God, you are the music that moves and moves through me -
leading and guiding, inspiring and delighting.
My dance is an expression of our own unique rhythm and connection.
My dance is a prayer of thanks.
-Alizabeth Rasmussen
In this video, anthropologist Angeles Arien talks about how in many traditional cultures, if you were to go to a medicine man or shaman and complain of being depressed or disheartened, they would ask four questions:
1. When did you stop singing?
2. When did you stop dancing?
3. When did you stop being enchanted by stories (and, in particular, your own life story)?
4. When did you stop being comforted by silence?
These are all good questions, but it's #2 we're most concerned with this week. If it's been a while since you danced, we want to remedy that (bonus points if you sing along)! Dancing is one of the fastest (and funnest) ways to get connected to God. It is a prayer of letting go, letting the music move through you and trusting your body to respond accordingly.
We chose the song below because we find it impossible to NOT dance when it comes on. So click "play" (or click here if you're reading via e-mail), turn it up and just start moving.
Don't worry, nobody's watching except God...and maybe Hafiz. :-)
I saw you dancing last night
on the roof of your house
all alone.
I felt your heart longing for the Friend.
I saw you whirling
beneath the soft bright rose
that hung from an invisible stem in the sky.
So I began to change into my best clothes
in hopes of joining you,
even though I live a thousand miles away.
And if you had spun like an immaculate sphere
just two more times,
then bowed again so sweetly to the east,
you would have found God and me
standing so near
and lifting you into our arms.
I saw you dancing last night
near the roof of this world.”
---Hafiz
As always, we'd love to hear how it goes. Click here to log in and leave your comments!