Meditation by sitting still is quite difficult for most people, because we are used to being exposed to stimuli all day long. And if you spend a lot of time behind the desk or in the car, your body needs movement. During or after exercise you can sometimes also experience the silence and tranquility within yourself. Movement meditation ensures that you find peace much quicker and that you focus more on your attention.
How does that work, a movement meditation?
You make an inner journey through an alternation of intensive and subtle movement, music and silence. By focusing on your body, you become aware of your emotional world, what is going on in your body, and in your thoughts.
We always move very slowly. Slowness allows us to perceive more of the individual movements within a larger movement. For example, if you put an arm straight up quickly, you probably only notice the single upward movement - but if you do it slowly, we observe many separate events in the body, such as contractions of different muscles and the adjustments in the joints as they adapt to the changing positions and the altered balance, the warmth that arises and the gentle stretching of connective tissue.
Forms of movement meditation
There are all kinds of forms of movement meditation, such as Eastern classical movement theory such as yoga, chi-gong and tai-chi. Modern, active forms of movement meditation have been developed by Osho, among others, including “dynamic meditation”. And more subtle, slow shapes such as Continuum Movement by choreographer Anna Halprin.
Osho: "By bringing consciousness down from the brain to the source, to the roots, there is the possibility of transformation."
Embodiment through movement meditation
Can your body also be an entrance to spirituality?
Most people accept the idea that the mind can be a tool for spiritual exploration; we use the mind in most types of meditation and in reading religious literature. The emotions (especially love) are another form of spiritual inquiry; consider the devotional approach of some religions. The concept that the body can also provide an arena for spiritual exploration may seem ludicrous, especially in cultures and religions where the body is considered the 'enemy' of the soul, along with sexuality, the feminine principle, the physical world, and our humanity. However, some religious practices - especially Tantra - see the body as a means by which we can study and express our psychological and spiritual nature.
Why make contact with your body?
The slow movements of a movement meditation create a calm mind. The body lives in a world that is free of concepts and views. The perception of your body automatically takes you to a state without judgment. Because the body is part of the physical world, motion meditation helps us to understand the nature and holiness of this world. By paying attention to your body, you become aware of pain, tension, blockages and emotions. The body is connected to your soul and you can heal yourself by paying this attention to yourself. We can learn about life that is constantly changing and always moving, because our body is full of life energy and movement. Even when we are still, you can feel the movement of your heartbeat, your breathing and the small muscle contractions.
Tijs Breuer regularly organizes a movement meditation. You can participate both online and on location in Tienhoven (Utrecht). Look in the Group Embodied op Meetup for the details.
