Sacred Circle of Dignity and Respect
Jesse Deerwomon ©2003

Take space to create a sacred tabernacle. This can be in the material realm and/or a guided visualization.Tabernacle, be-ing a vessel or container that is protective and provides a special shelter or covenant for what we hold deer and near to us. Deer and near can be our spirit guides, gemstones, deva friends, plants, loved ones, prayers, colors, beliefs, attitudes, visions....on and on... Each person gets to create their sacred tabernacle. Each person uncovers; What is sacred to s'elf? What holds dignity for s'elf? What signifies, symbolizes respect for s'elf?
Simultaneously one can ask the same questions only of "space". What makes space sacred? dignified? respectful?

Find a sit posture, spine aligned, crown reaching upward, root reaching downward. Breathing...in...and...out...allways. Sit until calm and relaxed. From this meditative state of being begin to find the small, itty, bitty movements, the finger dances, the skin stretching across the top of the hands. Breathe the sacred uncoverings from the visualization into your hands and skin. Breathe, with intent, your sacred visions into each and every unfolding movement. Develope your attention of sacred from breath to breath. This is the practice of "sustaining" a discipline of bringing your inner tabernacle to the outer tabernacle, inner breath to outer breath.This is bringing your inner Temple as outer Temple....sustaining..breath...of s'elf.

If you are confronted by distraction, return to vision, return to meditative posture, return to small movement. Begin again. Simultaneously to unfolding small movement allow breath to voice sound as "breath". Breathe consciously, deliberately...audibly. Listen to your own sound of sacred... dignity... respect. If you are moved to sound more, by all means...sound, sing, tone.

A word about "intention"... thought is energy , thought becomes matter...intention is the directive for energy to thought to matter. Thus, what we think, becomes. what we intend, what we femifest. Let the intention of temple within and temple without to emerge and expand.

As you begin to feel and breathe your moving, sounding Temple begin to bless yourself and all around you. Find the gestures of honor and respect that are emoted from your core, from your essence. Bless the mother earth as sacred, the s'elf as sacred, the sky as sacred... After you have completed your blessings, your thanks, your honoring allow your movement, sounds and blessings to travel around the space, travel to each other, 1st one on one then 2 then entire group. Feel yoursÕelf expand from within to expand without. Let the sounds of others come into you. Let the movements of others impulse you. Open yours'elf to blessings given by others. Open yoursÕelf to receiving and giving.

Next Part of Exercise: Contact sitting back to back.

Begin to sound how you feel, sound your greetings to each other. Begin a sounding conversation about how you feel and then come to silence. Come to silence for a long pause until entire group is silent. Use the silence to breathe and relax.

Next directives: Continue with contact partner, still sitting back to back.

Move slowly allways keeping physical contact with partner. Let the movement become a massage to your own body and each other. Apply the method of "counter balancing" and lean mutually into each otherÕs bodies enough so that you can rise to your feet by the sheer leaning force into each other... continuing the contact and massage dance...
Find points and lean into them. Use rolling to massage. Find the massage movement that makes your body feel good.
As you begin to roll towards the front of each other grasp outstretched arms and stretch. Stretch one arm then another. Stretch both arms. Lean back, counter balance and lift a leg, lean over from your torso. Explore stretching with the counter balancing of partnerÕs body.

Important Note: Elbows are not bent, muscles are not strained, find the relaxed counter balancing positions. It is not a muscular activity that holds your partner's balance. It is "counter balancing" that supports each other. If you find the counter balance point then each otherÕs actual weight is a mute point.

The sacred beginnings are the source and core of our movement. It is s'elf respect, dignity and body as temple that allows the inner dance to unfold and be celebrated with s'elf first and then other. After closure to this exercise sit across from your partner and relax, Remember your beginnings to this session. Review those begiinning directives if necessary. Repeat them if desired. After refreshing the vision each of us holds as body as temple we continue.

With same partner decide who will go first. 1st partner lies down on back very relaxed. Other partner begins to femipulate all of the body parts. Just pick up a leg and move it in all directions. Move it gently, move it for a slight stretch. Put the leg on your shoulder. Explore all the ways you can femipulate the leg and then dance with the leg. All the time the relaxed partner just stays relaxed and as giving as possible. Then go on to the other body parts until you are literally pulling this limp body on top of you while you roll your body underneath. Feel the weight on you as well. Watch for all joints. Don't roll or crush any joints. Don't let knees jerk too fast. Don't put joints in positions they are not made to do.

Change partners and repeat.

Change partners: More contact

One partner bend over on hands and knees. Other partner explores climbing on, hanging over and dancing under.

Change partners and Repeat

Handstand: Trust exercise

One partner does a handstand while other partner catches feet and helps to support and balance legs by letting them lean on their upper torso and shoulders.

Change partners, repeat

Group contact: Developing trust

Group circles closely. One at a time a person enters center of circle. Imagine your sacred space and as you enter this circle you give yourself over to the support of your sacred space. Keeping your body somewhat straight allows the body to fall into group. Group uses their bodies to support and lift and roll body around circle while person remains somewhat upright. The idea is to develope trust and group contact awareness. The affirmation can be "open to receiving the support from my inner sacred s'elf and my outer sacred world".Center person is helping to keep their body somewhat rigid while they open themse'elves to an internal "mosh" of a sort. Group finds a way to bring person to balance and standing. Next person goes.

Group Activity

Begin moving freely around space. Deliberately lose balance and allow the follow-thru and momentum to lead your dance. Let the momentum of falling guide you. The movement may or may not be graceful. All is good. All is sacred.
Reflect upon any judgements of your movement and or fear that may arise. Return to center of gravity and repeat. Share insights with each other.

Sounds Grunts, groans, sighs, whispers, long tones, short tones...all sounds.
Form a group circle. Find a sound and a movement together. One at a time offer a movement and a sound in the center of the circle. Develope it then have a closure. Next person goes. Repeat. Think of this activity as be-ing "witnessed" and validated for your dance.
Then open the circle up to entire space. Find the sound and the movement, go out into space, travel and develope. after character/movement is developed begin to "impulse" off of each other allowing s'elf to be "transformed".

Orchestrate: Decide who is the conductor. Remaining members line up so you can see the director.
The group members begin to make whisper sounds playing with volume, rhythm, pacing, silence...etc. The conductor orchestrates by only using hands, body and gestures. No words. Conductor can silence some soundees while bringing up other sounders. Group members respond to conductors lead. This developes body awareness, directing and communication skills. Find a Closure.

deerwomon score © 2003