When I got there the language barrier felt like a thick wall between me & everyone else in this Spanish/Catalonian group. For the first 20 minutes, I was excluded from the conversation.
It was ok; I allowed the sound of their voices to wash over me.
But then we started to dance.
In Biodanza the teacher gives brief instructions - the first one was: "Dance together with one other person for one minute and really look into each other's eyes."
Within seconds of dancing with a total stranger, my eyes welled up with tears.
Sensing another human being who I know absolutely nothing about and looking right into their eyes is an experience I fail to express in words. I felt touched at my core.
Many of us spontaneously felt moved to hug as we moved from person to person, connecting deeply,
WORDLESSLY.
The seemingly insurmountable wall that had been there only a moment ago was
GONE.
Another instruction was
"Dance together in groups of three with your eyes closed whilst staying connected by gentle touch."
So here we were -total strangers- dancing together with our eyes closed tentatively trusting to gently touch each other's hair, arms, hands, and back and never quite knowing when and where their touch would meet your own body. Receiving the touch of total strangers, trusting to receive, we slowly and tentatively eased into enjoying the surprising safety of that momentary experience.
As the session went on we all softened ever more deeply.
At some point, one woman started to cry. It was a deep soul cry, that shook her body with an outpouring of a grief that perhaps even she could not name but that we all intuitively understood. We all stood close around her with our bodies touching like a human shield of presence and love whilst she stood in the center and allowed the release of her tears. Eventually, she breathed more slowly and calmly. Some of us gave her and each other a long silent embrace. Not long after the session came to a close.
NOBODY SPOKE.
When I stepped back out into the streets of Barcelona, I noticed how the wall between me and everybody else out there was back instantly.
But it felt thinner.
Only a few seconds ago a group of strangers had touched me at my core. WE WERE ONE in those moments with NOTHING between us, absolutely NO DIFFERENCE between us.
And as I walked through the streets I realised that we tend forget but - this core is ALWAYS there - right here, right now. You, me, all of us reading these words, and all of us who cannot read these words.
I dream of all people in this world meeting each other like this... dropping the walls i.e. the ILLUSION of difference and separation.
Dropping the walls of identity, language, and creed and also past-future thinking and beliefs and (his)stories about each other. In this circle of dancers, there is no past and future only sheer and utter: PRESENCE. In this circle, you would not be able to tell apart a Muslim and a Jew. In this circle, there is no difference between men and women. No difference between ages, no difference of more or less power or success and so on.
THIS
is where I want to meet.
THIS is where I want to live.
THIS is where I work from and towards.
Everything absolutely EVERYTHING ELSE is a painful illusion.
With much love
Milena
❤
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