Somatics & flamenco: the gradual path reveals real changes over the long term
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Table of Contents
The gradual path less taken
In the “gradual path” of Buddhism or the Mahayana, we’ve got countless lifetimes to practice.
We can sit today and be embodied or enlightened. And we don’t worry, because we’ve got tomorrow.
The Diamond cutters of the Vajrayana argue this, if not outright reject it.
They say we only have this lifetime to achieve enlightenment on behalf of all beings. We might as well cut through our noise and get to it now, or never.
Both perspectives are valid. Many days, I’m impatient. There’s not infinite time to wait for change.
But today, I want to harken the wisdom of the gradual path.
When we allow ourselves to be changed slowly and gradually over time, that change is often profound, long-lasting, and enduring.
Freeze to Flow
“Remember you have your toolkit,” wrote Alexandra Lais, a somatic guide, to our group chat.
“External orientation, sound, touch, movement, and whatever else you consider as resource.”
In Freeze to Flow, a five-week group exploration, Alexandra has been leading us through realms of experience that allow us to relate to somatic states, and thus to our lives.
Movement, sound, gesture, facial expression, touch, and breath have been woven through the experience as we explore a new weekly theme.
Small manageable bits
She advises, “Use that to create space for what wants to come through—always in small, manageable bits.”
We want to basically have coherence between body and also, let’s say, spirit or soul. We’ll be connecting with this part and also our mind, so it’s not just “we practice somatics”. Somatics actually points more towards a holistic approach that brings the mind into coherence with the rest as well, so we don’t ignore. We also give our cognitive understanding something to hold. We also give our minds an understanding of what we’re experiencing.
Use that to create space for what wants to come through—always in small, manageable bits.
Alexandra Lais
A naranja is always a naranja
I’m so grateful, when learning and speaking Spanish, that I can walk into any grocery store and an orange is always called an orange.
The name of it doesn’t change from one day to the next, and this gives me permission to let the neural pathways hardwire that recognition and express it.
Well, the same goes for Sevillanas.
The mythic, famed Sevillanas
The Sevillanas—the mythic, famed Sevillanas—are a folk dance dating back centuries.
They’re danced collectively at the feria. While there are millions of ways to dance the Sevillanas, the set choreography doesn’t change.
Every passing year, I tell myself I don’t need to know how to dance the Sevillanas. Because they’ll always be there next year.
They’re not going anywhere.
But now that I’ve seen a couple summers of ferias pass by… why wait to dance them?
The choreography of the Sevillanas remains the same. There are only four Sevillanas, each divided into three parts.
And these four Sevillanas don’t change and aren’t going anywhere.
“Súper mega híper” lentito
My flamenco teacher María is fond of using the expression “súper mega híper.”
For instance, when practicing part of a dance, we might go through it “super mega hiper lentito”.
We don’t have an English equivalent for moving slower than slow, comically and lovingly slow. It’s what happens when “super” isn’t enough, so then you add “mega.” If it’s still not slow enough, you can add even “hyper” for good measure.
For learning, we break things down to “super mega hyper” small manageable bits, and we move at a glacial pace.
Then we rehearse and then we repeat, repeat, repeat.
These days I give myself a lot of grace with learning, adapting, and performing.
We’re not learning and repeating these movements to adapt to a stage, though I suppose we could be.
Rather, we’re training so as to be able to respond spontaneously and competently at cultural events—such as at the feria (the local annual fair unique to Andalucía), at a party or wedding, or whenever someone busts out flamenco on the street (which happens often).
We’re training to improvise, to listen and co-create music with a visual as well as auditory interpretation.
Baby steps.
The other day at a wedding, my boyfriend implored me to dance when a flamenco song came on.
After all, I’ve been in classes for two years. Why would I not show my skills, especially when my suegra and cuñado were right there?
Of course, I feel very much on the gradual path. I want to take all the time I need and not feel rushed or pressured.
For whatever reason it takes me a long time to get comfortable dancing a little improv to this day… Maybe because “I don’t practice” outside of classes, etc, etc.
At least, I haven’t been. Now that’s changing.
But I danced a little, with all the vergüenza (all due embarrassment I hid).
Ángel was so happy with my effort that he kissed me gratuitously.
Poquito a poco, is my abiding mantra. For everything.
Poquito a poco, always arriving.
And taking my time.
That said, a new summer and a new feria season come along.
I’ve only got four Sevillanas and a few months to memorize and practice before then.
Why wait?
p.s. First Medium article
I’ve been super mega hyper slow to publish on Medium, but here’s a link to my first article: https://shaynagrajo.com/a-title-bearer
p.p.s. Pro tip: the use of a 302 redirect, as opposed to a 301, is great for routing your domain to a third-party tool (in this example, from my domain to Medium).
