Energy Dance - Surrendering to God

This past weekend’s Energy Dance with Sonika Tinker and Christian Pedersen started with the video above. Right away it reminded me of the days I used to dance with a partner. I was never that trained, nor that courageous, nor quite that risque, but I am sure some of our experiences are the same.

You may ask, how can they do that? Well, you can’t think about it. Of course you have to focus on what you are doing but there is no space to question trust and if it is possible. 

I remember I used to run and jump on my partner while we were creating pieces without either of us knowing what would happen. I never used to think about it. I would just do it and let happen what happens. In reality, I knew he was not 100% trustworthy because he was still human and had injuries. Yet I trusted the divine that somehow it would all work out. We only ever fell once and did not get injured.

In that process of trust and openness, I was always amazed at what physical feats I would overcome and what we created. Coincidentally, after I got home from this past weekend I opened Elisabeth Haich’s book Sexual Energy and Yoga to the section where she talks about what it feels like to channel all of your sexual energy into creative energy:

“When a circus acrobat performs superhuman feats during his act, he experiences high spiritual rapture and joy. It is a well-known fact that some acrobats who risk their lives and those of their assistants during their act live ascetically like monks. The pleasure and thrill experienced in their performances is infinitely greater than in a brief sexual encounter.”

That must explain why some of my performances were the most thrilling thing I have ever done I my life!

Another piece of trust in this type of partner work is doing your part. You cannot always guarantee your partner will be able to perform their role or will get their hand onto your foot at the exact right timing. You can have trust that God will keep you safe. But you still have to stay focused and do your part to your best ability to make it easy and possible for your partner to execute their part.

These were such great reminders of my potential to have that trust and surrender. After watching I thought, “Wouldn’t it be great if I can apply these principles to daily life and to my meditation practice!?” 

• To not think so much, but just follow my inner guidance and trust it,
• To channel my energy into the creative process and overcoming human limitations,
• And to do my part to the best of my ability, and trust the rest will happen as desired by the Divine.

Paramhansa Yogananda said the path to fully realizing God within ourselves takes 25% of our effort, 25% from the blessings of our Guru, and 50% from the grace of God. But we must put 100% of our effort into that 25% in order for the whole system to work.

Wouldn’t it be great if we can just relax into our role in life and let God take care of the rest?

For fun, here are a couple of my past partnering salsa dances:

To skip the MC's intro talk, start this video at 2 minutes:

Go On Alone

The words "Go On Alone" seem to be one of the themes coming up for me recently. I was just reminded one of Swami Kriyananda’s last requests for Crystal Clarity Publishers before he passed away was to put the book A Place Called Ananda back in print with the title Go On Alone: A Struggle Between Personal Integrity and Group Conformity. That concept can have many layers. The layer I have been focusing on is how to play your part as an individual to better support the collective whole.

In choir practice the other night our leader had us close our eyes while we sang. We were all amazed to hear how much better we sounded when we had to tune in more deeply on our own instead of just following the choir conductor. While sounding like one unified sound, you could also hear each part more poignantly.

I remember when I used to perform dance pieces without music and without the ability to see all the dancers at once. We only had our breath and attunement to the group rhythm that we had previously established. While harder, it always felt more harmonious and connected with the other dancers and myself. I could feel my soul vibrate more deeply.

In the last year and a half both my spiritual guide, Swami Kriyananda, and my mother have passed away. In the absence of their physical presence, sometimes I felt at a loss of a protective shield of love.

I did not want to give up on that feeling. So I turned inwards to feel them deep inside of me. I have realized their energy is still alive. I might just need to dig a little deeper to find it. Their energy is a piece of God's love and that always exists. Even though I have had to walk alone without them in the body, I am still not alone.

I have noticed times when I leaned on outside sources, such as a partner or even Ananda. When I allowed my happiness to depend on their actions or feelings I was not as happy as when I sought it inside myself.

I like that Ananda's two main theme songs are Many Hands Make a Miracle and Go On Alone. It is helpful to have a good environment around us. With a group, our actions can have much more impact and others can help keep us aligned. Yet where would the group be if we did not put effort forward as each individual and try to tune in ourselves? One of my counselors at Ananda often likes to tell me, “A group is only as strong as its weakest link.”

When Swami Kriyananda passed away one of my first thoughts was, "What is next? What does Swami want to happen now?" Swami had such great magnetism that it was effortless for many of us to attract people to share our teachings. Now without his direct impact in the body I have found it helps to both walk alone to find that depth within myself and join hands with others to support each other.

During Swami Kriyananda’s last summer in the Village he suggested we all become Swami Kriyananda’s. I think he was preparing us to take that next step without him in the body. I think that is a message for anyone on any path; to realize inside our own selves what inspires us on the outside.

Go On Alone by Swami Kriyananda

Sample track from the album Windows on the World

"Walk like a man, even though you walk alone.

Why court approval, once the road is known?

Let come who will, but if they all turn home,

the goal still awaits you: Go on alone!"

Many Hands Make a Miracle by Swami Kriyananda 

Sample track from the album I Came From Joy!

"Many hands make a miracle:

Let's all join hands together!

Life on earth is so wonderful

When people laugh and dance and

Struggle as friends,

Then all their dreams achieve their ends." 

If you would like to read the current version of the book A Place Called Ananda, click here.