<![CDATA[Soul Movement

<![CDATA[Soul Movement - Blog]]>Tue, 07 May 2019 10:08:51 +1000Weebly<![CDATA[Curiosity]]>Sun, 09 Apr 2017 10:43:34 GMThttp://www.soulmovement.com.au/blog/curiosityTrying something new

There are times I relish the thought of trying something new and then there are times when the very mention of change (the familiar) sends shivers of trepidation down my spine.

“Try something new” she wailed “Why do I have to, WHY?”
Thats the sound of the freak out, the fear, and ultimately the lose of depth in my life. When I remain in what always is I become stuck, stale and often get irritable and BORED.
The familiar can be like a soothing bath for me to relax in daily; familiarity breads a sense of safety. I like to feel safe, and there is nothing wrong with it, nothing at all. In fact I believe everyone (animals included) have the right to feel safe. What I want to talk about is being curious, exploring and checking out new ways of being.

I find one of the most powerful ways of doing this for me is during dance. I remember being in a 5rhythms class in Melbourne I attended regularly and the Facilitator suggesting we try to dance in a way we were not familiar with, in a way we don’t usually move. I remember feeling an instant resistance but an immediate curiosity. Of course my inner critic produced fear in me by saying things like
"Don’t listen"
"Why do we have to change ANYTHING?"
"Stick with what you know otherwise you may look silly or fall, or FAIL”
Curiosity got the better of me and I thought to myself “I want to try” (I must say I do like a challenge).
First I tried moving backwards, I felt awkward and silly but I started to giggle (I love it when those spontaneous giggles are birthed from the innocent child within). I kept giggling wondering if I would bump into someone. I wondered what would happen if I did, but I just kept diving in and remaining open. Next I decided to wrap my hand around a wooden up right beam planted in the middle of the dance floor and spin around it like I did when I was little girl at the park. I spun and spun around the beam, throwing my head back laughing softly to myself as I did. I felt so free, so happy, so…ALIVE.
Next I started to stomp my feet on the cool wooden floor boards, feeling the vibration wind it’s way up my spine. Then I noticed something out of the corner of my eye, someone was stomping their feet in the same way as I was. Our eyes met and we both giggled. We made our way over to each other stomping our feet in unison as we went. Once we were face to face we stomped and laughed, circling each other like majestic Apes in the Jungle. We were playing and it felt wonderful. I danced in this way and with this freedom and bliss for the rest of the class.
This was my reward, the reward for trying something new, and I have danced in this way, with this freedom, ever since.
Exploration in a safe space using play and movement allowed me to open up and challenge myself to “try something new” in my world, which was mirrored into my life outside the dance floor. Now I explore many different things that I was once too scared to even contemplate….today I dive in, experience freedom, (even though sometimes I may feel scared)...and I feel ALIVE!

May you be blessed with the Spirit of curiosity, movement and dance!

]]><![CDATA[Enjoying the moment]]>Fri, 01 Jan 2016 04:35:18 GMThttp://www.soulmovement.com.au/blog/enjoying-the-moment

The best things in life often are....RIGHT HERE...RIGHT IN THIS MOMENT
RIGHT NOW!
Trust yourself to exquisitely enjoy each moment.

“She smiled and said with an ecstatic air: "It shines like a little diamond",
"What does?"
"This moment. It is round, it hangs in empty space like a little diamond; I am eternal.”
Jean-Paul Sartre

How do we enjoy each moment? How do we feel the bliss of a moment in time as though we were that moment itself?

I find a powerful way is to image what your older self would say to you, what they would encourage you to do. Perhaps they would tell you to make sure you spend time with the ones you love instead of being too busy. Perhaps they would tell you to follow your dreams, or to follow your heart, or perhaps they would even tell you that you should never give up. i wonder what wisdom they would they give you?

Here's what happened when I wrote a letter to myself from my 80 year old self....
These are the words I received.
My 80 year old self told me that I must "LIVE".
She said "...your life is to be lived to the fullest, not to be lived alone. You can follow my dreams as you already ARE an amazing woman". These words have given me hope and the courage to keep following my dreams when my inner critic tells me to "give up".

One of my greatest loves is ecstatic dancing, and when I dance I am truly immersed in the moment.
Movement is my meditation and my release, it is the space I find healing, wisdom, peace and love. I have explored many different forms of movement but pure tribal ecstatic dancing is where I loose a sense of time, where I become enchanted by the ecstasy of movement to experience exquisiteness and happiness.
This is a contentment experienced through being in the moment or the creative flow of life....BLISS.

