Movement Thinking and Dance with the Elements......

"Nothing happens until something moves." - Albert Einstein

I've taught Movement and Strategies of Response, as part of the Integral Leadership Workshops I've done over the past years, and I'd like to share a basic review of this fascinating subject with you......

All words written in italics are quotes from Stuart Heller, on whose work this post is based.

Movement Thinking

Movement is not only about moving through space, it is about breathing, directing energy and attention, about playing and working, about moving through feelings and emotions, about expressing our moods and letting ourselves 'be moved" by what we perceive......

Movement is also a way of thinking.

Relatively solid and predictable events that make up life and experience, stand on a base of utter randomness and continual change.  

By accepting this change instead of clinging to the illusion of safe and secure, by acknowledging and using complementary sides, by going beyond the either/or logic. by moving through fixed rigid points and emerging into free space - we begin to practice "Movement Thinking" and "Movement based Language." 

And Movement thinking leads to real deep changes in our way of being with others and the world. 

The way you move through life can be seen in the way you move through life.

Strategy of Response to an Encounter - Dancing with all the Elements

Just as moving water shapes the ground over which it flows, every different way of moving and responding shapes you differently.

How do you habitually move and respond to an encounter?

It could be an encounter with a person, a thing, an idea, a feeling, a deadline, a situation, an expectation or a totally imagined event.

The way you respond forms a structure of thought, feeling, muscle, and energy - This structure can either support you in being your best or can become a barrier to any positive feelings or desires. This can also be called your Mind-Set, with its own corresponding psychological and behavioral aspects.

Which shape do you inhabit habitually? What is your strategy towards encounters? 

Which element or elements do you usually dance with?

Earth : 

When you dance with Earth, you use the straegy of "not moving" - you don't move forward to meet the approaching encounter, you wait and see, and respond only when necessary. 

You have the strength to resist the push and pull of incoming forces. The response of "not moving" can be a valuable ally in many different situations. You have defined boundaries and you know how to say No. 

When you dance only with Earth and begin to let it dominate you - it can have two effects. One is that your boundaries get so rigid that nothing can move you at all, no one can get to you, but neither can you get out. You close yourself off and find it hard to show what you really feel. The second is that you develop bureaucratic resistance to any force that has the potential to change you or your life. You resist leaving the known and prefer to stick with the status quo.

Water :

When you dance with Water, you instinctively know how and when to "step back" and develop the response of yielding. You face approaching situations and forces by bending to accommodate their pressures. You reshape your boundaries, adapt, become plastic and resilient. 

This adaptation is achieved without losing your "boundary integrity." Like a wave in the ocean, you move back from the shore and then return. You are flexible and supple.

When you dance only with Water and flow away in its flow, then - you begin to "give in" by going back but losing the ability to come forward to reclaim your position again or - you begin to "give up" by losing your boundary integrity and let the forces in, even though you wanted to say No.

Fire :

When you dance with Fire, you develop the response of "stepping forward" and meeting the incoming force, person or event. You are spontaneous and move with enthusiasm towards an approaching encounter. 

You look ahead and beyond any obstacles, to the goal. This attitude transforms the entire encounter and creates a magnetic charge in the atmosphere. That which was once an obstacle to your forward motion becomes something that you now only pass through.

When you dance only with Fire and let it burn you with its passion, then instead of being spontaneous, you lose the ability to wait a moment before moving forward and react impulsively, thus diminishing your capacity for awareness, discrimination and centered action.

Also instead of seeing the obstacle as something to "pass through" you see it as something "in your way" and lose your energy in trying to "fight it".

Air :

When you dance with Air, you give way to the incoming force by "turning out of the way". You cultivate an attitude of calm and are not easily moved by any approaching encounter. Like a martial arts artist you know how to redirect the blow rather than confront it directly. 

By staying calm in the midst of turmoil you can act with clarity and precision.

When you dance only with Air, this leads to two reaction styles : 

The Space Cadet - letting go too much, being blown away like a leaf.

The Control Freak - fighting too hard to hold on, trying to manage all the leaves.

The warrior's secret is to invest time and energy in cultivating all the responses, learning to dance with all the elements, depending upon the context and need. This encourages your natural capacity to be flexible and versatile in action, thus creating excellence and elegance in all spheres of your life.