Sunday, January 15, 2012

Core Truths


When you dance, you have many choices about how to express yourself in the movement.  You can move from the outside in.  Physically this means that you are mostly moving your extremities rather than allowing the movement to originate from your core.  Emotionally it means that you are more concerned about how it looks than about how it feels. 

Or, you can move from the core of your body so that the movement originates from your center and progresses to your limbs.  Emotionally this means that you are focused on expressing what is within you rather than what is outside of you.

Core movement in dance feels better and is much more beautiful and interesting to watch.  Core movement is infused with the essence of the dancer.

In life, we can express conformity to the majority, with our behavior reflecting the values of others.  Or we can decide to trust in what we believe to be right and express our own values and the truth of who we are.

Years ago, I became friends with a young gay man, Tom. (Not his real name).   It was devastating to hear him talk about his childhood.  He was tormented in his teenage years so much that he had severe diarrhea every day.  He couldn’t eat or sleep. 

His parents could not accept Tom’s sexual preference.  They did not understand and because they didn’t, they behaved in a way that was callous and rejecting.  Tom was on the verge of committing suicide.  However, he found help from friends and professionals.  His family, after several years, accepted the fact that their son is gay.  They have since built a new family foundation that includes Tom’s partner.

Rather than repressing his true nature to conform to a family script, Tom allowed his deepest truth to guide him to a happy, fulfilling life.  Tom’s parents allowed their love for Tom, the love that exists at their very core, to ultimately be their guiding force.  They accept Tom and love him exactly as he is.

Both Tom and his parents eventually acknowledged and expressed their own truth.  Because they did so, they can live authentically.  They all opened themselves to understanding what is true and they embody and express that truth. 

In the book, The Gnostic Gospels, the Gospel of Thomas quotes Jesus as saying, “If you bring forth what is within you, what you bring forth will save you.  If you do not bring forth what is within you, what you do not bring forth will destroy you.”

If you live a life of self-loathing and repression, you will break your own heart.  If you try to deny the love you have for another, you are crippling your spirit.  It is against nature to deny our true selves. We are on earth to embrace and celebrate our individual worth and beauty.  And no one is left out.

What’s your truth?  Acknowledging it allows you to live joyfully from the core of your being.   




1 comment:

  1. Wonderful blog, Susie! Denying our true selves only leads to pain. Expressing our own truth..., in whatever ways that are authentic..., allows for joy. Thank you for reminding us all of that Truth.

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