"Energy Dance" - Oriental Dance Combined with Energy Work - Requires Special Handling, Care, and Respect
This last Sunday (just five days ago), I resumed regular "dance class." It was "class with myself" - doing all the things that I usually do (and teach) when holding regular classes: warm-ups, technique drills, choreographies. At the end of two fairly intense practice sessions, I was tired. In fact, my muscles were stiff and sore for the next couple of days. This isn't unusual when getting back into Oriental dance (belly dance); we use large muscle groups, and the workout is not necessarily more intense, but it's often deeper.
Yesterday, after morning chores and during morning journaling, a piece of music kept coming to mind; "Dark Fire" by Light Rain, on a CD of the same title. I followed a strong intuition that I should start working with this music. Several hours later (of very intermittent efforts), I had a bit of choreographic overview, some intense practicums (lasting only a few minutes, but still intense), some small sections of more specific choreography, together with costume ideas. I'd even selected my veils - two 4-yard pieces of subtly patterned and deeply toned silk chiffon.
In addition to playing with the physical aspects of this dance, though, I did something else: I started working with the energy aspects. This was entirely different from Sunday's "classes." This was a deliberate, intentional effort to infuse energy (ch'i) collection and direction with the dance movements.
And then, being somewhat tuckered out, I went to bed. I didn't fall asleep right away, and so started listening to a book on CD. And that's where I made the mistake. In fact, my intuition (or "guidance") was telling me not to listen to that book, and I did an override - I wanted the story, and so I indulged.
I awoke a couple of hours later from a nightmare. For me, any form of nightmare is really unusual. My dreams are usually interesting "adventure stories." Maybe not always fun (and usually strong on the "adventure" aspects), but almost never unpleasant or scary. In this dream, though, characters similar to the book's villains showed up - people who were being hurtful, cruel, or simply very mixed-up.
This experience brought me back to recognizing that energy work - even when just practicing or developing something (that is, not being done with full-out magical intention) is still very powerful. I'm likening it to being in a fast-flowing, full stream of water.
Most of the time, we have an "energy flow" inside ourselves, but it is relatively low-level. This is like walking through a stream that is just trickling around our ankles, and isn't moving very fast. When we deliberately start ramping up the "energy work" aspect of our practice, then it is like being in a stream of water that is much higher - imagine thigh or waist-deep - and is swirling and moving with some vigor. This kind of stream can easily pick up and move around stray, random things such as tree branches and any loose debris.
The difference between the energy flow (ch'i) that we create and move through our bodies during intentional practice and being in a stream of water is that when we do the energy work, the "stream" is really inside us - and when we ramp it up, it is also outside us a bit as well.
When a big rainstorm causes a stream of water to swell, it not only moves faster, but also rises in volume - picking up all sorts of stream-bank debris. This extra debris, along with dirt washed into the stream, make it full of extra "stuff." Similarly, when we expand our personal energy, we not only attract more thought-forms from our vicinity, we "swirl them up" with extra energy. We give them more "oomph" and power in our lives.
Usually, this extra "stuff" doesn't do any damage; the waters subside and the "stuff" gets left along the streambank once again. But if part of our intention and goal is to actively work with our internal energy, then it makes sense to keep our energy-stream as pure as possible, doesn't it? Simply put, why add unnecessary junk?
There's a notion called "magical chastity." While it technically refers to a time of sexual abstinence unless using sex for magical purposes, this is actually a more broad-reaching concept. The idea is that when we are focused on creating something, we keep our attention and energy pure and focused solely on that desired creation. I've done this a lot when getting insights for a new invention, or when seeking clarity on a writing project. Athletes will often do this as they approach a significant competition or game. It's all about focus.
The lesson here is that even relatively low-key energy work is still energy work, and deserves respect. It's like shifting from using a couple of batteries to a full-scale generator. The higher the voltage (or more accurately, stored energy content - thus creating "potential"), the more we should be careful with our thoughts. Our thoughts function much like "connection wires" - they guide where the energy goes. And if we allow our thoughts to be randomly corroded with material from books, TV, or movies - just as we're ramping up our energy store - then we'll sometimes get a bit of "energy leak-over" as the energy that we've built up combines with the thought-forms that have caught our attention.
Usually, there's no real damage. In my case, having an unpleasant dream is not a severely damaging experience. But the more proficient we become with energy work, the more important it is to be careful. Especially, we need to be careful with our thoughts. If we must read for entertainment, it's important to choose something uplifting. I'm right now in the midst of my first pass through A Course in Miracles, which emphasizes love and forgiveness. These are better thoughts to have in my head than the actions of some villain in a novel!
One final thought: when we're in a ramped-up energy state, it is much easier for us to influence "reality." This is a good time to bring to mind those people, events, and organizations that are on our prayer list. Is there a person or group of people for whom you have kind intentions, but cannot give the time or money or attention that this person or group would like? Give them your loving thoughts while in a heightened energy state, and let the cosmos "do its thing." Remember the foremost adage of basic New Age thinking, "That which is like unto itself is drawn." (See the works of Abraham-Hicks for expositions.) When we are in a heightened energy state, and create a thought-form of love, respect, good-will, and appreciation for someone or something, and then (with gentle intention) send that thought-form to that person, then - because this thought-form has been created both with clarity and an extra energy-oomph, it will attach to the object to which it was sent. That is, it will attach if it is in synchrony with the energy-essence of the person or group. So then, it will cause other similar thought-forms to attach - resulting in good things happening! (A simple form of creating reality through intention.)
Best wishes, much love, and see you in dance class!
