Tips for Stress free life  >  Expert Zone   > Alternative Health

       Alternative Health Tips by experts


Do-Sa-Do For Mindfulness


When I was 12, one of my best friends was a square dancer. Twice a week, her family would pile into the Country Squire station wagon and head to the Grange Hall, where they'd gather with their square dancing club for an evening of music, friendship and do-sa-do. (That's the correct spelling, by the way. Visit www.dosado.com)

As a regular guest, I was fascinated by the form but, in the height of my coolness-conscious years, also acutely aware of the overwhelming dork factor. These people lived to square dance.

They skipped around for two or three hours at a time, twirling and smiling and dabbing at their foreheads between dances. They hunted for holiday-themed fabric months before special dances in order to whip up the perfect ruffled dress and matching shirt for each occasion. They packed their petticoats and headed to Penticton, British Columbia every summer for a regional square dancers' convergence.

The square dance girls were just as boy-crazy as my regular friends, but they had a built-in way to hold hands with the guys they liked. As for me, I had a major crush on my friend's older brother who, at 15, was an articulate, ambitious student body president with piercing blue eyes and blond hair to his shoulders (it was 1972, after all).

In one of our (for me, anyway) excruciating conversations involving much blushing, he told me that square dancing was like meditation. "It's a way to forget about everything except what's going on right now. You have to pay attention to what the caller says, and let your mind and body make sense of it naturally, without trying too hard."

At the time, I had only a fleeting familiarity with meditation, and I didn't see much similarity between these suburban, gingham-clad dancers and the Hare Krishnas that offered carnations to passersby on downtown street corners.

Years later, I have to marvel at his insight.

Square dancing IS like meditation. There's no focusing on memories of the past or worries about the future. Instead, a square dancer must remain in a state of acceptance and anticipation. The caller will determine the next move, and no amount of second-guessing or outsmarting will help you become more effective--or more popular.

As a square dancer, you're surrounded by other dancers but not really attached to a particular one--your matching outfits notwithstanding-- because you are constantly moving among the others. Your attention is directed toward whatever comes up--in this case, the caller's command and your subsequent focus on that engagement, however brief.

There's a continuous current of possibilities, and your state is that of relaxed readiness without any judgment. Other than the moment your crush happens to be holding your hand, there is no partner or move that is better than any other.

The beauty is in the flow of it all and the awareness of being fully there.

For the square dancers, their Wednesday-and-Saturday-night gatherings provided fellowship, fitness and an opportunity to really let go. Despite the hopelessly unhip pointy white shoes and the Hee-Haw setting, the dancers had discovered a way to make mindfulness, well, FUN if not exactly cool.

Perhaps it never crossed their minds that they were engaging in anything but entertaining exercise. But if a 15-year-old boy--cute or not--could see it, I'm guessing that others recognized the sense of connection they gained in an evening of fully-present partner swinging.

We tend to think of mindfulness as something to be experienced only through meditation. WRONG. Mindfulness involves us 100% in the present moment, but we don't need a cushion, maple bench, or incense to get there.

In our mindful moments, we are at our finest and most human--open, forgiving, focused, compassionate and connected. Sitting, standing, or swinging your partner, that's a good place to be.

Yee-haw!

About The Author

Maya Talisman Frost is a mind masseuse offering specialized mindfulness training in Portland, Oregon. A former fitness trainer, she now teaches individuals how to pay attention. Her work has inspired thinkers in over 100 countries. To subscribe to her free weekly ezine, the Friday Mind Massage, visit http://mindmasseuse.com

maya@mindmasseuse.com


MORE RESOURCES:

See the complete list of Articles on Alternative Health here

Have a look at Best Selling Books on Alternative Health

 

Google

See also : Other articles on

Depression, Grief Loss, Happiness, Humor, Inspirational, Motivation,
Positive Attitude
, Meditation, Spirituality Goal Setting, Wealth Building, Ethics, Stress Management
Yoga, Alternative Health, Build Muscle, Exercise,   Aerobics Cardio, Fitness Equipment Pregnancy  Dating, Elder Care, RelationshipAcneBeauty, Hair Loss
Cooking Tips, Recipes,Top Tips for everything Crafts Hobbies, Creativity, Fishing Photography, Pets,

