Polishing the Heart - January 2023
 
In this issue:
 
The Blue Mosque, Istanbul, Turkey
Dear Friends,
For millions of people around the world, the word, Allah represents the name of God. Its literal translation is "Al" or “The” and "lah" meaning “God.”
 
For someone like me who did not grow up or spend most of my adulthood with a deep cultural embodiment of this meaning, Allah becomes a mantra.
 
Languages such as Aramaic and Sanskrit are described as mantric, where words are formed from sounds, which are the perceptual manifestation of vibrations. And when we focus on the sound "ahhh," it resonates within our core, and has the potential to uplift, creating a sense of well-being and connection, a connection that extends beyond ourselves to a greater oneness.
 
When I say or sing the sound “ahh,” whether it is in the form of Amen, Amin, Hallelujah, or Allah, my natural expression of the sound is to have my throat wide-open, which might be understood as opening the throat chakra.
 
This openness carries the sound beyond the throat to the heart, above to the crown chakra, and for me, it resonates through the entirety of my being, touching every chakra or energy center.
 
The result is a wholeness, a completeness, a oneness, The One, The Only Being, Allah.
 
Peace,
Douglas
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The Dances as a Journey of Energy
I have been playing music and started my first band at 14. So for a long time, I have recognized that the songs you will play in a "set" create a journey for those who are listening and hopefully dancing to your music.
 
It's the same when choosing which Dances to lead, especially when you are the only or primary dance leader for a session. You are a guide, manifesting energy with the group. By being aware of how energy flows and the energy you seek to invoke, you can make conscious choices that carry the dancers through an experience that culminates in that sense of wholeness we all seek, polishing the heart.
 
The following is something I wrote to a friend and Dance Leader in training to explain how I craft a "set of Dances:
 
I like to start with singing something simple as people walk in the circle that can bring them into the music. A favorite is one I learned from Bernie, singing just the word Habibi, or Beloved. After the circle has gone around a few times and everyone has been drawn in, I ask them to hold hands and sing once, or twice more, connected together.
 
After an invocation to set our intention, I want the first dance to be something easy to learn and upbeat. I want participants to think, “This is fun. I can do this!”
 
For the second song, I like to do a welcoming dance, typically involving partners. Everyone gets to meet face-to-face, and begin bonding as individuals that are part of a whole. This dance lasts until everyone has gone around one time. If it’s a small group, we may include someone functioning as the “pole,” extending the length of the dance, and then the entire group gets to meet each other.
 
If I am going to include something very upbeat, such as a dance that draws on Shiva energy, I want it towards the beginning while people are still fresh. This raises the circle's energy even more, adding to their stamina. I don’t want this dance to go on very long, as there are often people in the circle of varying energy levels and physical abilities. You don’t want older folks feeling like they have to sit down and rest.
 
I want the next song to be a step down in energy, something still positive and uplifting, but not at the same intensity.
 
This prepares them to enter a dance that is more introspective and meditative. This would not be a partner dance as I’m wanting people to turn inward.
I’ll often come out of that into a partner dance that honors the love within each other. 
 
Depending on how much time I have, I can choose Dances that go back and forth from joyful back to meditative. 
 
It’s helpful to know my order and list of dances in advance so that I can go from one to the next, without a lot of downtime, losing the energy to random chatter and conversation.
 
If our time together is coming to an end, I want this to be a blessing dance, one where each partner bestows gratitude for the time we have shared and honors that person for who they are, seeing their divine spark.
 
For a closing dance, I like to do “May all beings be well and happy.” We may do the turns that send the energy out in all directions, or simply maintain our circle, singing together holding hands. I like to move the circle in a little tighter, so that the voices are strong. This fills everyone up for the culmination of our journey together.
 
It can be more challenging when the dances shift from one dance leader to the next without a plan as I have often experienced in dance camps. I usually have three or four dances in mind, and then choose the one that blends, balances, and compliments the dance by the previous leader. 
 
I want to avoid two high-energy dances in a row and may not want two inward and deeply meditative dances back to back. It can be helpful to alternate between partner dances and non-partner dances and to have dances that vary the movements. 
 
So often the dances are very similar. Going in and out from the center, facing a partner, a clockwise half turn, progressing. Keeping a few dances in mind that have unique movements can be helpful, providing your group of dancers are very attentive, and can quickly learn movements that are not as familiar. It can help hold the attention and interest and add to the stimulation of our minds.
 
To me, the dance leader is both a guide and a shaman, manifesting energy into the present moment, calling forth the energy of each person to produce something greater as a whole.
 
