It was a beautiful, sunny morning at the ranch. The children were playing quietly and the adults were going about their daily morning routine. The silence and tranquility that filled the house was interrupted by music and the clapping of someone playing castanets coming from the living room.
There she was, Amparo, one of the sisters living on the ranch, dancing with castanets like she was in her own little world. Her movements were so graceful, that she looked like a professional dancer.
“Not at all,” she said. “I don’t even know if my movements are close to professional dancing. I dance because of how it makes me feel without worrying about how I look or if I’m good at it.”
And here is Amparo dancing on that particular morning
Dancing makes me feel more alive. It makes me connect with myself in my body, my mind and my spirit.
Although I have been dancing socially for years, I discovered the magical healing power of dance a year ago after the loss of my husband. All I wanted to do was stay curled up in my bed, holding his picture and cry. I basically isolated myself, became depressed and couldn’t find the strength to get back to living. One afternoon, as I was going through his stuff in a drawer, I found his favorite CD. I sat on my bed and cried over the special moments we had together listening and dancing to that CD. A force came over me to get up and play it. The last thing I felt like doing was listening to music and definitely not dancing. These were things that I did with my husband for fun. It seemed so inappropriate and I really was not in a ‘having fun’ state of mind. As I sat there crying, I eventually surrendered to the force and walked over to the CD player. The first song began to play and I suddenly found myself moving along with it. The rhythm flowed slowly through me and I let it guide me. Before I knew it, I was crying and dancing by myself in my bedroom. With every step I took, I fell in a trance and felt the weight of my sorrow being lifted out of me. That day, I danced throughout the entire CD. Instead of feeling tired, I felt more alive than ever. I felt lighter and energized with a happier outlook on life. For the first time in a long time,
I was free to express myself and my emotions without worrying or thinking about anyone else.
Free to allow myself to let go of all the lies that were keeping me from seeing the beauty of life around me and within myself. I was able to transform the memory of my husband and the love we shared, which for months had me on the verge of total insanity, into a love for all that I had to offer and for the beauty in all things.
I am in the middle of deciding whether or not to make a major change in my life. Although I am excited, it’s also scary. Dancing helps me to break free from all negative thoughts clogging my mind and keeping me from a clear, fresh spirited mind. Only through dance am I able to be in touch with whom I am and enter a space of silence and prayer. A place where I discover answers that are true for me.
It is something powerful, spiritual and magical that needs to be experienced and felt to truly understand the miracle of dance.
I encourage everyone to explore with dancing. The moves and steps are really not important. Play your favorite music and surrender to the beat to guide your body. Don’t focus on doing the right moves, focus on how it makes you feel. When you reach a state of bliss, enjoy the magical journey!
When was the last time you danced?
