How to Slow Down (for dancers who live in a rush)
There are many challenges and joys in the life of an oriental dancer.
Some of the challenges are obvious - learning the dance technique, the music, the culture and mentality behind them; dealing with limitations and ambitions; choreography and improvisation; and interpretation.The list would go on if we had time. And we don´t have it.
Then, there are the sneaky, invisible challenges that most dancers aren´t aware of.
At the top of the list comes Overdoing and Excessive Speed which lead, no doubt, to stress, anxiety, tension, and an overall loss of the emotion, pleasure, and soul of the dance.
Here´s the thing: I´m not here to point fingers, judge, or criticize. I´m here to propose new, though ancient, ways of operating. In dance and life.
Slowing down and doing less - stop moving compulsively - may be the most important and urgent things you can do for yourself, your life, and your dance.
It´s not going to be an easy task. Life has never been faster or more overwhelming - from Egypt to China, from Spain to New Zealand, we´re pushed to become machines; to do more, and more, and more, and in the shortest amount of time. We´re running against the clock, rushing towards nowhere.
We´re told to keep running and, make no mistake, come out as Nº1 in the Great Mouse Wheel Contest.
Result: a massive increase in depression, stress-related health issues, cardiovascular problems, digestive issues, and mental breakdowns. Just to name a few.
Having coached thousands of dancers from every corner of the globe - in international festivals, at Joana Saahirah´s Online Dance School, and in my Private Coaching Programs -, I´ve seen it all. And I know where this is taking us (the horizon isn´t pretty).
Before it´s too late, let´s go back to being a little bit more human and less like a machine. And it starts with SLOWING DOWN IN OUR DAILY LIFE.
Remember there´s no difference between the Dancer and the Person in the Dancer. If you´re constantly running, stressed, overdoing, unable to stop in your life, that´s exactly how you´ll be in your dance.
So, let´s take care of business.
Also, let me clarify an important point:
I´m not coming from a privileged place and that´s why I can afford the luxury of slowing down. That´s not the case. Quite the opposite happened.
I had my first job at 15, in a factory, and from that point on, I never stopped working out of pleasure and necessity; I´ve never been financially supported by family, partners, friends, or the government; I write, perform, teach, choreograph, and run a business all by myself (with a little help from my technical team); I have professional and private commitments and responsibilities to tend to on a daily basis; I have meals to cook and a house and family to care for, like most women.
I´m not a dandy with loads of time on her hands. Therefore, what I´m going to share with you is doable even if it feels like it´s not.
Here´s how I slow down in my daily - overwhelmingly busy - life:
1. I organize my agenda, weekly.
Every Sunday, I sit down with my agenda and go through the week. I write down the priority professional and personal commitments.
I schedule dates and times. I reach out to the people involved, if necessary, and confirm our arrangements.
Meaning: I organize my time around what matters the most and discard the accessory.
This little organization habit earns me peace of mind and time, our most precious resource, the only we can´t sell or buy. With less, and focused on the essential, I can savor my time and what I do with it. Slower. More intentionally.
2. I eliminate everything that´s time and energy-consuming.
I´m not referring to the things I must do - like going to the dentist´s appointment, showing up for work, paying taxes, or making dinner -; I´m referring to activities, events, and people that aren´t obligatory or adding something essential to my life.
Now, here´s an ALERT: we´re exposed to social media, endless distractions, and delicious invitations. Saying NO to more and YES to less isn´t easy. We have to train ourselves to do it.
Even if you feel like you´re going into a serious case of FOMO (fear of missing out), don´t hesitate: cut the weeds so the plants that feed you can thrive.
This is another time-earning tool that allows me to do everything I need and want to do in a slower, more pleasurable, and stress-free state.
3. I schedule short Breathing Pauses throughout your day.
They don´t need to be entire afternoons. Or days. If you´re like me, I barely have an hour to spare, much less half a day, or a day.
I´m talking about 15 minutes here; 5 minutes, there. A couple of minutes to ground yourself, breathe deeply and slowly, and feel alive.
A Brazilian psychologist wrote a fascinating piece about the correlation between our high-speed pace of life and the massive increase in cases of depression.
She concluded, and rightfully so, that we´re not made for such constant speed and stress; our systems don´t have time to recognize that we´re alive if we run through life. In other words, we need time to process/digest life´ experiences and register "yes, I´m alive; it´s worth being here".
Stop for a few minutes throughout your day. Look around. Be present. Breathe. And tell yourself how grateful you are for the life you´ve been given.
4. I Meditate, daily.
You don´t need to go into fancy guided meditations; schools; mantras; and the such. If you can go into it and you love it, kudos to you; if you don´t, follow me.
I sit down for a meditation, daily. Some days, I do 15 minutes. Others, only 5 minutes. But I force myself to glue my Portuguese "derrière" to the ground and meditate.
Instead of using music, apps, journals, or any other external tool, I simplify: I use my breath. That´s it. So simple and undemanding, it becomes impossible not to do it.
If you wish to receive my Free Guided Meditation for folks who don´t have time to meditate, CLICK HERE
5. Against all odds, and my overwhelming agenda, I schedule my Weekly Rest.
I confess: this is the hardest, for me. An entire day for rest feels like climbing the Everest.
The guilt comes to the party - I should be doing this and that.
The weight of my infinite to-do list pushes me down - I should tend to this and that.
The unanswered emails, messages, and requests join the party, making me feel bad for considering a day off.
The shame of "being useless if I´m not being productive" hits me - a sharp iron arrow perforating my heart.
We have to be realistic. And start small. Scheduling one day of absolute rest per week - just one day won´t kill you, I promise - is a victory.
Let the shame patrol come to the party - chances it will - but don´t pay them much attention. Enjoy your holiday with the awareness that you´re not doing "nothing", you´re refueling, resetting, recovering, rebuilding, and gathering energy and clarity for a more energized, present, and happy life.
6. I do whatever I do, slower (if I can).
If you can, do whatever you´re doing on a slower pace.
Not if you´re competing in a marathon, escaping from an incoming tsunami, running from a furious bear; if you have a deadline arriving, or if your airplane is taking off and you´re still on dry land. But let those be the exceptions.
If you don´t need to run, don´t run. Make a conscious decision to do things slower.
Taste the fruit and drink your water, slower; speak slower; breathe slower; walk slower; kiss slower; make love, slower; dance, slower.
📯S.L.O.W.E.R
I like to treat myself to a session of cooking a slow dinner while I listen to Chet Baker, Ella Fitzgerald, or Billie Holiday on our vinyl player.
I light up some candles, take off my shoes, kiss my husband (slowly), and enjoy the moment. Nowhere to run, no reason to rush. It heals me - it rejuvenates me. This is life.
What about you? Do you consciously slow down in your daily life?
If you wish to go deeper into these, and other, pillars of authentic Egyptian Dance, here´s what I suggest:
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