Latest info on : Alternative Health


New York Times

Underwater Cable an Alternative to Electrical Towers
New York Times
Laying line in San Francisco for the Trans Bay Cable project, which submerged 33 miles of cable. By MATTHEW L. WALD Generating 20 percent of America's ...

and more »


New York Daily News

Coffee Party to offer alternative to Tea
Clarksville Leaf Chronicle
The Coffee Party USA, fashioned as a non-ideological alternative to the conservative Tea Party, held hundreds of meetings across the country this weekend to ...
Coffee Party USA Seeks Alternative to Tea PartiesUprising
Coffee Party offers teabag alternativeabc11.com
Tea party alternative? Obama backer launches 'coffee party' movement ...Palm Beach Post
Daily Illini (blog)
all 434 news articles »


New York Times (blog)

An Alternative to Chemotherapy Takes Venture Competition
New York Times (blog)
This past weekend, Carnegie Mellon University's Tepper School of Business and the Donald H. Jones Center for Entrepreneurship held its ...

and more »


Alternative C Fails Again
WETM-TV
We have reactions from both sides on the Alternative C proposal failing for the second time in the Corning-Painted Post School District. ...
'No' means 'no': Alternative C vote fails againCorning Leader
More details about alternative education releasedDubuque Telegraph Herald
Alternative Education Center aims to boost student attendanceSoutheast Missourian
Elmira Star-Gazette -WETM-TV -Dubuque Telegraph Herald
all 9 news articles »


Reuters

Brussels offers Greece the rack as alternative to its bed of nails
Irish Times
Thus the EU net is being contrived as a stretching-machine alternative to the bed of nails on which Greece currently rests. That said, however, a back-stop ...
'There is No Alternative' to the EuroSpiegel Online

all 2,189 news articles »


Alternative to zap uterine fibroids could work for some women
ABC7Chicago.com
March 16, 2010 (WLS) -- There's a possible alternative to zap uterine fibroids that may provide hundreds of women with a different option. ...

and more »


The Star-Ledger - NJ.com

Stevia is put to the test as the latest greatest alternative to sugar
The Star-Ledger - NJ.com
It's billed as an “all-natural” alternative to Splenda, Equal and Sweet'N Low. Reb A, a stevia extract, was approved by the FDA as an all-purpose sweetener ...
Stevia vs. Splenda: A sweetener bake-offTampa Tribune

all 2 news articles »


Conservative group proposes alternative Ill. state budget with no tax increases
Fox 59
By AP CHICAGO (AP) — A conservative think tank has come up with an alternative budget to Gov. Pat Quinn's proposal that it says doesn't raise taxes or ...
Quinn won't talk about alternative to tax increaseThe Associated Press
Quinn won't talk about alternative to tax increaseHerald & Review

all 248 news articles »


Times Online

Sony chairman Michael Lynton calls for healthy alternative to popcorn in cinemas
Times Online
For many, a night out at the movies would not be complete without the sound of popcorn and chocolate wrappers from the stalls. ...

and more »


LS School Board members learn about the county's alternative school
Greene County Daily World
Light was shed on Greene County's alternative school during the recent monthly meeting of the Linton-Stockton School Board ...
Alternative schools have roots in civil rights movementFulton Sun

all 5 news articles »

Google News

Why not be an expert yourself  ?

 If you can write on any of the above topic, you are welcome to submit your
 articles in our database :

 Submit your article here   Our Article Area

You are here Home > Tips for Stress free Life > Expert Zone > Alternative Health


| Alternative Health Home | All articles on Alternative Health- complete list 

Main Home  | Meditation Corner

                |Health Tips  | Workplace Tips  | Soul Tips  |Expert zone |

Recommend us  |

 Books, DVDs and accessories on meditation & yoga  |

[About us] [Contact] [Privacy Policy]

Copyright 2006, Meditation is Easy.com, All rights reserved