Lessons to be learnt: yoga & dance therapy

My exercise routine has been whittled down to yoga and salsa, twice a week each. For the moment, I've had to let go of my gym routine (one day I will have arm muscles and be a bada#$ at kickboxing or capoeira- the dream is not dead, just postponed.)

My routine doesn't include traditional dance or drum, which is a major disappointment for me. Luckily there is a light at the end of this tunnel- I've got my eyes on Mali to restore me to my former self. In the meantime, there are lessons to be learned.

Both classes are the only ones I've found that have the potential to challenge me (except of course the beautiful people at Compagnie Mouye, who inexplicably broke my heart, though I don't think they know how deeply.)

My yoga teacher is Anne, from Ananda YOGA Abidjan. She has a great way of differentiating class- I guess yoga lends itself to that naturally, but she is knowledgeable and encouraging. A bonus is her home studio, which has an aura all its own. It's a quasi outside studio with open windows and a soft decor. Her yard has illuminated trees, which remind me of Kenya, and a dreamy porch. Sometimes we meet on the grass, and other times we meet in her garage-turned-studio but always the air is quietly enveloping. Even when we meet at the Bushman Cafe, the class is tranquil and the music enchanting.

I would describe myself as in the middle of my yoga journey (physically speaking)- there are several who can go further than me and plenty who can do less. It is the right mix of reminding myself I'm not half bad, but I have plenty of room to improve. As I often tell Mohamed, you never want to be the best on the field. You need to see the challenge and not let your ego get too comfortable. Humility is important.

There are days when my yoga workout leaves me in an emotional state near tears. Apparently, this isn't so unusual. I am still convincing myself of the mind-body connection, having long decided I could plow through anything if my mind were strong enough. In reality, a lot of what I am 'plowing through' gets stuck up in muscle memory. I am only half as strong as I think I am. It's what leaves me emotionally vulnerable after an intense hour and a half of yoga.

I'm only slightly interested in tracking what positions elicit what emotional response. A friend is doing her master's on a related topic which has increased my interest a bit, but I spend more time trying to figure out what I need to let go of and what's worth hanging onto.

Forever indulging in self-reflection, I know about the arts as therapy. I believe in the arts as therapy. But I admit to not experiencing much more than the visual arts- my go-to in times of crisis. Lately, I've begun to understand, truly feel the power of movement. That is to say, movement as therapy.  I don't mean therapy as in, I do it to prevent sadness or stave off depression (which is where I concentrate a lot of my effort.) But I mean therapy as in, I have a lot of issues to work out. (which I do, though the list is getting smaller.)

I've always understood I need to dance- and have been dancing since I was 6....or 4? I recognize that the worst times of my life- the teenage years- were the ones where I stopped dancing, and often regret. What if I'd kept dancing, wouldn't they have been so much more formative, in the positive sense? I have no doubt.

Just before I stopped dancing....

It's not so much that I stopped dancing, but I stopped publicly dancing. I stopped believing in myself as a dancer. Many a night I found my own beat in the privacy of my bedroom, but never, ever in public. It wasn't until my early twenties that I decided to tackle the problem- the fear- of public dancing. And so began my love affair with traditional African dance.

But for all of the twenty something years I have since been dancing, I am still only comfortable with a routine. A prescribed set of steps I can memorize and present. I harbor great issues with free form dancing or anything outside of a class, really. Or a performance that has been rehearsed and can be anticipated.

A class represents safety. I can make mistakes, there is a low level of judgement and I can stop at any time. A performance represents security, anticipation, no surprises. But there is something else going on in class, especially salsa class, which I have only just figured out.

My Friday nights are dedicated to a private class. This is a chance for me to receive instruction tailored to my individual level- and to dance with a master. Because I know I am leaving, I've asked for the class to be accelerated. I am somewhat new to the style, but not to dance as a discipline.

I resisted salsa for many years, unfortunate really, because, back in those aforementioned dance-less teenage years there were quite a few Latino hot-spots in my neighborhood, and if I'd been inclined, I could have been an accomplished salsa dancer by now (oh, the could haves and would haves...) One of the main reasons for my resistance was the machismo quality of salsa- or what I perceived as that anyway.

On occasion I am still troubled by the imbalance of power. It is hard for me to let the man lead, to surrender, in essence. Because I have issues, being a woman. If you are a woman, you might know something about what I am talking about.  I say it's not fair that the man gets to call the shots and can plan his moves in advance, while, as the woman, I have to be ready to respond to whatever direction I am given. This perspective is not helping my salsa.

Henri, my teacher, tells me that the move is always the same, a right turn is a right turn and cumbia is cumbia no matter what the man is deciding to do with his hands, or whether the position is open or closed. He's right of course, but he is a man. He gets to be in the lead. And he is probably coming from a much healthier perspective than I, I who have all of my issues buried deep in the memories of my muscles, just waiting to pour out at the most inopportune and inappropriate moments.

Salsa is a beautiful dance, an image of positive communication between the partners. But I am just now realizing that throwing someone like me in the mix can produce some unexpected results. I spent a lot of time trying to get over the fact that I am not in control. I was trying to "let go" and feel loose and free, and actually suspecting I had conquered that whole need-for-control aspect. (or mostly. Well, I was aware it existed, at any rate, and awareness is a great step, right?)

