My finger slides across his shoulder…lightly…just enough to let him know that I am there and just before he turns and reaches up, me following; each of us dancing to the music in response to each other. Spinning, turning, sliding…the fluidity of the dance…that is what I love. If I push, I get immediate feedback…a strain, a frustration, a disappointment. I practice letting go and staying attentive, both needed to be in harmony with myself, my partner, the music. I have been there before, my excitement, my ambition pressing my body forward, pressing for something that it cannot do or is not ready at that moment and then…

Early Learning Many people take notice of their bodies when in pain, taking them for granted unless something doesn’t work quite right. It’s unfortunate, but true. And it is understandable. We aren’t taught how to live in our bodies. With emphasis on thinking and doing and less on the embodiment of living, it makes sense that we are limited in staying ‘tuned in’. We do the best we can with what we have as we grow and learn in our families, communities and cultures. However, none of that is without trouble. Working as a physical therapist I did have opportunities to learn how to get out of pain…

Covid-19 2020 has seen the emergence of a global pandemic and the loss of human life of over 1.3 million people world wide, 2nd only to the Spanish Flu of 1918. Here in the United States the number of people infected has surpassed 12 million along with 255,000 deaths within eight months. Covid-19 is thought to be transmitted through droplets. When an infected person coughs, sneezes or talks, the droplets land in the nose or mouth of someone nearby, drawing the infection into the lungs. We have learned from public health officials that social distancing and wearing face coverings is the best defense. However, some people find it…

May 25th. George Floyd died at the hands of police. Uprisings spread nationally and internationally over racial injustice. Raw anger and rage led to violence, arson and looting. Protests filled cities across the nation. Interviews, podcasts, videos, poetry, song, dance, and visual art supported all manners of expression. Grief and reflection ensued. This is a “moment”, a moment to look inward individually and collectively. No stone will go unturned. As I wrote the above, I was well aware of thoughts, much more than feelings. The feelings were the week before: grief, disgust, dismay, frustration–all easily tapped into; on the surface, some might say. Grieving for days, feeding my…