Flow Friday: Dancing December Solstice Celebration, 2024
This event taught immersive intuition and listening skills. Connecting with yourself and with others through mindfulness, food/drinks, arts, and creative expression. Over a series of four hours, we stayed actively aware of our bodies and mind through workshops and activity.
Topics Covered: Immersive Learning, Arts and Creativity, Music, Improvisation, Local Vendors, Mindfulness, Natural Medicine
Conference Overall Ratings: Venue (4.5/5) - Food (4.5/5) - Speaker Content (4.5/5) - Networking Opportunity (5/5) - Likeliness to Return (5/5)
Initial Conference Overview - Why Attend? As far as events go, something like this is typically uncommon for me to join. I usually like business events, but lately I do want to give my “self care” more attention. This event sounded really curious and intriguing with a number of activities offered. Yoga, dance, improvisation workshop, foods and tea, vendors, musical performance, DJ’s. I mean! Duh. Let’s go check it out. 😁
Photo Collage & Commentary -
Notes from Event :
IMPROV DANCE
I arrived late (I didn’t realize it’d start totally on time, so in the future, it’s good to arrive maybe even 5/10 minutes early to this).
When I arrived there were 10 minutes until the next workshop would begin: improv dance
This is an artform that I did before in Manila, Philippines, probably five years ago. I remember liking it back then, but, that was performing with my improv group! hahah. And it was at an improv festival. So, realizing we’re doing this with strangers on just a random Friday night in your own city has a different feel to it. But even so, here we go! Life is about pushing boundaries and growing skills
The host said that learning interaction, being together, intimacy, it is a skill. Learning to share your energy with someone it doesn’t come naturally. You must practice, socialize, etc. I hadn’t thought of it that way ever before, but hearing that gave a small sense of ease.
Over COVID, we all had more isolation. It’s funny how independent and isolation-dependent i’ve become hahah. But I liked this explanation a lot that socializing and interacting is a skill you must develop
Improv dance is where you make up a dance together on the spot. You follow each other, predict each others moves, but also extremely listen. They say that you can only really tell where your partner is headed if you listen. And this type of listening is with your intuition. You have to pay attention, feel, and watch. I bet there’s a better word for this - let’s look it up and see: Attunement? Seems to be the best pick.
Attunement: it suggests a state of being perfectly tuned in to subtle signals, both external and internal. It encompasses that combination of feeling, watching, and intuitive understanding you mentioned.
This improv dance class was more focused on movement and self-awareness. Listening. Though, I felt like it was a bit misinterpreted from the start by me and my partner because the way we performed was for sure different than how I’d done it the other time. However, our movements were really funny and we were both laughing a lot.
When I learned it the first time, the focus was very performative. To really dance and perform a dance. The goal in mind was to put on a piece and make it look like you’d been choreographing it forever. You got to the point where you could look so good dancing together it’s convincing you choreographed it. You get so in sync.
Over the course of the next (hour? which flew by) you did more and more activities that lead towards that sense of flow/predicting each others moves and moving together.
The activities were like… warm up (and legit, I was thinking: yeah, this type of thing is exactly where you need a warmup, lots and lots of warmups).
I also have been really “tight” lately? Just not stretching enough to feel loose every day, so I found that to be a huge benefit of this event, it was like nonstop stretching your body, hahaha.
The strategy and step by step was smart:
warm up (move around, body awareness, embody animals, grow wings, etc.)
step by step introductions to the improv dance technique: touch, brush… (idk the third) but you start off learning that there is a leader and a follower.
It’s actually a really nice experience probably to do with a loved one or someone you are friends with. I had forgotten how it’s pretty cool. It’s a very interesting art and fun to try.
It is good to be able to reflect on it with this positivity, because its a very delicate art (touching and dancing with strangers) but it’s very step by step and it also is only as intimate as you want it to be, or whatever. Mostly it can just be minimal contact easily. haha. That’s my style atm.
dancing with a partner three times, each learning new techniques
dancing in a group of three (this was not as elegant as two, BUT it worked well as the transition to everyone being in a group) and the it was just a big freestyle. Kinda cool!
This started coming to an end, so they announced everyone could take it easy for a bit and then a new workshop on QiGong and Breathing was coming up next (or keep dancing if you wanted to stay in there). I thought the workshop was worth exploring and went there.
