Shiva Nata: the Dance of ShivaShiva shiva, tell me more!
Today’s post is from the fabulous Anna Barnett who is @annabarnett on Twitter.
Learning how to practice.
I was reading a conversation at Havi’s Kitchen Table about how, if you’re used to being good at certain things right away, you might not have learned how to practice.
This makes me think about stretching.
Stretching and yoga. As a rule, yoga bores and/or frustrates me because I don’t seem to be any good at it off the bat.
In other situations, the thing I shine at from day 1 is being fast — and quickly becoming fast — at perceiving and sorting and connecting stuff. My mental reflexes and coordination are terrific, far better than their physical counterparts (but just wait til I shivafy some more).
Yoga is not only physical — it’s slow. Slow enough to notice my muscles spasming in “beginner” poses. To see that my strength and flexibility are so much less than what I fantasize or what I admire in others.
And for strength and flexibility there’s not going to be a mental or intuitive shortcut. If there were, I would find it.
But there’s not.
There’s just practice.
And that ain’t how I roll. At least, not without combining it with one of my non-physical strengths.
I do tango, which combines physical practice with social responsiveness — semi-mystically tuning in with what my partner wants — and with musical patterns. Plus physical patterns. Quickly, intuitively shifting ones.
I do Shiva Nata. Again with the kaleidoscopic physical patterns. Plus it has math.
Since forever, I’ve been thinking I should stretch more. No, literally. I can’t remember being able to touch my toes. This has been a Reason I Can’t Become a Real Dancer, which sucks. And of course all it takes is stretching more often, but I don’t.
Is there some sort of stretchy practice that would also let me feel cool?
There was that adult-beginner’s ballet class I took. Loved it. The music thing again. And the discipline thing.
Why don’t I still take ballet?
Money and time stuff.
And the epiphanies roll on…
Hmm.
Do I have to take ballet classes to practice ballet?
Would investing in another ballet class be a good way to change one thing in this situation?
Is there something about yoga that I’m missing?
Is there something I need to know about the money and time stuff?
Shiva Shiva, tell me more!
Thanks, Anna!
– Havi + Selma
Twitter: kneelkeleher
Hey Havi, just wanted to let you know that I’ve finally got my advanced dance of shiva practice to the point I want it. And I’ve got products to match. Two key things that I’ve done to make things easier. One is relabel vertical positions a, b, c and d and the other is to divide link movements into four movements called: change (1 to a, 2 to b, 3 to c, 4 to d and from a to 1 etc) change forwards (1 to b to 3 to d to 1 and a to 2 to c to 4 to a) change backwards (the opposite of change forwards) and change transquarter (1 to c, 2 to d etc).
These four moves and the three original ones can be used to practice all 49 movements of the dance of shiva. But wait you say, if there are 64 positions shouldn’t there be 64 movements. Well yes there are if you include a zero move. The zero move is handy for connection for example 1-1 to 1-2 (use a zero-forwards move).
Now it is possible with these movements to create sequences of 2, 3, 4 moves that repeat four times, just like the level 3 sequence. You can even go crazy and build sequences of 16 movements (none of which are used more than once in the sequence) and these sequences can be repeated four times before returning the arms to the start. I just practice four movement sequence though.
Anyway, if anyone is interested I’ve created a series of four move sequences that I call Warps. There are seven warps and all together you can use these warps to practice all movements that don’t have a zero move.
(example moves of one warp cf-t, cf-cf, cf-b, f-cf.. cf = change forwards)
all the best
neil
(p.s. going to get a 50% affiliate program for anyone who is interested.)
Twitter: toacircus
I love this –
“And for strength and flexibility there’s not going to be a mental or intuitive shortcut. If there were, I would find it.”
For me, Shiva Nata is the shortcut. I “gave up” on being physical awhile ago. I started this practice greedy for epiphanies, just doing 15 minutes a day, and was amazed at the physical results a month later. Ya know, toned triceps and popping collar bones and the ability to lift televisions single-handedly (well not with one hand but by myself. If that makes sense).
Megan Lubaszka´s last blog ..Wednesday Wisdom | Play and Piaget