“Dance is the essence of mystery. Through dance we experience a dimension that the linear mind is not structured to perceive. It may have been dance that enabled us to first conceive of experiences beyond our immediate physical experience, thereby creating the concept of spirituality, of ‘God.’” -Iris Stewart
Does the mystery of nature feed your spiritual life? Do you take the time to really experience the changing of the seasons? What makes you come more alive when winter moves to spring?
Dancing With the Mysteries of Spring
The first blossom that appears in my yard is the Grape Hyacinth. Clearly, no one planted them here because they are strewn all over the lawn just like the violets that appear about the same time. It’s a mystery how their seeds got here—just one of the many mysteries that arrive with spring.
Yesterday, walking through the botanical gardens in the sunshine with a friend, I was so perfectly at peace in a joyful way, observing the many flowers that were blooming way ahead of schedule. Once again, nature has caught us off-guard, dancing in a delightful way.
It is this dance of energy that connects us all to joy. No matter what is happening in our lives, no matter how challenging they are, it is important to take the time to dance this dance of life. Open the windows and dance to the breeze. Dance to the bird song in early morning. Dance through a field of flowers or down a forest path. Dance with your dog in the park and let it dance with the other dogs, which it is sure to do. Allow yourself to feel that connection with the creativity of life.
Exploring the Mysteries
When I was a child growing up in Arkansas, my family hiked in the woods and mountains where we often came across caves. Questions and images flooded my mind. Did anyone ever live there? Who had been sheltered from rain there? Who built a fire there? What animals roamed through the cave or used it for shelter?
We also visited larger commercial caves with multiple rooms and water dripping from huge stalactites. I had difficulty paying attention to the guides because I imagined myself exploring the cave for the first time, I envisioned ancient people dancing there, their silhouettes reflected upon the walls by the fire around which they danced. I was hypnotized by the mystery of it all, and out of that mystery, I developed a curiosity to learn more and considered becoming an archeologist.
Awakening to the Mystery in the Dance
Many people are afraid of experiencing something that is different from what they are used to, but the unknown, the mysteries of life are there to lure us away from our complacency, to give us that nudge to answer the questions that arise in our lives. Mysteries take us deeper to places we might never discover otherwise. Had I never taken dance classes, I might never have come to understand the mind/body connection that stimulated my interest in further exploring psychology and spirituality. Had I not pursued answers to questions that arose along this path, I might still see myself as a victim of my emotions and fear. Instead, I explored the mysteries of the mind and found techniques that changed my life and empowered me.
If we dance with the mysteries of life, will we find all the answers? Probably not. But we will find the one answer that matters the most—the connection with Spirit—because it is the essence of all life and the greatest of the mysteries. It is the energy of flowers blooming, caves forming, and people connecting. When I look into the beautifully complicated center of a Columbine, I always ask, “Who thought of this design?” This is like asking, “Why do people have five fingers, not six?” although some scientist probably knows that answer.
Live the Questions Now
One of my favorite books is Rainer Maria Rilke’s Letters To A Young Poet. Some of his advice is valuable for us at all ages, especially when we are frustrated by not finding answers. “…be patient toward all that is unsolved in your heart and try to love the questions themselves like locked rooms and like books that are written in a very foreign tongue.…the point is to live everything. Live the questions now. Perhaps you will then gradually, without noticing it, live along some distant day into the answer.” Or, as I would say, dance the questions.
What mysteries are you dancing with today?
© 2012 Georganne Spruce
Related Articles: Being in Your Flow ~ There’s an App for That, Synchronicity, Living in the Flow, The Art of Uncertainty: How to Live in the Mystery of Life and Love It (click on the book cover and read the first couple of chapters)
Awakening to the Dance 