Shiva Nata: the Dance of ShivaWhat kind of epiphanies can I expect?
It’s ridiculously hard to find a good word to describe the wacky things that can happen when you introduce Shiva Nata to your brain.
Epiphanies. Insights. Understandings. Awareness. Realizations.
But yeah. Still kind of vague.
And the reason for this is that… well, let’s just say that your mileage may vary.
In general, the various types of “possible epiphanies that might be available to you through practicing Dance of Shiva” can fall into five different categories.
Epiphanies on the physical level.
Stuff that happens with your body.
Changing posture. Discovering what it is like to be able to stand up straight. Enjoying breathing more.
Crazy coordination.
It also might be realizations about your body. About how you stand or how you move or how you sleep or why something hurts.
About how your body reacts to certain foods or people or situations. It
You might get better at dancing or swimming or basketball.
Or maybe a specific movement that was previously difficult for you becomes more natural (or at least less difficult).
You have more information about how your body works.
These are all things that my students report regularly and that I’ve experienced myself.
Epiphanies on the energy level.
You become more aware of the space around you.
You become more aware of the unspoken stuff. Subtext. The feel of a room. The intention behind what people say.
You become more aware of your own energy level throughout the day.
You become more aware of what you need and what you don’t need.
Epiphanies on the emotional level.
Realizations about how your patterns work.
About what elements they’re composed of.
You remember things.
You dream things.
You notice things.
All of a sudden, you know why you do something the way you do it. And you know how to do it differently if you want to.
Epiphanies on the mental level.
Realizations about why you think the way you do.
A different ability to conceptualize things.
A new way of looking at things.
For me, I was able to suddenly grasp German grammar after ages of struggling with it. To no longer suck at math.
So for me it’s been learning how to think in a very structured way.
However, when I work with scientists and engineers and good-at-structured-thinking-types, their experience is that they learn how to think in a very intuitive way.
Which is kind of why it’s so hard to explain what kind of epiphanies you’re going to get. Because the Dance will always give you the thing you need the most.
You’re going to get them.
As long as you consistently challenge yourself to do something that is not possible for you, you’re going to get them. And the thing you’ll get is the thing that you personally need the most.
The thing that’s missing for you right now is the thing you will receive.
Epiphanies on the spiritual level.
Awareness.
Connection.
The ability to find your way back to the center of your heart.
So …
Right.
It’s hard to say.
Your epiphanies will vary.
Some will by tiny and some will be momentous.
Some will come in the form of dreams and some will come in the form of memories and some will just be there, fully formed and ready to use.
The thing that’s missing for you right now is the thing you will receive.
And how could I possibly know what’s missing for you?
Maybe you don’t even know what’s missing for you.
But you will.
Hi. I’m about ten days into the Dance of Shiva, and throughout my day I find myself asking “hmmm, is this bing?” So far I’ve definitely noticed emotional level changes: dreams, patterns, etc.
Just reading this post and becoming aware of the different categories of epiphanies that are possible…well, it’s kind of like scanning my life for things to be grateful for – only good can come of it.
“The thing that’s missing for you right now is the thing you will receive.” What more could I ask for?
Thank you.
Brianas last blog post..Shadow of the spotlight
Twitter: kimianak
I’m not totally sure what’s missing for me – well, truthfully I feel like there are so many things missing… Thanks for the reminder that the Dance of Shiva works on all levels. It’s a very good thing. No matter what is the thing I need, I will receive it – that’s a reassuring thought.
This is my first week with the DVD and I find myself wondering a few things:
1. Is it more important to hit each position or to keep up the pace with Andrey? I find myself stumbling and then just snapping into the next position that I can grasp onto… not very flow-y and I’m missing out on the key spiral motion.
2. Should I focus more on my form, or the movement between positions? (keeping shoulders low, palms flat, etc…) I know that focusing on my form will give me better physical benifits, but my brain seems to be full enough remembering the positions at this point, that my form suffers.. tips?
3. Would it be too much to practice more than once a day? I have been practicing 5-10 minutes in the morning before I get dressed and head to a job i’m not thrilled with at all. I like to spend my evenings working on my REAL stuff, artwork, comic making etc. It seems like doing some Shiva Nata would help shift me into a good space for that. would It be overkill for a newbie like me to practice again?
I am really excited about what this practice can bring to me, I have lots of stuck I’m ready to explore and just want to make sure I’m maximizing my chances of getting the BING!
Twitter: havi
@ilikered – I may have to answer some of these in a different post.
The short answers:
1. Try both. Alternate. In general though it’s okay if you miss chunks as long as your brain is being challenged. Which it is!
2. Same thing. Try doing it one way the first time and another way the second time and compare your experiences. My own personal opinion is that at the beginning it’s not a big deal not to focus as much on form — there are other people who completely disagree with me though.
When I teach, I’ll bug the more advanced students about form, but I figure the beginners have enough on their plate (and in their nervous system!).
See what doesn’t over-stress you and try that! Or: if you like, start investigating to see there is a specific pattern of yours involved in this too. Like maybe related to wanting to get it right. Or worry that it has to be done in a certain way?
(If that part is totally irrelevant, ignore it!)
3. See how it feels. 5-10 minutes in the morning is awesome. If you wan to use it to jumpstart your energy into doing some creative stuff, that’s a great idea.
Especially if you’re just doing it for a few minutes. I don’t think it’s overdoing it. But if you find that it makes you very energized and you’re not able to sleep, you could shift your practice again.
Experiment experiment experiment! I’ve done everything from 2 minutes to 3 hours in my daily practice, and it’s always interesting … :)
Hope that helps.
The BING will come. Just in different ways. So I don’t think you can screw it up. I mean, the only way to “screw it up” is by not doing it ever. Or by not ever introducing challenges. And even then there are still some pretty great results. So. Not worried!