The everyday dance of life starts the moment we wake and glide out of bed. It continues when we put the kettle on and sip our morning cup of tea; when we greet the early morning and notice the colors of dawn; when we run out of the door to keep an appointment.
Do we pay attention to our everyday movements? Do we enjoy multilayered events, such as holding an object while walking and at the same time, keeping track of where we are heading? Very few of us take the time out to remember this everyday dance.
As human beings, we are born in a body that becomes our home as long as we are on earth.
From ancient times to the present, people have been studying and observing the way the body works. It is with its help that we accomplish all that we are here for.
One of our most important tasks is maintaining the health of our being. An inherent awareness about this organism of consciousness, motion and feeling leaves us with a sense of wellness. Due to the growing pressures of our fast-paced lives, many of us are adopting ancient as well as contemporary techniques of slowing down and becoming more aware.
Learning to slow down is not a one-time experience. Rather, it is a way to be in tune with time while being on the go. A good way to practice this might be to observe the sequence of everyday functions.
An example would be slipping ones shoes on and off. We could notice how the entire body collaborates in this sequence of simple movements. Even if it is not immediately enjoyable, it could be interesting to notice. If one were to see the act of taking off ones shoes as part of a dance sequence, each movement would appear connected to the next and with an underlying rhythm.
This may be a lovely idea but most of us have important things to attend to, leaving us little time to spare for a meditative approach to everything in our daily lives.
Even if one believes that there is too little time and too much to do, it is important to learn how the common movements we make everyday can help reach greater awareness of one’s health. When I am walking from my front door to the bus and Im in a hurry, I try to remember to note the feeling of being in a hurry