Rhythm

In Search of Secrets
Tonight I found what I came to India for - again, I guess, as I seem to get more and more glimpses of it as the months go past.

Which perhaps raises the question for many of you: "What did Yuri go to India for?"

Well, many things really, but at the moment all that is relevant is to say that I came here to come to a better understanding of myself - in terms of my mind, my heart and soul and, most relevant in this case, my body.

My Thai Yoga Massage course continues in Palolem, South Goa, and is an incredible opportunity to better understand the body and learn to love it more. For someone as uncomfortable with the physical sphere as myself, it is a powerful experience to spend 6 hours of each day manipulating the bodies and vital energies of fellow students - it often calls for touching and manipulating the body in ways that are intimate and personal, demanding openness and trust from masseur and recipient.

Modern Dance
But tonight I had an entirely different experience that I am not sure I can capture beyond saying that I had a conversation of sorts via touch and scent and energy alone.

Christian, a fellow student who is a dancer and actor in "real life," led a few members of our group in a series of exercises used as warm ups by dance troupes he has worked with. We began with "dance games," which involved partners alternatively throwing their body weight to each other, hoisting a fellow student on the back and allowing them to experience briefly the feeling of free flight, and generally letting go of all tension and restraint and TRUSTING the people we were playing with.

Free Form
Then, eyes closed and wrist gently touching wrist, we began to slowly and subtly lead and follow our partners in a sort of free form dance that began as wide arcs and gentle pirouettes, but built slowly - as the power failed and candle light replaced electric glow - to bodies leaning on bodies in a purely instinctual and mutual dance following rhythms of vital energy rather than any tune.

I will never forget this evening or my beautiful and graceful partner. Tears came to my eyes as our slow dance came to an end, and the beauty of the moment overcame me - the depth of the conversation was overwhelming. And profound.

Thank you.