Dolores Park Dancer

When I saw this guy set up his sound system and begin to dance in San Francisco's Dolores Park on a sunny Saturday, I didn't quite know if I should join him or observe him. Then I decided that I should videotape him to share it with all tens of you out there reading my blog. He was very entertaining!
Thank you, Dolores Park dancer man, for your intriguing moves and engaging smile. I imagine it was quite therapeutic for you.

Dolores Park Dancer from blairingrid on Vimeo.

S.T.O.P. Right There

I have been so busy lately with a myriad of tasks and deadlines. Many times, I feel as though I resemble a chicken with its head cut off, running here and there mindlessly (or headlessly rather), which creates a cycle of not being in the moment, in my mind, or in my body. One challenge I have with my schedule is to create time for mindfulness and meditation. Mindfulness exercises are a great way to bring your mind into your body, ease stress, anxiety and depression, and gain some perspective on things. I try to be creative and resourceful in how to bring in mindfulness--while eating, dancing, walking, standing in line at the grocery store, etc.--but please let me know if you have any creative ideas for carving out time to breathe and become embodied during your day.

Next time you find yourself rushing around like a chicken with your head cut off, try to S.T.O.P.:

S - Stop what you are doing, put things down for a minute.

T - Take a breath. Breathe normally and naturally and follow your breath coming in and of your nose. You can even say to yourself “in” as you’re breathing in and “out” as you’re breathing out if that helps with concentration.

O - Observe your thoughts, feelings, and emotions. You can reflect about what is on your mind and also notice that thoughts are not facts and they are not permanent. If the thought arises that you are inadequate, just notice the thought, let it be, and continue on. Notice any emotions that are there and just name them. Recent research out of UCLA says that just naming your emotions can have a calming effect. Then notice your body. Are you standing or sitting? How is your posture? Any aches and pains.

P - Proceed with something that will support you in the moment. Whether that is talking to a friend or just rubbing your shoulders.

The Road Never Traveled

This blog was originally created as a way for me to communicate and share my process of becoming a dance therapist in California. Since there are no approved graduate programs in this state (yet), I have chosen a Robert Frost kind of path--one which is not paved, definitely a road less traveled--to make my dream a reality.

However, my road, as the first student to undergo the Lesley University & Tamalpa Institute graduate school program, appears to need to be carved out with machetes. There's an overgrown forest and I'm fighting to blaze my own trail, it's not only less traveled, as Mr. Frost would say, it's never been traveled. And I'm not so sure I would recommend this path to you. There have been some major scares, terrors, mis-communications, and redundancies. You can read more about me in my previous blog posts.

In addition to my graduate school work, I have signed up for CMERs program to become certified as DTR (dance therapist registered), so that I'm credentialed with the American Dance Therapy Association. And I'm halfway through my 700 hour internship doing dance/movement therapy at a hospital in Berkeley. Bring it on! I want to be a dance therapist!!!

But first there was a hiccup in my proposed thesis research involving human subjects, and now I have just received news that CMERs program is not happening due to low enrollment. C'mon Northern California, wake up and join the dance! Thus, I will now be commuting to Southern California to attend the alternate route courses there one weekend a month for the next 18 months.

Like a whirling dervish who can't seem to become enlightened, there are so many pieces and components to this degree and the process of becoming certified with the ADTA, so much money and time and energy spent, it is literally dizzying. It seems as though this road will never end.



But amidst all this frustration and difficulty, I choose to dance. I will be dancing across the forest of the great state of California to live my dream of becoming a dance therapist. Won't you join me?

Michael Jackson Dance Quote

Consciousness expresses itself through creation. This world we live in is the dance of the creator. Dancers come and go in the twinkling of an eye but the dance lives on. On many an occasion, when I am dancing, I have felt touched by something sacred. In those moments, I felt my spirit soar and become one with everything that exists. I become the stars and the moon. I become the lover and the beloved. I become the victor and the vanquished. I become the master and the slave. I become the singer and the song. I become the knower and the known. I keep on dancing and then, it is the eternal dance of creation. The creator and the creation merge into one wholeness of joy. I keep on dancing— until there is only. . .the dance.

Michael Jackson 1992

Post Modern Dance Video

Here's a video montage of post modern dance history for your Wednesday.