Rhythms, energy, waves, fluidity

Reading from Tuesday, August 27, 2013 yoga class

"The growing lack of fluidity so common in older people today is not a foregone conclusion of aging.  It is true that we do lose some fluid content as we age, but the premature stiffness and immobility seen in modern people as young as thirty is more the result of living without the conscious presence of fluidic support, which can be compared to dying of thirst while sitting in the middle of an oasis.

The ability to adapt and change is a quality of fluid embodiment.  Just as water conforms to the shape of the container it is placed in, the person with a fluid nature is able to adjust to new and oftentimes unexpected and unfamiliar situations with ease.  Certain cultures are more or less fluidic in nature.  When traveling in Central America, I have been impressed by the accommodating nature of the people and their ability to accept and even welcome the unexpected.  In contrast, Americans and European peoples tend to expect life to be a certain way, and when inevitably met with delays and changes of plan, they tend to respond by fixing, defining, and defending their version of reality, even if this version does little to create ease within themselves or the people around them.  Just as fluid lubricates a hinge, when we live and move fluidly, we are able to open to change with less resistance and difficulity."

                                                       From the book "Yoga mind, body & spirit" by Donna Farhi

Fascinating... so much to share here about movement, fluidity, rhythm, energy.  There is an artist, John de Kadt, a drummer... fabulously talented.  He has a CD and a song entitled "This rhythm is not mine" and it says basically what I have quoted above but with music and drums.

                     "This rhythm is not mine
                       it comes from all hearts beating
                       all things opening and closing
                       it comes from the silent movement
                       of fishtails in the ocean
                       and from the swinging of waves and tides
                       it comes from the woodpecker
                       and from the way the ants
                       parade across the ground..."

Then there is a dancer, Gabrielle Roth who says the same thing with dance....

                       Energy moves in waves, waves move in patterns, patterns move in rhythms
                       A human being is just that, energy, waves, patterns, rhythms.
                       Nothng more. Nothing less. A dance.

It is all connected... yoga, music, drumming, dancing.  COOL!!!