i've been really enjoying my dance journey and i've learned enough be able to recognize that these are two DIFFERENT things 😳 "slow down" and "be present" are distinct cues

"be present" was too far a ladder rung for me to reach. i've been going so fast for so long that i needed to hear "slow down" constantly. what this command is REALLY aiming at is ultimately - be present

i'm too new at dance to be able to see any commonalities. i do know about weight lifting. a very common cue for squats is "knees out." you don't actually want your knees out. the desired posture is to have knees ALIGNED, and most people needed to put their knees out to GET to that position

of course, context matters. during a code blue, you best be moving with a sense of urgency trying to save someone's life. you need to be thinking 3 steps ahead and anticipating what might happen. even within this context, your chest compressions can't be too fast (heart won't refill) or too slow (body won't get oxygen)

in dance and in life, for me, that urgency, lurching forward, and anticipation is NOT helpful. the desired state is to be PRESENT. i hope to someday be able to hear "be present" and just click myself into place. i'm okay with not being there yet. (... which is a form of presence!? 🤪)

for however long i need this, i am grateful to have found the phrase "slow down." it means so much to me because it helps me come home - to the here and now 🥹

this question rang through me clear as a bell. will be journaling on this every day for the rest of 2024. join me? 🖤

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just journaled this prompt for 15 minutes. holy cow, what a rude awakening it was 🥴😫😖🫣 but i also want to celebrate! the fact that this question even occurred to me, and that i remembered it, and took action on it... means i guess my soul wants to and is ready to hear the answer! i'll 100% take that as a sign of growth

i can already see that the more honest i can be, the more accurate "results" i will get. *deep breath* let's do this. i know i have a tendency to think that any 1 thing holds The Key to my growth. but this question... whew! if you let it work ya and if you can be objective with even the shit you do NOT like... this really could be a big awakening for you

cheers to the last 2 months of 2024. may we be bold and true 🫡

i'm always learning more ways to "be present," but this cue, BY FAR, is my favorite lesson in presence. when dancing, being "on" the beat is technically correct. however, it feels effortful, seems rushed, and just looks... wonky. kind of like my "awkward" outfits from a few posts/podcasts ago

when my private dance instructor gave me a cue to be "IN" the beat, everything just clicked. i noticed there is actually sooo much time and space. like, there is literally no need to rush. even a 1 second beat has SO much time! like when dressing in my aligned colors and in cuts that enhance/honor my natural essence, dancing feels so much more enjoyable and *right* when i allow myself to be IN the beat

i am so grateful to be on this journey. everything is melting together in the most beautiful and delicious way. what a thing it is to be ALIVE!

here is the instagram video. can you see the point in time in this video when i switch from ON the beat to IN the beat? it is so clear to me. i want to apply this to my entire life!
https://www.instagram.com/reel/DBsLEI5v5-4/?igsh=MzRlODBiNWFlZA==