Presence is a tricky affair; I can only assume it as I’m able to experience it.
Talking, writing – all comes through the mind. But where does it originate? If only within and with the mind – Well then – that kind of presence sure is valid, although incomplete.
What about my body? How much can I stay present as my hands, my feet, my heartbeat when I converse with you? Can I? Or am I mostly taken over by the power of the mind?
Am I able to connect the dots or do I disconnect? Because of fragile harmony with the subatomic particles that form my physical reality.
Once in a while I need to get back to a dance floor, to move, to ground, to express myself as the body. Shake as much as needed, for the power of the mind to settle down.
Computation of the mind gives sense, Yet, it’s the body tales that guide us; Without a fine tuned body, I can easily assume the AI generated tale.
Wholeness of the body, soul & mind. Soul as the sun shining through the eyes. Body as the Earth with all its wonders. And the mind like the ocean breeze, carrying pollen from one flower to another. weaving memories, writing stories, sharing thoughts.
Next time we meet, let’s remember that our bodies speak. Let’s give voice to that, what we so often miss.
Embodied Movement… In the light of love – we move.
How could I best describe embodied, conscious movement? And why has it become an indispensable part of my life style?
Have you ever noticed how children move, hop and dance around? Ever so effortlessly, it looks so natural. They seem to be having so much fun. That’s exactly why I love embodied conscious movement – it’s utterly liberating and helps me unwind from all the dealings that are part & parcel of the grown-up world.
It’s a medicine to my soul I have access to – at all times. Through moving my body together with all other moving bodies in a safe container facilitated by a skillful and present guide by our side. I become more aware of what transpires as I move together and on my own. Pivoting from exploring, tasting your dance to coming back home to my own dance – enriched by the experience of a new flavour I can now add to my own.
I am wondering – is there such a thing as “my dance”? For, I am a composition – a formation of all the people and experiences I have ever been touched by in my life. However I may have perceived it – pleasantly, in fear, with aversion, with an open or a closed heart and mind.
I cultivate a deeper sense of awareness, anchoring my faculty of presence as I begin to move. In a most playful possible way.
I share my experiences with my fellow movers; feeling comfortable to be myself – my authentic me. I am not expected to please or have a need to dance to impress upon anyone. And when I do, that’s fine to – as long as I am aware of my beings and doings. I dance to express all different parts of my self – sometimes fast or slow, vigorously or through a set of micro-movements, with music or in silence, in communion with people, the ocean, trees, the sun, the birds, all that is around or simply on my own.
I am allowing myself to be, through movement – there is no agenda. Only pure movement – I have no need for any substances that would alter my state of being. When I move I can’t get stuck. I don’t wait for the emotions or my moods to change before I decide to make a move – I instigate the move and let the emotions follow the suite. I nudge myself to move despite the flavour of my current state of being. As I begin to move, I create the flow with it’s ripple effects and let it take me where I need to go and do my thing. When I move I don’t get stuck. My movement can be tinny – invisible to the observing eye – yet, inside me, I move. My gaze softens, and I allow my body tissues and my nerves to relax. I realize there is no need for competition, exaggerated ambition, or intensity when not called for.
Our bodies hold the innate intelligence that informs us of our deeply rooted patterns that keep us out of balance and no longer serve us. When I pause and tune in, I am able to learn how to move, to move through such patterns that cause me unease.
I learn to cultivate moments composed of many pauses – moments where I simply freeze. Being a witness to myself, to others and being witnessed by others – not trying to change anything, to interfere, or interject. Being present for my fellow movers while allowing whatever is wanting to occur – to happen.
Tears, joy, fear, trepidation, doubt, memories, pain, desires, pleasure, love, hate, connection, disconnect, projections, anger, shame, blame, judgements, wanting to hide and run away, feeling helpless, not knowing. All parts of ourselves are welcome on the sacred dance floor; nothing is taken personally, yet all is personal.
Nothing is taken personally, yet everything is very personal.
And so I take all this learning and embodied wisdom as I transition from one container to another. From my scrumptiously delicious dancing pod in sunny California to my beloved home in the cold, green north. To my workplace of play, inspiration, and creation.
There’s no separation when embodied, conscious movement leads the way. Sometimes I choose to move slow or fast, gently or vigorously, in a big audacious or tinny, small way. Always trying to be aware of my semipermeable moving vehicle with the capacity to embody it all. To choose and say yes or no. To participate or take a break. To set healthy boundaries. To watch life unfold – for me, for us all.
With gratitude that I am alive – that I have the required means, time, support, courage, and will to experience the gift of a year-long with Zuza and you all.
