Shiva Nata: the Dance of ShivaDance of Shiva + Roller Derby! Whoo!
So you may have heard that the Shivanauts are gleefully sponsoring Guns N Rollers — one of Portland’s extremely awesome Roller Derby teams (okay, the awesomest).
In case you were wondering what’s up with that, I thought I’d let you in on the secret Dance of Shiva Roller Derby connection …
Oh boy!
The Dance of Shiva Roller Derby connection.
Okay.
Dance of Shiva:
- is the fastest way I know of to become insanely coordinated.
- gives you just ridiculous physical agility, stability, speed of reaction.
- makes you graceful as hell.
- teaches you to completely own your own mental, emotional and physical space.
- helps you find that invisible crown of sovereignty.
- turns you into the one who cannot be shaken.
- launches you into a state of intense focus and concentration.
- lets you restructure the matrix and use the force.
- makes you the one who can dance between the rain drops, spot the openings, be untouchable.
- teaches you to see the connections, know the weaknesses and use the strengths.
- is like a wacky forcefield.
- is occasionally done while listening to The Clash.
- is really probably the only obscure yoga-based training about which you could easily say “that’s so punk rock”.
“That’s so punk rock!”
So it’s basically love at first sight.
Roller Derby is all about being agile.
Agile thinking, agile movement, agile reaction, agile being.
Sure, it’s also about being fast, hot, powerful and fabulous.
But it’s really about this core quality of agility in all of its possible forms.
Which means?
Having a mental map of where everything and everyone is, even when it’s happening behind you.
Being able to find the hidden openings at will. Always knowing what your options are. Knowing what to use and when to use it.
Your mind’s ability to be constantly tracking everything that’s important: moving people, moving targets and that steady flow of highly complex, constantly-changing information.
Focus. Serious, serious focus.
All that is pretty much what Dance of Shiva does best.
Because Dance of Shiva is the thing that trains your brain to see and understand the connections between things.
It’s liquid math, done with your body.
It’s the thing that lets you build and strengthen new neural connections so that you can think structurally and systematically, creatively and surprisingly, all at the same time.
It’s brain training that gives you the ability to react faster to whatever comes your way. Also scary triceps.
And it quiets your thoughts. Gets you where you need to go. Sets you on fire because anything is possible and possibility is the biggest high there is.
You can see possibility. You can breathe possibility. You can act on possibility.
Obviously, I’m pretty excited about us hooking up. Can you tell?
Why now?
Oh, I don’t know.
I’ve been teaching this stuff to yoga people and movement professionals for the past six years.
And then in the past two years I’ve been teaching it to entrepreneurs and creative thinkers and artists. And seeing crazy-wonderful things happen.
Derby needs Shiva Nata.
And the Shivanauts are ready to bring some of their power and love and silliness to Derby.
We also kind of have a lot in common. Like campiness, fabulousness and stripey socks. And drag names.
And we make up words! Like shivanautical or destuckification if you’re me. And brutalitarian dominatoration and butt rocking-est if you’re Guns N Rollers. See?
So we’ll see what happens.
In the meantime….
Ass-kicking coolness on skates! Best. Sport. Ever.
My duck and l will see you at the bout!
p.s. GUNS N ROLLERS! Rawr!
Twitter: pearlmattenson
OMG this is the most exciting thing EVER. If I lived in Portland (which is all the way on the other side of the country from me SO sad about that!) I would be there in a sec. Even though I can’t roller -anything but I actually see that shivanata is helping me be less clumsy and who knows what is possible down the road.
Also just checked out Guns N Rollers site which is fun! If I can be so bold to put in a request I would LOVE to see a video of Guns N Rollers doing shiva nata. IS that a crazy reqeuest. It would be so inspiring.
OMG I am giddy with excitement at the possibilities between these two worlds! So totally punk rock. And much more :)
Eileen´s last blog ..Intersections
Twitter: victoriashmoria
A big fat YES! to becoming insanely coordinated.
I can’t count the number of times I’ve dropped something like a pencil or a vitamin and caught it in mid-air since I started practicing Dance of Shiva.
Talk about an awesome secret weapon to add to the GNR arsenal!!
Rawr, indeed.
Victoria Brouhard´s last blog ..Noticings on the Hiking Trail and Elsewhere
Twitter: jenialaszlo
This is so hot. I want to visit Portland even more now (if such thing were possible). HAWT! Go Guns and Rollers!
Twitter: toacircus
YAY! Go Guns N Rollers! Dominate!
The scary triceps – indeed! Oh man, my arms are startlingly strong. This reformed girly girl can now lift couches and la-z-boy chairs with ease.
ML´s last blog ..Been Too Busy Epiphanizing to Post!
