Marvel in Wonder
Or finding Awe in the everyday
Figs that grow on the tree in my backyard
The sun has finally emerged after a number of days grey with clouds, damp with the rain. We were driving along the highway and I had the chance to just admire the rolling landscape and the fluffy cumulonimbus clouds overhead. I was struck by the depth of seeing them against the sky, the translucent edges so beautifully illustrating the expanse of 3D space behind them. Everyday I get to live in this stunning orb of infinite layers, textures, and images. How have I never noticed?
Time. It always comes down to time and intentionality. Days become filled with to-dos, so that I forget what it feels like just to look. Admire. See my environment and find wonder and gratitude for the things that I’m surrounded by.
Luckily for me, teaching dance is an excellent way of tapping into this wonder. This past week, I found myself spending somewhere around 10 minutes describing the intricacies of rolling from lying on one’s side to the belly to the other side. My audience was kind enough to continue exploring my discoveries as I was describing them, indulging my geeky side. But I was in my full glory, realizing that this silly little maneuver that shows up often in my floor exercises actually has a LOT going on. Who knew?
It turns out that most things in life are this way — spend the time and care investigating, and there’s likely a hidden world of organization you knew nothing of. That’s one of the things I love about dance and learning to dance. The layers of intricacy and nuance are almost infinite (probably one of the most frustrating aspects for beginners), and just when you feel like you’ve mastered the “choreography,” there’s likely 10 other things to consider while you do it.
I can recall some newer-to-dance students asking how to make their dancing more graceful. Without offering an overwhelming amount of details, the simplest response must suffice: keep practicing. Keep showing up. Keep noticing and getting curious about the way things feel and flow. It’s not always easy — in fact, much of the time you may have a feeling of stagnation (talking to myself here). Why is it taking so long to feel like I’ve improved!? In those moments, I try to reflect and identify the things that I have learned, even if I’m not good at them. Information is valuable, even if you’re not sure what to do with it yet. And when all else fails, gratitude. Cheesy, I know. But truly, the luxury of moving, exploring, and getting to discover hidden worlds can be enough.