creators, embodied in a human form. Here to learn to love unconditionally, and be at one with nature, whilst creating from joy and love.
And in this way it is no co-incidence that Anastasia (written about in the Ringing Cedar Series) has become a guiding light in our marrying of Earth and Spirit - she represents a pristine human living in harmony and understanding of the whole of the natural world, and embodying the gifts of remote viewing, vibrant health, energy mastery and divine wisdom. Her naturalness is the key to her freedom and gifts - she has fully embraced the interconnected miracle of life and nature, and understands the key to right relationship.
Before I received my first Anastasia book from a friend I was prepared physically for this wisdom and truth by an experience of walkabout where for 3 days you carry your shelter, food and water nomadically - camping under a tarpaulin, initially as part of a group and finally alone. Nothing could have prepared me for the safety I felt being alone sleeping in Mother Earth's arms on that final night, befriended by all manor of creatures which previously I would have shuddered at the sight of, and now had become welcome companions. In the morning alone I bathed in the cool, life-filled waters of the brook feeling beautiful and at one with all in my nakedness, and then wept the loss of innocence, freedom and naturalness.
Anastasia's visionary teachings, (of which there are 9 books), seem to encapsulate the wisdom and essential teaching of every meaningful book I have ever read, from work by Paul Ferrini, Tom Browne, Monty Roberts, Carlos Castaneda, Esther & Jerry Hicks, and many more, but her words are arranged in a particular order to allow the reader to be deeply touched. Anastasia is a re-awakener of our Earth-Spirit wisdom and she gives us techniques to support our return to wholeness, naturalness and at oneness.
Whilst at Osho Leela with a friend, sitting under an old Oak tree, I was informed by the Oak that another tree in the garden was struggling under the pressure put upon it and needed love and healing. Not used to hearing trees talk to me I felt silly, but suspended my judgement and cynicism long enough to follow my inner directive which guided me to a small, newly planted tree. With slight embarrassment I shared my experience with my friend and he told me that the tree had been planted as a memory to a beloved Sanyasin whose passing had been deeply grieved by many, and I saw how this little tree had been planted under the burden of a huge amount of grief - together we held the tree and gave our love. Thus I began to see the intelligent aliveness of all living things and how Anastasia was teaching us to retrieve our lost connection to all life-forms.
Movement Medicine by moving us deeply into the inner space of our bodies, helps develop our sensitivity to our own body wisdom and its guidance. Our body is our Earth connection and through it we can become conscious of the messages of the natural world and its inhabitants. I would like to say, this is not a natural ability for me, for many years I have been ungrounded, and have ignored or been unaware of my body's messages for sleep, nutritious food, exercise, care and respect. In this way, the flowing cycle is the hardest for me to master - the rhythm of the Earth - if I haven't been to a class for a month or two then I feel like a toddler again, learning to walk, unsure and clumsy - having to give enormous attention to my feet and each step.
Ya'Acov said in the "Procreation"workshop, that he had made a conscious decision to follow a Path of Joy and that day I chose that path too. Learning to follow my body wisdom I see how an increase of energy and a feeling of positive emotions such as joy, love and excitement in my body guide me to the right experiences, people and places - ones that are resonant with my essential, authentic self. Concurrently where there is a decrease in energy and feelings of fear, boredom, etc., then I am being guided not to take that path. This helps keep me on the Path of Joy - and in truth my biggest healings have come when I feel safe and there is time to relax deeply into myself.
Dance is a sacred Art form and Movement Medicine for the Western world in particular is a crucial gift helping us reconnect with the sacred, and our Earth-spirit wisdom. Dancing outside at a friend's wedding with my feet on the Earth, the wind blowing through my hair and the sun warming my soul, is one of the most wonderful experiences of my life and I pray for more opportunities to marry my love of dance and this beautiful planet that sustains us with nourishment and lifts pour spirits with its unbridled beauty and diversity.
By Julia Hope Brightwell, 2007