VENDORS
There were a number of tables set up with handcrafted items for sale. I didn’t end up buying anything, but I was interested to consider: each
NUTRITIAL COMBINATIONS: I’m not sure how else to describe this haha. But it was like various different mixes of foods or spices or ingredients that were like tenatures or like very concentrated forms. I didn’t look too closely, but maybe one would have like “beets and ginger” or something. You know? Then you eat it. This guy seemed like a good salesperson, but I just didn’t have the mood for that type of discussion at this event. I do think I missed out, but maybe if he had a nonverbal easy-to-approach source of information where you could read more about each combination’s effects and strengths, that may be good. If not, I’d be curious to learn more in the future if I run into this guy again.
DRIED FLOWER CORSAGES: Okay, these probably weren’t coursages but they looked like it haha. It was small bundled mini-bouquets that looked eager to be pinned onto the chest of a suit. hahah. This was less interest to me so I only looked a few second, but I’m pretty sure mini-flower-bouquets were this table’s item. It looked like corsages though, which I used to have to use semi-often in middle school when I was training to become a debutant 🙊😂😅
JEWELRY: there was a lot of hand-made jewelry (I’d assume), but I didn’t look at this much either. I’m not much of a jewelry person…. unfortunately it’s cause I always misplace everything. Makes me think of a party I went to once where they had jewelry you could try on, but you had to return it after. At the time, I thought that was so weird - but now I get it hahaha.
GINGER APPLE LEMON TUMERIC shots - a woman was selling hand bottled and shots of this juice. smart! This is a good combination flavor, but…something about the marketing/packing of her content made me not able to pull out my cash. I just didn’t want a shot of that enough to spend $3 on it. But still interesting. She was actually the first to pack up and go, leaving early, which surprised me, cause I felt like people may want one later into the night when they’re more tired.
QIGONG, TAI CHI, BREATHING WORKSHOP
This was not a place to take pictures, btw, so I didn’t. It would have been awkward and rude. But it was a cool yoga studio room (one of the church’s rooms!) and it had like 40 yoga mats laid out and they all ended up being used. There was a gong too and a hand drum one guy used.
This workshop had three parts, starting with Tai Chi, then moving to Chi Gong, finally into breathing. We discussed a lot about mindfulness and active mediation. The room was full of multi-colored lights and it set a very tranquil vibe. Sorta like a simulated outerspace/peaceful place. I would like to see how something like this evolves over time with even more XR.
Tai Chi: We mostly did movements with our bodies to bring more awareness to our “vessels”.
Chi Gong: We focused on finding energy that we produce. They said the more you do this, you really start to feel it and become of an awareness you hadn’t been tuned into before. TBH - i’ve done chi gong once before where I 100% felt that energy. It didn’t happen at this event, but when he said that “you start to feel it over practice, though sometimes you can on the first try” I was like - yeah! wow, that was me! hahah. It was interesting to hear, cause it matched with my experience. How, both, my first time legit I was ike “what!? that worked?” but then this time it didn’t, but of course you need practice - and the right mindset probably.
Breathing: “You tune up your car, but you don’t often tune up your breathing”. He explained how breathing is the center of everything and we must pay more attention to it during the day. We followed many exercises following different patterns of breathing in and out, intentionally with our noses or mouths.
The big problem for me was actually I was really extremely cold about 15 minutes into this workshop. After all the dancing before, I got so overheated and even a bit sweaty, but then this was so calm and still that suddenly the reality of the AC kicked in and it got very very cold.
Eventually I got the “courage” to walk out. I say it this way, because there is a balance. There’s a balance of respecting the presenter but also respecting yourself.
This was sorta a kind/do what you need event, so I did get up the courage to get up at an okay time during this session, and see myself out. I just was too cold and ready to move on.
BTW this workshop that I left early (and then went over to the dance lobby/room) it ended up lasting an hour and fifteen minutes. I randomly saw the time around this time, and saw that I’d already attended 45 min of that workshop. So, I guess my point is, I tried! But I was extremely cold and I was feeling a bit of FOMO towards the other room. I wanted to get back into a place with a bit more liveliness and energy. I also wanted to challenge myself to do what felt socially uncomfortable but respectful to myself: get up and leave.
Lately, it’s really a goal for me. Listening to myself and taking care of myself and not keeping myself in situations I can get out of if I want. Trying to take better care of myself environmentally.
MUSIC BREAK + DRAGON PERFORMANCE
All of the music at this event was good. I’m not sure what else to say cause it’s hard to say in a blog hahaha. It was really nice music, lead by DJ’s the whole time. I’m not sure if some of the music was their original music, but I wouldn’t be surprised. This seemed like a talented group of people (performing and just attending). It was a smart and interesting group.
One thing that was really unique was they had a singer come on stage and perform. I wasn’t really expecting that. Her voice was so fantastic and she sang along with a few songs. Usually I’m really pick with music - always I am, but this music was extremely nice.
