Practice

This past weekend I tried practicing our dance movements (the ones that we do in the beginning of class), and it was difficult. I'm not a very coordinated person, so I kept struggling to move fluidly from one movement to the next. I started by breaking down the movements, and then adding hands. Then I would try to speed it up and keep my movements going for many repetitions. Eventually, I was able to keep dancing without messing up for about 8 reps of the entire dance, which was really good! My major problem now is trying to smile and dance with intention the entire time. I am always thinking a lot about it so I think I come off looking a bit stiff. I guess I will have to keep practicing.

I also tried moving like Rama and Lakshmana, however, I didn't have a cup so I put a book on my head. In many ways, I thought balancing with a book was easier (it stayed on longer than the cup did!), mostly because it was not as light as a plastic cup. That is a really fun exercise! It requires concentration, it allows for a little competition (can I get the book to stay on longer? How far and fast can I move without letting it fall?), and before you know it, you're getting better! I hope my improvement shows in our classes this week.

When I look at our gurus dance, I am impressed at how beautiful the movements are. They are both graceful and strong at the same time, a combination I'm not accustomed to seeing. I hope that I can dance with a similar beauty by the end of the semester.