Sometimes I also choose to write in the mornings as a way to get out all my worries and allow my creative ideas to emerge. If anyone would like to know about this process please feel free to ask me in the comment section below.

Here is an example -

Except from morning writing 8th December:
"As the days become longer and the Earth heats up I become stronger and my words flow more freely. Like silky honey dripping from the corners of my mouth after mischievously dipping the spoon into the honey jar for a delicious treat.
And as I sit here writing on the balcony I can feel the warm breeze caressing my face, the heat generating golden scents from the flowers and the trees. Mother Nature is holding me, holding me and loving my spirit back to life..."

When I wrote this I felt completelly connected to myself and my surroundings Being fully immersed in the moment is a blissful feeling.

Today's wish for you -
Try doing something and fully appreciate it, appreciate that exact moment in time, whether it be dancing, walking, talking with treasured friends or cooking a good meal, just focus right in on what you are doing. What sensations do you feel, colours do you see, or sounds do you hear?

If you feel so inclined you may wish to write a letter to a friend, I posted 3 Postcards to friends today and often post one to myself just for fun.
Or perhaps you may wish to write a letter to yourself from your older self? What would he/she say to you? What positive encouragement would you gain from your older self?
You could even just write a letter to yourself telling yourself some of your positive strengths or values, or even dreams that you have for yourself
Or you could just go outside and take a walk and take note of all the colours, sights and sounds around you. Even if you are in a large City there are some lovely streets to walk down that have gorgeous flowering trees, quirky little shops, yummy new Restaurants where you can try new and different food or quaint little shops just waiting to be discovered.

My wish for you is to experience the blessings around you.
If it is a dark day and you cannot see any blessings then my hope is for you to be able to ask someone to share a moment in time with you so that you can feel supported and loved through your darkness.
As my 80 year old said to me "...life is not meant to be live alone, Amy, Life is meant to be LIVED"

Blessings
Amy

]]><![CDATA[Embracing my creative soul]]>Fri, 14 Aug 2015 06:20:56 GMThttp://www.soulmovement.com.au/blog/embracing-my-creative-soul

Artwork by Amy Jung

My creativity is my heart...
My soul
And my passion

My creativity is my heart, my soul and my passion. It is the very thing I exist for, the thing that gives me depth, weight and passion; THAT GIVES ME LIFE.
However, sometimes I still get lost in the physical and the material realms of this world.
The part of the world (and Society) that tells me I 'have to' or 'should be doing'...SOMETHING!
And not just doing something but doing something practical, something useful, something achievement based...
I'm sure you know the part of the psyche I am talking about?!

It's the voice that shouts loudly, the one that yells so loudly it shouts over the true desires of the heart. The heart wants to play and explore, to fill the senses with beauty and wonder, but this loud voice says things like;
"Don't try that you'll look ridiculous",
OR
"You will upset someone if you do that"
OR
"There is too much to do today to go play and have fun"
OR the all time favourite remarks from this inner Censor -
"I am just too tired today, too broke to do that, to busy ...TO WHATEVER"
AND the list goes on and on and ON.

How then do we safeguard ourselves from this critic, from this saboteur of the soul?
We treat ourselves like the precious beings that we ARE and GIVE to ourselves.

THE FIRST LESSON I LEARNED WAS TO...

CLAIM YOUR TIME FOR MYSELF
(Don't worry I will give you some helpful hints)

Here's is a good starting point - write down 3 things that you would like to do, write them down right NOW! And you know that voice that's telling you that you can do it later when you have time, well don't listen...it's only three things (go ahead write them down, I'll wait).

Now so you know I practice what I preach I will share three things with you, that I wrote down, that I like to do -

1. Sitting in an old Church: I love the bluestone, the leadlight windows, wooden pews, the candles and the incense (the length of time I spend there can vary, I just do it to fill my visual and spiritual well)

2. Walking in the Forest: I love the fresh air, the wildlife, the ancient trees, the smell of the earth, and I feel incredibly empowered and often come up with my best creative ideas for Soul Movement classes while I am walking in the Forest listening to my favourite music

3. DANCING: Of course dancing is one my most favourite things to do. I find it healing, cleansing, grounding, exhilarating, a brilliant form of release, a way to connect to my inner knowing and my higher self, a sacred space where I can gain wisdom through exploration of different ways of being, and not to mention FUN!!

End-eth of lesson one (stay tuned for more lessons)
Please feel free to share any comments about your experience...

REMEMBER THERE IS NO RIGHT OR WRONG WAY TO EMBRACE YOUR CREATIVE SPIRIT

May you be blessed with the spirit of the creative

Amy Jung
Diploma of Arts Therapy

]]>