End of the Wheel, Beginning Anew

We have once again returned to what in my spiritual tradition, is considered the End of the Year. It's known by many names: Halloween, Samhain, Dia de Los Muertos, Feast of All Saints/Souls, and others. Throughout this planet, this is the time of year where we acknowledge those who have passed on - not only in the past year, but our family, friends, ancestors who have crossed over in years past.  Many traditions believe that this is when the veils between this side and the other side are the thinnest - or lifted up all together.  This is why images of Death, spirits, ghosts, and other beings of the Underworld are prevalent in so many places - it's partly about acknowledging the cycle and the closeness of the deceased, about the dead mingling with the living. 

But it also a time of letting go, in preparation for our new year, our new selves...to make room for the new good things we will bring into our lives, the new experiences.

A lot of dancers tend to focus on negative things like what they didn't do right, what didn't happen for them, who is to the blame for that, comparing themselves to everyone else. Others focus on goals so far ahead of themselves, they only set themselves up for failure.  These modes of thinking only serve to entangle our minds and our feet, preventing us from being true to ourselves and our own journeys.  They make us chase ghosts and lose sight of what's directly in front of us. We get caught up with all of the trappings and goings-on, that we can forget about what is the essence of the dance - what it really means to us.

So, as we cross into the new year, past the parting of the veils, I challenge you to let go of what haunts you in your dance.  Acknowledge the past and what has made you, you, but be prepared to move forward. Let go of the negativity.  Release the drama, forgive, forget, let go. Be considerate to yourself and others. Challenge yourself to be responsible for your own actions in the dance. Don't be afraid to be yourself and show who you are as a dancer, where you are at at this very moment, in this very body.  Face each day, each week as it comes to you, and how you can make the most of it. What new things, ideas, concepts are you going to explore?  What change will you bring into your dance that will help it (and you) to continually evolve?

And lastly, dance your dance as if nothing else matters.