The dance was going well, and I felt beautiful, like those salsa dancers. Henri is an excellent teacher, providing just the right amount of critique and positive feedback to keep one encouraged, but motivated to improve. I felt like I might actually be able to learn this style, and who knows, maybe even go out for a salsa evening and meet some real people. When, WHAM! He didn't come flying into me- he is the professional after all- but it felt like that.

Our turns were a bit faster than I'd been practicing and he was really challenging me with varying the position between open and closed. When all of sudden he made the move from open to closed just a bit too fast and a hand too firm. I broke away feeling dizzy and slightly ill. I shook my head and waved my hands. What was that?

He was truly bewildered, poor unsuspecting guy, just trying to teach a dance class when the student has a traumatic reaction right there in the middle of it all. He looked at me with a question on his face.

"That was....that was..." I couldn't really get any words out. I wasn't sure what it was. "Too much," I finally sputtered. I'd thought at first that I was just responding to things moving too fast and not being able to keep up, a slight embarrassment about not being able to rise to the challenge he was presenting.

"That was great, no?" He seemed oblivious to all of my discomfort, happily. Something was going on with me, but I surely didn't want to advertise it there, in that space where I had been seeking refuge from my demons. I relived a few moments from my past, moments I thought I'd long put to rest and realized I was dealing with a bit more than an 'it's-not-fair-I-don't-get-to-chose-the-dance-moves' response to salsa. There was something inherently more complex going on there for me.

I am glad that dragon finally revealed itself, so I can slay it once and for all (or maybe that won't actually be possible?) but at least I can look him square in the eye and show him I am not afraid of dragons. Then I can get back to enjoying my dance. I am going to try and focus on the positive aspects of salsa and learn the lessons that need to be learnt. And embrace the person I am now. Nevermind the one I used to be. I can see there is a reason why my exercise routine has been whittled away to salsa and yoga. We need each other.

American Culture?

Upon returning to Kinshasa this summer, I embarked on a quest to fill up my evenings with exercise. It turns out many people search for this outlet, as there isn't much else to do in Kin (night life aside.) I've heard this same story repeated by many of the newcomers joining existing classes. Do you think you'll come back? I ask. And that's when they confess, "Probably. I am new to Kin and there's just not much to do." Of course, it depends on perspective. Those arriving from the smaller, distant (and more beautiful?) cities of Congo often remark on how there is so much more going on in Kin than where they've come from. Hard to imagine.

Leisure time isn't spent shopping or going to movies (although the Hall de Gombe has offered free Saturday animation films for kids this month.) Some people find it easy enough to go out on the river or take small trips  on the weekends to outdoorsy type places which offer picnicking and views of nature. But exercise classes offer a place to be social, meet new people and improve your health. So what could be better than that?

A few recent personal explosions have resulted in a drastic change in my exercise routine and I was feeling flabby and gray. Getting soft. When an invitation to yoga passed my email box, I hungrily agreed to try it out (again.) The yoga circuit, like many things in Kin, hoovers on the edge of becoming a clique. The previous classes I went to were at someone's house and people seemed to know each other well. I felt like an intruder, or at least, like I needed someone else to get me in the door. The vibe depends heavily on the atmosphere of the house and the people present. There is often dinner or snacks together afterwards. Sounds cozy enough....unless you suffer from "social fitting in-ness," like me.

This class was being offered at the American Cultural Center, a neutral place I figured. Getting in required putting our name on a list and bringing photo id. I went with a friend and found the class to be everything I could happily participate in. No judgement, no competition, and modern music.

It was my first trip to the American Cultural Center, though I believe I have seen a photo or two on the embassy web page about certain ceremonies held there, none of which qualify for my definition of culture. I guess I am more aligned with #4 while the American embassy seems to be aligned with #2.

Because the Hall de Gombe (the French Cultural Center) is one of my favorite places to view events, I couldn't help but compare the two. I've "friended" the Hall de Etoile (center in Lubumbashi) and the Institute Francais du Mali, both of which are constantly posting music and art events.  One Planet Travel has this to say about the purpose of the cultural center in Mali. And I pretty much agree with this version of sharing and developing culture.

So I was disappointed to find the American culture tucked behind guards and barbed wire. Clearly no music events were going on here. It took a few minutes for the guards to check our id's and contact someone within to come and escort us to the center. Our photo cards were replaced with visitor badges alerting us to the need of an escort where ever we traveled within (and even to get out.) I was feeling a bit jealous of French system of setting up a cafe, a stage- an artistic mecca so to speak- that invites local artists and foreign visitors to present their talents to the community at large.

In contrast, American culture seemed protected and reclusive. Hidden away for only the privileged to partake in. What's so great about American culture? I silently protested. Why aren't we supporting and promoting local artists, collaborations between countries through art and an altogether friendlier view of
the culture? Ironically, the American Embassy has hosted their few music and dance collaborations at the French cultural center.

I had to concede that maybe we are just presenting the truth. American culture is often closed off and unaccepting of others. We're kind of egotistical and selfish. It's the American way or the highway.

While I greatly enjoyed the yoga class and returned the following week (and plan to continue returning, because, of course, there isn't much to do in Kin) I remain disappointed in the country's continuation of elitism. Culture is meant to be shared, celebrated and developed. Not hidden away behind barbed wire and electric scanning devices. Maybe I would feel better if they just changed the name to better reflect this statement: Our objective is to help you better understand the United States, its politics, society and values.  The American Propaganda Center, perhaps? The Elitist American Viewpoint Center? or maybe just, The Only Center that Matters? We could call it TOC-MAT......everyone loves a good acronym.