such a tender age….1-13-15

“Really? That’s just an old story.” Ever been on the receiving end of this condescending comment after baring your naked soul? Confiding hard-earned insight, true childhood root of why your all grown-up self just behaved like that? Maybe you actually censored that insight all on your own or maybe this pearl dropped from your own lips in response to a friend’s revelation. It’s a pop culture catch phrase. “That’s just an old story.” As if our old stories have no value. Ah but they do, they deeply shape us.

AGE February 20-22, the upcoming workshop with Kate Shela, has me reflecting on these stories and the way they shape each of us individually and as a community. The circumstances around our helpless early years, depending on whoever was taking care or not taking care of our every basic need. Big important story. Young children at the mercy of whoever taught us or didn’t, modeled for us or didn’t, how to connect to our feelings and learn to love another. Huge story. And as we made our way out into the world, were we supported in creatively exploring our budding independence…or not so much? Poignant story. Now add in each story every decade weaves in – in our bodies, in our hearts, in our minds. This creates our basic soul operating system.

We can know the stories are an illusion, that believing in and blaming stories creates suffering, keeps us victimized, separate, screws with our sense of belonging. Personally, in my world, there is only one way to break through illusion and it is not via groovy- spiritual-bypass-transcendence. We break on through the messy way: head on, warrior like, straight through.

In AGE we step back and take a look at the broad story. In Kate Shela’s words: “The investigation is life and death. Where are we now with all that has brought us to this point? How well are we aging? How old do we feel? Are we alive enough so that the fear of death does not kill us in the moment? Is living allowing us to be fully present to and in our lives? We are all given mysterious bodies that transform, regenerate and ultimately age. It is through the body that we experience our world and that we connect to the world. It is also from within our bodies that we make commitments for our timeline ahead. Let us show up in our wisdom no matter our age and discover how we wish to spend our time living so that we know how we wish to age.”

I’ve danced this territory with incredible guidance over the years. Multiple times, various ways, many hours. Without fail, every time, an unexpected layer peels away. You start thinking there can’t be any more. Yet each time there is a fresh tender vulnerable softness that gains footing, blooms, flourishes. And we are just that much more exquisitely, palpably free. How do you put a price on freedom? Early bird price through January 22 is $275. Worth every dollar.

Speaking of dollars. Have received several request for scholarship assistance for this workshop. The well has run dry. But we are doing something about that. Movement as Medicine is March 15. Join us in celebration – dance and yoga, drumming and expressive art – and raising funds (all by donation) for Yoga Seed Collective and that scholarship fund. Here is how you can help right now:

1. RSVP for volunteer meeting post-Sweat Sunday January 25. You could help with the silent auction, the retail, the set up/break down, at the door. But more importantly, you can be an integral part of this community and eat burritos.

2. Root through your drawers and give me an old nano or iPod you are not using. Gonna load it waves for the raffle. Email me.

3. Like us on Facebook

4. Why wait? Donate now. And thank you.

Come discover the stories alive in those bodies. Come move with me on a floor somewhere this week Thursday, Friday or Sunday. We are all at such a tender age…bella