I show up. Trusting that I can. I come to this world to play and be the being of love, which I am. When I mess up, that’s ok. I pause, reset and start again. I know that I can. Because I am. A being of light & love. Showing you the way, just like you show me your way to live my life more fully, as an expression of my most beautiful, generous, loving, joyful, authentic self. Oh, I do love that thought.
So, it is true. “From caring comes courage”, the courage to listen and respond to the calling of the Heart. (The Girl With a Rose)
I thank you for enriching my life with your preciousness, with your divine presence.
I dance… I am danced…I become my dance. The dance becomes me.
And now, I wonder… How do you move through your life? What is the one thing I have shared that could enrich your dance of life, making it more pleasant, fulfilling, meaningful, revealing? Five percent more or five percent less can can make a big difference.
Is it possible for you to receive this flow of thoughts with an open heart and place it at the back of your mind as you go about your day – and see what transpires when you least expect it?
Yeah, I am a curious mover, that’s for sure.
“Zuza, thank you for delicious 5% 😊💕. In the light of love, we move… “
I am not small or insignificant. I am as large and as relevant as Life itself. I am Life.
In life, there is no such thing as comparison. In life, everything is Life— Big or small, single or multicellular organism, there is no separation between different representations of Life. You are the living proof.
Mind is what mind does. Mind is an innocent child. It likes to play games. It likes to find different venues, in endless ways. Mind is entirely in your capable hands, once you become ripe enough to become more aware.
Awareness is like the perfectly ripe fruit of Mother Nature and Baba Sun. Each of us nurtures that fruit, that nimble child of ours. Each of us in our own unique way and time are just like fruits ripening in nature. It’s that simple.
I love the scent of sun kissed berries, their vibrant crimson hue, infused with solar might, bursting with sweetness! Packed with delight!
It tastes unlike any other fruit I have ever picked directly off the plant and delightfully packed into my mouth. Eyes closed. Perfection when it all comes together, as it should, as it was meant to be.
Mother Nature’s patient hand gently guides the ripening of every fruit. Ideal fruition can neither be forced, nor hurried with haste. Only the sun-ripened fruit reveals its true glory, just like your own, one-of-a-kind life story.
Memories of such perfect moments are forever stored. For though life may offer sour fruit along the way, the sun-ripened strawberry is a moment to savour and stay.
When life grows tough, close your eyes and imagine that delightful, perfect strawberry moment in your life. Never underestimate the power of your mighty mind.
Treasure every moment life bestows, don’t hold on too tight or take others for granted, each one’s a precious jewel, not to be slanted.
Each of us embodies an equally significant part of one permeating Life Force. Don’t ever be fooled by misleading beliefs or dogmas indicating otherwise. Your every breath, each heartbeat is your greatest guide showing you that you are Life itself.
Nuances are here to be celebrated— varieties make our life experience more diverse and elevated.
Let’s celebrate Life!
Cherish all Life with reverence and awe. Life is a precious gift to safeguard and revere, a treasure trove of moments to hold dear.
Every bit matters. You are Life. Life is You. You matter. Life matters.
The black pen starts to sing, and I begin to write a song yet to be sung, a song unheard by any ears but mine.
Teasing out my thoughts, it makes me smile. I never noticed how smooth and graceful is your flow. Forgive me, I did not know.
The silver pen in blazing fire, fading my desire.
Sweet are your words, yet you slack in your actions. Don’t grumble; be grateful, more humble! Let go of certain expectations, loosen up, reset, and drop your idea of perfection!
Illusion is strong; The spell is quite binding, but no earthly attraction could keep me from finding the truth you were hiding.
The silver pen in blazing fire, smoke arises, higher, higher! All-consumed is my desire.
The nib is bent beyond repair and the ink that spills no more is spent. I smile…
Life lessons of a different, peculiar digression take me on a ride that I willingly accept. A part of me I no longer hide; The wholeness comes with all its parts.
Fleeting memories of a little girl who once took fancy fairy tale… It all begins to fade away. The prince, the frog, the whole charade.
I gaze towards the sky, the stars so perfectly aligned. I hear the ocean in my veins, I feel the coming waves sweeping me away.
The tide has reached its height; I can no longer linger, stay behind. The bond is strong, the calling of the heart more powerful than any sound.
I don’t look back towards the shore. My gaze steadfast towards horizon, I break the spell. My breath, my inner fire, my heartbeat. My dear chaitanya1, unconsumed, pure, free, everlasting.
In my heart, I reignite the flame that keeps me present, sound and sane.
On this fateful, cloudy night, I’m pulling out this stream of thoughts with my good old black magic guide.
And that’s it for now… Because no matter which one pen choose or when— black, silver, or white, purple, yellow, red, or any shades of grey— it’s ok, as long as I don’t lose my way.
