I have loved spending a couple of days working on ’embodiment’ as a route to ‘coming back to my sense of beauty’. Yesterday I spent a whole day at a brilliant singing workshop – the long physical, breathing and vocal warm up exercises were such a great practice of mindful embodiment, with the wordless notes resonating through the entire physical system. And then the song I’d chosen to sing was ‘I’ve got the music in me’ by Kiki Dee – such a rollicking, pumping, life-affirming song. My intention was to have fun with it, and I did – I was, to a good degree, able to relax myself and let the song sing through me. I love these lyrics:
Feel funky
Feel good
Gonna tell ya
I’m in the neighbourhood
Gonna fly like a bird on the wing
Hold on to your hat honey,
Sing, sing, sing, sing
Singing as a route to an embodied sense of beauty?
Singing as a route to an embodied sense of beauty, indeed. Letting the song sing through you is a gift and a joy, no? You know that something greater than the ‘everyday’ is rolling through your system, no? What is that ‘everyday’ feeling, and how do you sidestep it most effectively, and for the good of ‘development’ as opposed to ‘escapology’?
The ‘everyday’ feeling is a little blurred, a little laden with duty, compulsion, obligation, rote learning. It feels to me like being bundled along by circumstance – as opposed to being held in the moment by something magical and awakening.
So this magical and awakening feeling. What is this?
It’s a zinging feeling of glee, delight, wonder, mirth… It’s being held by the moment, but also knowing you’re holding the moment. You’re creating something, or participating in something, which is more than ‘humdrum’.
What is ‘humdrum’?
Oh, it’s the boring, tedious stuff that we do because we have to…
Sounds cranky.
Yes! It is cranky.
So, sidestepping the crankiness of the humdrum, compulsory everyday. What does that mean to you today?
It means having a ‘towards’ vision and using my body and mind and intention to create it!
What is your towards vision today?
It is simply to tie up loose ends, to have the house and my desk and my duties in balance, not threatening me menacingly.
So that you’re in charge? So you’re holding the balance of order?
Yes! I will use the energy of my body (embodiment) to create a sense of beauty and order. I’d better get on my feet. The words for the day?
I am getting up on my feet!
I am getting up on my feet