Exploring authentic movement during my training and other times outside of training for the last 5 years, listening to my body with a non-judgement attitude increases my awareness of my innate feelings, thoughts and body. With the practises of silent retreats in the past have allowed me to be still and learn to listen to my body in the authentic movement. I become fully aware not only of myself but also towards the environment around me.
Being aware I was often uptight and bound in my body 5 years ago, most of the time, I was often quick and sharp in my movement, in my walk, in my speech... Gradually I noticed I began to slow down after I discovered deep breath, letting go and trusting my body instead of the need to control especially when I explored groundedness in one of the sessions in my training (as a professional) and therapy. I just love the sense of the feeling of core centre of my being and being presence with my body. Interestingly, the conscious awareness of myself has allowed me to consciously make a choice to slow down in the midst of a rat-race city wherever I happened to be there.
I was able to enjoy and appreciate and being presence at the moment. More and more I developed the conscious awareness and the conscious choice to slow down.
I begin to ponder over what is slowing down and being passive?
Slowing down & Being Passive
In Laban, we explored strong and light weight. Weight means intention (what?). Passive weight is not strong weight.
The more I slow down, the more I come to link that slowing down has elements of strong weight. The sense of strong weight gives the body a sense of groundedness and has this innate strength within. I can still remember in a dance class, we explored combinations of two efforts in movement individually. I’m not going into the technical terms now as not to confuse the general reader. To feel the difference between strong and passive weight, we explored them in movement to feel and understand them. Just thinking at the head level does not understand the real feeling of what exactly strong weight is.
When I work with participants and clients, strong weight are often seem to be missing. Developing and exploring strong weight in our body can actually help us to slow down as I discovered for myself and with my clients.
Passive is often can be seen in the body with people who are suffering from depression. The sunken and curved body and the listlessness in the spirit. I began to ponder does it only happen when one suffers from depression? Perhaps when one feels life is meaningless and a heavy burden, does the body show signs of passiveness? Does it not want to take an active role to initiate change? Maybe when the body gradually stays in this manner, it can lead to depression. It is just my hypothesis.
There is a difference between slowing down and being passive.
Being passive has the feeling of dragging your feet and body along with you. The energy level is normally low. Whereas slowing down has an energy circulating your entire being, and your body feels alive and there is an innate strength and power within you.
Even in infant, they explore the core self with strong weight at the developmental phase.