I thank you, I thank you, I thank you! I thank you for always being here for me. I thank you for showing me the way to be , to be, to be.
1. Chaitanya (Sanskrit: चैतन्य): awareness, consciousness, conscious self, intelligence, or pure consciousness.
‘For me, synchronicity is all about perfect harmony, matching movements, sounds that are totally in tune, aligned frequencies, umami tastes, moments when your heart is open, overflowing with love, joy, and trust. Things happen, I meet people I was supposed to meet, I end up in places I was meant to be – timing is impeccable.
Synchronicity is powerful, mesmerizing, it draws in, it attracts. For example, if we all started breathing following the same rhythm we would create a flow and become part of that same flow we created.
Just imagine watching 50 Irish dancers on the stage, tapping their feet at the same time, totally in tune. Or listening to a choir of 30 people singing a song, their voices joint, blended as one. How about the orchestra and all the instruments playing the same beautiful melody?
What about nature? Watching, listening to the river can be incredibly soothing. All the water is moving towards the same direction, singing the same song, each drop of water is absolutely aligned.
Have you ever watched a flock of birds flying in the sky – or a murmuration of starlings? Hundreds and hundreds of birds flying as one, every single bird perfectly aligned. What an incredible performance!
What about two or more people brainstorming, coming up with great ideas, their frequencies matching, bubbling, in sync with one another, in their thoughts, intentions, working together, being part of the same flow
Synchronicity is all around us – we just need to pause, pay attention, and recognize it.
Take a look at your wonderful body, the movement of your legs and arms as you walk, when you run. It wouldn’t happen if it wasn’t in sync, not in a million years.’
Synchronicity brought me synchronicity itself. How much more in sync could I get?
Working through the 20 PrivateWork prompts has revealed a number of insights. It was a much needed exercise of confirmation. Now that I’m in that flow I want to capture every drop of it. Squeeze it out, here, on a paper, so every time I need to recollect and realign myself, all I need to do is refer to this moment. Come back to these words – to the space that binds these synchronistically infused thoughts. The empty, silent space out of which the flow emerges and carries on. To me, living words are the most beautiful art & science of magic that gets captured in a very special way, but not really captured because it remains free – always.
The words I read carry the powerful fragrance that is strong enough to bring me back to this moment when I digress. We all digress from time to time and that’s ok. We all wobble in life. Life is a challenging affair – we are constantly dealing with thoughts, information, never ending stories upon stories, emotions, we continue storing gigabytes of memory.
As if nature, the most brilliant architect I have ever come across, has engineered this game that seems to have no end, unless you take charge, unless you awaken, become more aware and start working, tirelessly. Until you expand your pause between the stimulus and your response, not allowing to continue reacting – re+acting. Have you ever thought of this word – it’s genius. It holds the meaning of itself – continuously repeating the same old act. We all react – until we don’t.
Instead of reacting, all we need to do is learn to introduce the pause – we have to master the art of expanding the length of the mighty pause, so we can allow the clarity to arrive – we enter the flow and we gain the ability to respond.
Relationship with myself and others is about being in sync with each other. When you’re in sync with your self you can be in sync with anyone. Even when they are not. Therefore it is my responsibility – it starts with me. Responsibility – abilityto respond. Either I choose to bring harmony, peace of mind to this world or I choose not to. Hence, we all seek activities that help us realign with ourselves – and that’s a good, useful approach. For me it’s swimming, yoga, writing, meditation, dancing, being in nature, listening to particular music, horse riding, churning mugs on a potter’s wheel. For you it can be something else – find out what that is, because it’s more important than you think.
Synchronicity is a state of pure bliss – Ananda – no friction, no fear, no resistance, no control, no doubt. Responding while having trust, complete trust in the way you respond to the stimulus that came your way.
Skillfully, gracefully, with a smile, with an open heart. In sync, in tune, at one, in alignment, in the flow… back to oneness with life, back to the Self. Like a river, like gazillion droplets of water, all flowing towards the Ocean. Like a dancer becoming merging with music. Like your heartbeat, perfectly aligned with yourself, with the universe. Body, mind, and soul, completely in sync.
What an experience – what a beautiful life to be able to live like that. Now that’s what I call a life worth living.
In sync, in harmony, in tune with One Self, hence in sync with everything and everyone else.
How often do you catch yourself regretting something you should have done, but you didn’t? Or something you shouldn’t have done but you did it anyways?
You revealed your secret or you didn’t. You accepted a new job offer or you didn’t. You moved to a new place or you didn’t. You dissolved a romantic attachment or you didn’t. You ventured out – explored new lands you’ve always dreamt of or you didn’t… not yet. You opened your heart or you kept it closed. You allowed the kiss to unfold or you sealed your lips and bowed out. You picked the apple just on time or you waited too long and the sun-ripened fruit got snatched by the wrong . You said I’m sorry or you didn’t… not yet.