I’m so grateful for this gift Sam Lewis manifested into being, and for those of us who are called to the circle of communion.
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A request for an interview came through The Farm Community website, and I agreed to meet with a woman from Israel doing research about what happened to the hippies. The result, is a new book, called The Aging of Aquarius, which includes interviews with 40 of my friends, most of who still live in our community, plus another group whom she met while attending an annual reunion of former Farm members out on the West Coast.
I haven’t finished reading the book, but I can tell you that several of those who were interviewed feel she did a good job at finding out who we were, who we are, and how this experience has affected our lives. Perhaps even more intriguing is to see how her connection to our community has changed her own life, providing deeper insight and direction into how she wants to live.
She changed the names so that we could remain anonymous, but you’ll find me under the name Nicholas in the opening paragraphs of the book where she joins us for Dances Of Universal Peace. Here is an excerpt:
"I was at the community center, waiting for people to gather for a “Dance of Universal Peace” session... The majority were older adults, and many of them were pretty slim and wore colorful clothes (including a couple of tie-dye items). Most men had a ponytail or a braid, and most women had not dyed their hair. Still, I could easily imagine how they  looked when they first arrived at The Farm, almost fifty years earlier. They all hugged and kissed each other when they met, and some approached me and introduced themselves. One of them, who later became my first  interviewee, took me by the hand and introduced me to the others. 
 
Nicholas – who led the event – taught us the lyrics of each song we were about to dance to. The words combined different languages, including English, Hindi, Hebrew, and Arabic, but the contents were all about love and peace. Next, he taught the melody and only then demonstrated the steps. Occasionally, his spouse stepped in and explained the meaning of a specific word or movement. Putting our palms together and then “pouring” what was in them over our heads, for example, meant “bathing in love.”
 
The dances were simple and involved a lot of mutual touch, such as  holding hands or putting a hand on the next dancer’s shoulder. The atmosphere was positive and even humorous at times. Often, the participants laughed at their dancing skills, and one even asked if Mother Earth – the theme of one of the songs – could pay his bills. However, most of the time they were pretty focused and intentional, often closing their eyes while dancing and taking a deep breath between the  dances.
 
Because my first name means “wave,” and I was there to conduct a study on aging, one of the participants asked Nicholas to include a  “Grandmother Ocean” dance for me. I was touched. In another dance, participants were split into couples and had to switch partners after each repetition of the song, so eventually, we each danced with all the other  participants. The words of the songs were, “I accept you just the way that you are, I accept me just the way that I am…” and while singing these  words, we all looked into our current partner’s eyes. After several rounds  of that dance, I realized I was smiling."
 
Click here to see a chapter by chapter review by Cambridge University You can also purchase an e-book or a print version.
 
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The Farm's first "logo", a mandala by artist Michael Kelly
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My Dance Calendar (see more below)
Puerto Morelos, Mexico Feb 2-6, 2023
 

Also
January 2023,Trocones, Mexico
Two weeks of dances with Darvesha and Sky Roshay
 
Florida   January 19-22, 2023
Cultivating an Awakened Heart: A Retreat with Halima & Abraham Sussman, Special Guest Maitreya Jon Stevens
I will be in Mexico, but I would be at this weekend if I could. Abraham and Halima are who first introduced me to the dances and I will always be grateful for their kindness and open hearts. I love Maitreya's musical compositions and dances and include several in the dances I lead. Email Jemila at jemila11@jfelisko.com
I invite you to join me at one of my upcoming dance events, including five days of Dances in Puerto Morelos, Mexico, with song circles, art projects, and whatever else appears, along with time for walks on the beach, snorkeling, dining with friends, conversations, and laughter. We come together to be with each other to remind ourselves that we are energy beings, and at our strongest when we are together in community. 
Click here to learn more about Dances in Puerto Morelos, Mexico.
 
with Dance Leaders Sky Roshay, Jennifer Friedman, and Douglas Stevenson
 
 
We are so happy to welcome Murshid Allaudin Ottinger, one of America’s best-loved leaders of the Dances of Universal Peace, as our dance leader for the weekend, his third visit to The Farm. A senior teacher in the Sufi Ruhaniat International, Allaudin inspires one and all with his humility, clarity, and inclusive nature, raising the energy to a state of profound joy.
  • A Weekend of Dance, Music, and Celebration
  • Kirtan
  • Guided Nature Walk
  • Farm Community Tour
  • All Vegetarian Meals Provided
The Farm was founded as a spiritual community in 1971 on the principles of nonviolence and respect for the earth. This gathering brings together two important spiritual movements born from the renaissance in San Francisco and the energy emanating 50 years ago from the Summer of Love.
We are asking those planning to attend to be Covid aware. We ask that you do a rapid test before leaving home and bring a test for yourself or anyone in your group to administer when you arrive. Thanks for understanding!
For more information, contact me: douglas@villagemedia.com
 
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Thank you for your time and attention!
 
 
Peace,
Douglas
 
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