If you didn’t see the dragon lights performance video above, I suggest you check it out. It was very very cool to see. It made me think about XR again, how all of these visual hobbies and displays will keep getting more fantastic as the mainstream technology grows.
So much of this event felt extremely choroegraphed, but it turns out that’s because so much “active listening” was going on. There was so much synchronicity between the music and the performance, it was really nice. I felt like that’s the beauty of music and art - you can see this teamwork connection happening in a visual/audio form.
SOUND BATH CLOSING
The end of the night was something I’ve been learning more about lately - healing frequencies.
If you look into it, there is a big science behind sound vibrations and their ability to heal! To restore parts of your body based on the tone/sound/frequency.
So this is something I actually think is probably extremely healthy to attend regularly, like medically speaking even!
The sound bath was very loud - in a good way - and it sorta overpowered the room. You could feel the music all over, in your ears and in your skin. The musician was really talented and graceful, it was a very professional performance.
To take in the experience, many people were laying on the floor. I was seated most of the time, but ended up laying down too.
I noticed two couples near me laying on the floor - spooning! I thought this was surprising for half a second, but then good to see for the rest. I think that PDA is not embraced enough in our society. You never see anyone hugging or even kissing in the real world.
I think we need more of a push as a society for subtle PDA - expressing love, hugs, small kisses. You’re allowed to yell, scream and laugh in public - but what about showing a little love? I think it could be good for the world.
So yeah, I was happy to see those couples spooning. I felt like it was very brave of them haha. Like, for me, that’d be kinda embarrassing to do in public, but… it was sweet and probably just a mental thing for me. I was glad to see it.
At the end, they were really nice and welcoming (this whole event had a good feel to it) and they said they will continue to host these events continually, monthly. They said they may want to do it even more frequently too.
They asked we share this event with others… leave a review 😅
They also mentioned this was a collaboration of many collectives, groups, and partnerships.
I was thinking to myself during the soundbath part (cause it had a guy playing the bowls, a gong, and then chimes) —- this is the power of a group/community/teamwork.
Conference “Overall Rating” Further Elaboration:
----- Venue (4.5/5) / Food (5/5) / Speaker Content (5/5) / Networking Opportunities (5/5) / Likeliness to Return (5/5) ---
----- Venue (4.5/5) / Food (5/5) / Speaker Content (5/5) / Networking Opportunities (5/5) / Likeliness to Return (5/5) ---
VENUE - 4.5/5
Room for Improvement: It was so perfect except that I got too cold to stay in of the workshops. This is a good venue to bring a few extra layers. Besides that, I loved that it was in a church because it was able to really empower music and sound.
FOOD - 5/5
Allow me to Elaborate: Yahoo! There was the healthier spread of nuts, fruits, veggies, bread with cheese… it was so nice. Also they had a tea of the night. Amazing!
SPEAKER CONTENT - 5/5
Allow me to Elaborate: Everything was fun and interesting. There was so much diversity of what you could get involved with here… and the leaders/instructor all had a nice confidence and certainty to themselves. It was a well paced and valuable experience that each instructor contributed.
NETWORKING OPPORTUNITIES - 5/5
Allow me to Elaborate: This was a very great event to meet people. But even as they said, it was more about meeting “energy” and just enjoying each other if you want. I ended up socializing with a number of people, but also could be completely on my own with ease as well. It was a nice balance of “everyone is approachable” but also “do what you want”.
LIKELINESS TO RETURN - 5/5
ALLOW ME TO ELABORATE: Yes. This event felt healthy for your soul/body. I just felt like it was really a good thing to gift yourself with and I can see how this would be something to look forward to monthly.
Kelly’s Remaining Questions:
Is sound and healing vibration being incorporated more into mainstream lately? It seems to be trending more on Twitter, as more knowledge of healing frequencies are being shared online. Or is this just a more local/some cities thing and I happen to be seeing it? Or it’s just been here forever and I was OOTL (out of the loop - haha I love that look of “OOTL” its funny to write and I’m a fan)
How many cities in the world can you experience something like this? I’m not sure there are many at this moment. Checking all of the boxes tonight’s event checked…
What types of benefits do each of these activities have on your system?
Did those DJ’s write some of those songs? hahah.
Until next time, I wish you the motivation and success to search for opportunities around your area. Search and explore: Who is out there giving talks? There are new things happening all of the time
Find relatable or interesting topics you like and check them out! Maybe even something hosted at a cool venue, if there’s no other reason to go. Let’s see what you can learn and discover not too far from home. 😊
