In the Open Floor world of conscious dance one way we explore is through activating and settling. For me - I settle through a twisting movement - left to right - and especially enjoy swishing my long hair back and forth. I activate by tensing my muscles, by stylised martial arts movements - its my fight reflex and I thoroughly enjoy it.

The dance between the two is where we live our lives - how do we activate when needing to push through, get something done or be strong? And how do we settle but not collapse - like an alert fox sitting quietly - like most animals at rest?

We practice.

Just like as children - we’d get mum or dad to chase us and growl like wild animals then grab us up and cuddle us - settling our activated nervous systems. Many of us never got the settle bit - only activation - there was no safe adult to settle us - we live life as a constant lookout for danger. Or there are those of us who left alone and untouched - never knew healthy activation and we cannot bear being settled - looking for the next high, rush or intense experience to let us know we are alive.

Pema Chödrön speaks of how if we are able without getting caught in anything, be open to all the feelings, people and experiences in our lives and notice and embrace them all - this is the combination of all the great teachings you could hope for.

And in the dance - in the way we learn - how as adults to settle and activate - can be a doorway to the great life that awaits us, just a breath away from our breathlessness. Just a twist, or shake, a foot stomp away from the place we first have to begin.