Last week I attended the annual School of Movement Medicine Long Dance as part of the practical team. We participate in a 72 hour ceremony to support our own health and wellbeing, the wellbeing of our families and local communities and the wider community of human beings that inhabit this beautiful Earth that we are all dancing on, whilst fundraising for the Pachamama Alliance to protect the Sacred Headwaters of the Amazon Rainforest and to support local charities.
A big thank you to those who have donated. We appreciate all donation big and small. Currently I have raised £200 for my chosen local charity Pink Rooster. Please check out my fundraising link and donate to help me reach my minimum target of £400:
We do this sacred dance ceremony to see ourselves more clearly; to polish off the soot that accumulates over the previous year that distorts our vision; to remember and experience the whole spectrum of emotions from joy and bliss to grief and separation; to remember who we are and that we are part of something much bigger than the contents of our own mind; that we are not dancing alone and that we are indeed supported by life, by Spirit, by our community. We dance to become better human beings, to grow up, to keep growing and take responsibility for ourselves and the part we are playing in this life.
We meet ourselves in others on the dance floor, in conscious (or not) conversation, at the dinner table, in how we listen and share, in our boundaries or lack of them, each interaction showing us how we respond to life’s invitation to move through pleasure and pain, ease and uncomfortableness. It’s easy to think that moving away from a source of discomfort will make it go away, and temporarily, maybe it does, until the next actor comes along holding up the same mirror, reminding us that until we find a way to put them down, we continue to carry our discomforts and neurosis around with us.
Wherever you go, there you are.
Each person you encounter is a mirror showing you how you respond, for better or worse. Some bring out your virtues and others court your demons. Looking in the mirror is not really about what you see in them, but how you see and meet yourself in your own quick reaction or considered response.
There is so much more to share on the Long Dance, yet it feels too soon, the Medicine of the movement and revelations is still coursing through my veins, in metamorphosis as new structures within me are creating a new version of myself that I am curious to meet.
One thing I will share though is, for the second year running, I have experienced the power of surrendering to the Spirit, of becoming the Sacred Flute, asking for support from the Spirit of Life to dance me when it felt like my arms might fall off and in doing so receiving a source of energy that without it, I would have been a heap on the floor after the first day!
Our Self enquiries this week in Meditation Cafe will be around:
How do you meet yourself in reaction or response?
How willing are you to give up reactions that habitually cause yourself or others pain?
Can you (do you?) meet yourself and your own reactions with Compassion?
Most certainly, learning to meet ourselves with all of our Heart, as we do through Heart Words Meditation, makes the meeting much Joyful!
If you’re unable to join us for Meditation Cafe, please do sit and journal with the above self enquiries and if you feel to, share any revelations that might help others, in the comments.
Here’s the zoom registration link for tonights Meditation Cafe, Monday 2nd June 2025, 7.30pm. Please join us as we explore the theme of meeting yourself in response, through self enquiry and heart words Meditation.
https://us02web.zoom.us/meeting/register/ea48yhh-SS2ScgZ_644rYw
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No previous experience necessary to join us, an open mind and willing Heart is helpful. You can find the weekly registration links, read about any potential contraindications (especially read if you’re struggling with your mental health or experiencing any kind of trauma) and other things you need to be aware of, on the Meditation Cafe page . If you have any concerns, please contact me beforehand to discuss whether this Meditation practice is for you, or how we might adapt the practice to support you.
Meditation Cafe is part of The Silent Revolution and is free by default. Money will not be an obstacle to you learning Meditation. If you’d sincerely feel called to express you Gratitude and support me in this work with monetary exchange, you can “Buy Me A Coffee” in the Cafe, pay for the tuition received (the going rate is between £5 – £8 for similar online classes) you can make donation here:
http://paypal.me/thebendywitch
If you enjoy or resonate with anything in these blogs and poems please like, share with friends and use comments to share any thoughts provoked, contemplations on the topic or your own experiences of Meditation. Liking, sharing and commenting really helps me to know what I’m posting is relevant and helpful to you, my audience 🙏🏼
The Bendy Witch 