Susan Palmer's Exquisite Now

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  • Talking senses

    Nia trainer Britta Von Tagen

    Halfway through my 20-minute Nia workout this morning, (Soul with Britta Von Tagen), I realized I was smiling. It occurred to me that on a cellular level my body has no awareness of the news cycle — election news, war news, local tragedies, environmental mayhem. My muscles and joints know nothing of these. What the body “knows” (in my personal narrative) is feeling. When I learn information about what’s happening in the world and feel things about that information, the feelings go into my body.

    Dancing reverses that process for me, sending feelings into my mind. I love pondering this, and I think I’ll spend some chunk of today in sensory awareness mode, looking and listening and smelling and touching. Gardening, aroma therapy, music, that kind of thing. What will happen when I lead with physical awareness?

    Last night a sliver of moon rose in the night sky, and if I find myself slipping into anxious thinking, I’ll try to bring back the moon, its influence pulling me in a different direction.

    At some point I know I’ll need to reconnect intellectually with the community — locally, nationally, globally. Things will need to be decided and done.

    But maybe not for a while yet.

  • Attitude of gratitude

    Driving home this morning after dancing at Kellie Chambers’ Pleasant Hill studio, I drove by this guy. His presence seemed like a thoughtful gesture in a deeply progressive town absorbing national election headlines.

    His name is Brent, and he described himself as an animal activist who has spent some time standing on corners holding signs. He said he just wanted to do something and this familiar act of public messaging seemed like something good he could do.

    About eight years ago, my life took an unexpected turn that was as heart-wrenching as it was shocking. During that period to keep myself grounded, I began a gratitude practice. I did it publicly on Facebook every day for three weeks, naming three things I felt grateful for. It helped me remain aware that turmoil and anguish weren’t the only things available for me to consider. It took effort to cast my awareness net a little wider. Gratitude was a good path through a hard zone.

    Today I’m grateful for a fully functioning body and for my love of moving to music. I’m grateful for a guy named Brent with a sign about kindness and decency. And I’m grateful for a loving spouse to stand with as winter approaches.

  • Community

    Image courtesy of Pixabay

    Today, election day, Nia instructor Dael Parsons chose the “Joy” routine for us to dance. She said it’s the first time in her memory that a political campaign centered its messaging on joy.

    Of course, politicians and political parties don’t own emotions; our bodies do. Still it’s a fine thing to be reminded to consider joy in the collaborative work of participatory democracy.

    I dance with people of all political persuasions and I love that we come together, moving in our own ways yet finding common ground in the rhythm of the music.

    I expect the coming days will bring many emotions, and I dream that regardless of winners and losers, we all find a way to respect and uplift the best in all of us.

    We have a lot of dancing still to do.