Gorgeous banner for a match made in heaven–Dance of Shiva meets dance of roller derby! Hooray! May the epiphanies bloom like fireworks at every game.
Hiro Boga´s last blog ..Talkity-talk-talk: The Powers and Perils of Communication
Twitter: LuminousHeart
Liquid math. Perfect!
Mahala Mazerov´s last blog ..In Your Body Is The Garden Of Flowers
Twitter: brianaaldrich
Oh I SO want to be “the one who cannot be shaken” while rocking my sovereignty crown. Yes yes yes.
I was all in even before I knew Dance of Shiva made me a punk rock bad ass. And now? Crazy mad love for this hot matchmaking. And, rawr.
Briana´s last blog ..The little girl and the cliff. A dreamtime saga in two parts.
Twitter: rebecca_leigh
That. Is. So. Punk. Rock.
Yep, Shiva Nata is the badass-est (do the made up words have to be good?) yoga training ever.
So it makes complete and utter sense to hook it up with the badass-est craziest skatiest sport ever (Like, brutalitarian dominatoration? C’mon!)
Keep us updated on the awesomeness!
I’m with Hiro on the banner. That is a thing of beauty!
Tami´s last blog ..Yoga+Music365 (day15) – Townes by Steve Earle
Super-cool, and — yeah, it seems like a perfect match for roller derby. I love the feeling of when I suddenly reflect back on, say, having done Dance of Shiva 15 minutes ago and am like “Whoa — did I just *do something pretty much impossible*??? How did I even DO that?? It just happened!”
Twitter: spiralsongkat
Fabulous! Now I think I’m going to have to go Shiva it up to The Clash. Or maybe to this.
I have fond memories of my childhood roller skating days!
Kathleen Avins´s last blog ..Dramatis personae
This is just too cool! Like Briana said, I’m loving that Shiva Nata makes me a punk rock bad ass.
Go kick some ass Guns N Rollers!!
Twitter: sandrajapandra
This is such a great write-up. Could be time to do this. I did something frighteningly uncoordinated today. Would like to nip that trend in the bud…
Sandra´s last blog ..Say it with dried squid covered in chocolate
Shiva Nata in leopard print, on roller skates. RWAR!
I’d like to second the request for video of these fine ladies in action.
That is so cool! :) I feel a little sheepish that I haven’t yet started my practice, *but* a big carpet remnant is going to be delivered next week, and that’s my start date.
Roller derby is awesome. Hung out with the.. I think it was the Windy City Rollers at Delilah’s after a show. SUper fun.
Twitter: havi
You guys ROCK. Yay Shivanauts! I love you guys.
Twitter: casey_cole
I concur with Briana and Lynn – “that’s so punk rock” is awesome!
I knew there was a reason I liked doing this – and not just for the laughing.
This. Is. Awesome.
Roller derby backed by Shivanautical goodness.
It’s like badass and punk rock got together and had the world’s most fabulous lovechild ever.
Go Guns N Rollers!
And that banner? Gor-GEE-us!
Fabeku´s last blog ..When A Bang Becomes A Fizzle Fo’shizzle
Twitter: intuitivebridge
I see so many brilliant connections between the two. Plus there’s the possibility that there will be some sort of Shivanaut wave, or perhaps there will be some shivanaut knockdown move (with lots of wrist and elbow?).
Woot.
Bridget´s last blog ..Help Haiti, Help Yourself
[...] you to seek out your local league. If you are in Portland, check out the Rose City Rollers. Havi supports the Guns N Rollers, and therefore so do I. But you are free, of course, to pick your own [...]
Twitter: creativechai
That banner is brilliant!
I love the shared awesomeness between Roller Derby and Shiva Nata and feel cooler just having read this.
Now when anybody asks me what kind of yoga I do, I’m gonna answer ‘Punk Yoga’
Then I’ll dare them to call me Woo-Woo.
Also, I’m wondering at which level do we get to wear skates?
Twitter: rollergirlworld
This is a really cool. I will have to look up Shiva yoga and see where it is offered here in Atlanta.
Great write up by the way.
Twitter: kneelkeleher
Wow, awesome sell for the dance of shiva. Love the way you talk about all the awesome things it can do for you.
Screw all of that “based on fact” stuff, (well you’ve got the experience) love the passion with which you talk about it.
I’m sold.
Twitter: elizabethhalt
I totally missed this post! I mean, I love Dance of Shiva anyway, but knowing that it’s making me a punk rock bad ass. Even more love.
Also, this post would make me want to try it, if I hadn’t already.
So yes, RAWR!
elizabeth´s last blog ..on wings of song
“It’s liquid math, done with your body.”
Wow. Wow. Wow. Wow.
Couldn’t be more excited!
Had some wild dreams last night!
Thanks, Havi!