The Levy Flight. Patterns. Again.

I just read this lovely bit from Seth Godin about the Levy flight.

Very intriguing. Lots of possible useful applications.

And stuff that is especially interesting to Shivanauts.

The concept.

It’s about the patterns that emerge when you chart something that seems to be totally random.

The Levy flight is a variation on what’s called a “random walk”.

From Wikipedia:

“A random walk is a mathematical formalization of a trajectory that consists of taking successive random steps.

For example, the path traced by a molecule as it travels in a liquid or a gas, the search path of a foraging animal, the price of a fluctuating stock and the financial status of a gambler can all be modeled as random walks.”

So it’s about mapping the way we do things. Especially when we think we aren’t following any particular pattern.

Why I love this.

Well, mostly because working with Dance of Shiva has resulted in a slightly obsessive fascination with patterns, especially with ones that are unlikely or unexpected, but turn out to have their own intelligence.

So.

Here is what we’re actually doing when we do Shiva Nata:

We are internalizing patterns. And systems of patterns.

As in:

Here are all the possible ways through which point A can interact with all other points.

We are taking apart the patterns we know, both consciously and unconsciously.

We’re learning more about them.

We’re unconsciously and consciously figuring out how the elements of what we already know can turn into new possibilities and new creation.

We’re rewiring the parts of us that think that the only options available are the ones we can see immediately in front of us.

And that’s just the beginning.

Something to think about.

Even the most random, free-form explorations have structure and form. Structure and form that can be mapped and played with.

And even the most solid, stable structures have elements of chaos and play.

When we allow things that seemed to be rigidly patterned to have more than one possible meaning, we are filled with possibility.

And when we let things that seem to be chaotic and confusing contain elements of familiarity and constancy, the patterns we can’t see yet begin to appear.

An exercise.

Some of you may have done this with me in Berlin in 2006.

Put on some music. Dance around the room, making stuff up and letting your body do what it feels like doing.

Stop.

Do a round of Dance of Shiva, sticking to something you already know how to do (ex. slow Level 1 vertical arms).

Stop. Remain standing with eyes closed for two to three minutes, observing body sensations, grounding, absorbing patterns.

Free-form dance again, this time noticing which patterns your body is drawn to, which patterns you subconsciously repeat.

Stop. Absorb.

Now do three to five minutes of Dance of Shiva — something you cannot do (ex. Level 3 fast with legs). Get completely lost and confused.

Stop. Ground. Center. Feel the spirals still moving around you while you’re standing still.

One more time. Free-form dance to music. Notice the new patterns your body and brain are coming up with. Notice tendencies to do what is familiar, and what happens and your brain and body together begin to overwrite these tendencies.

Invent. Make up a yoga pose. Try a dance move that you can feel but can’t describe. Use walls and space without rules. Total creative freedom.

There are still patterns here in this new territory. Complex ones.

They’re just the ones you didn’t know about yet.