You are exactly where you want to be, who you want to be, how you want to be. And if you think you’re not (not yet), because you generated too many regrets, you are still exactly where you want to be. Also, you can still get exactly where you want to go, with more ease if you are willing to drop your regrets that hold you back.
You think, there for you are. I am, therefore you are. Being right here, right now, because when you are – fully here and now – there is no space for regrets.
Learn to strengthen your faculty of presence – become fully engrossed in the present moment.
Feel the wind breeze on your skin – fully. Smell something that you like, something that brings up a sense of freshness and happiness to you – freshly peeled orange, fresh bread, the scent of roses, sea breeze, strawberries, coffee. Whatever it may be. Watch the birds flying, the squirrels jumping, branches of the tree swaying in the wind. Touch your arm, massage your neck, kiss your own hands!
Bring your attention to something that anchors your senses here and now, so your thoughts may follow, so you can bring your mind home, here and now – yes, this is home!
Or simply – read these few lines totally engrossed – the lines I have put together with my fullest attention, for you, my dear fellow traveler, wholeheartedly.
Life is like a meandering river, full of life, ever-changing. Never can you step in the same river twice. Never are you the same person again. And so is your life journey – continuously morphing. You can never repeat the same moment twice, hence, try to live it fully, whatever that fully may be for you. Don’t compare your life with someone else or with your past self – don’t get lost in comparing, judging, regretting. Accept your life and every single moment that brought you here & now. Be grateful for everything that happened or didn’t happen in your life.
Why? Because in this very moment of time you are the sum of all the moments that have brought you to this point in life. A culmination of all the bits that have made you the way you are.
I would not be here and now if one single twinkle was left out. It doesn’t matter how I perceived that moment in the past – but it matters now, because although that moment cannot be changed, my current perception of that moment can.
And there is nothing else more powerful than the realization that everything is perfect, just the way it is.
Health, sickness, wealth, poverty, happiness, sadness, regrets, pain, anger, suffering, acceptance. Yes, even regrets are part of who we are in this very moment. Even regrets are perfect as soon as I am able to perfectly accept them and accept myself for having them. And if I struggle doing so, I ask myself a question: ‘Do they serve me well? Are they life enriching companions? Do they bring me peace, joy, a smile to my face? Or do they make me cry and cringe? Being soaked in my own regrets what happens to me? Does it take away my ability to be more present, from living my life fully here & now? Do I need really them? Is it time to let go?’
What is your emotional state right now? How does it feel having to experience these feelings? Look into yourself, be honest with yourself – no judgement. Take a deep breath, hold your breath for a few moments, allow your thoughts and emotions to sink together, then… breathe it all out. Pufff, all gone. With a sigh or two if needed be… take a deep, long fresh breath. Do this motion a few times, as many times as you think & feel you need to, and then, take a few moments to be fully present with yourself. Nobody else but your own self.
There’s not much else left. Acceptance, knowing you are here and now, whoever, wherever you are, whatever you have or not. Simplicity. Feel and recognize yourself fully, be grateful for being alive, as you enter the flow and you ride with the force of your own, powerful, life-giving breath. Simply, by being, remaining aware, for as long as you can. Move your fingers, your toes, your nose, your legs, shoulders, smack your lips, blink with your eyes – just because you can.
What an empowering thought. ‘I can!‘ So simple, taken for granted – yet – when I realize that no stone, tree, or building has that same ability & gift as I have, it makes me smile, I feel empowered and grateful to be what, where, how, and who I am.
As human beings we are blessed to dwell in perfect human bodies, we have brilliant minds, capacity to move, think, feel, sense, love, spill our hearts out. I can scratch myself when I feel an itch – and I am the only one in this whole wide world who knows that I have an itch, only I know where and how to scratch myself to sooth my itch. Hence, I know what freedom is, even if it has to start by noticing an innocent itch that never goes unnoticed and unattended. At leas for me.
You know that very well, we all have that in common, that’s why it made you chuckle and smile. Say ‘thank you life’, next time you get the pleasure to scratch yourself again!
Fundamentally, life is good. Rivers flow, just like your precious life. We are human beings – what a miracle and force of nature, such an incredible potential, so many possibilities at any given time in life.
One final conscious breath, lungs filled up with fresh air, a short pause, and out I go following my exhale. In with the new, out with the old! It’s the only way forward whether you think it or not. I am, therefore you are. I did what I could, and I didn’t what I couldn’t.
Allow life to flow, remain as present as you can so you can respond accordingly at any given moment in time, do your best, and use your time wisely & fully & well.
Life is precious. It’s a good life. So, let it flow!
