When you are swimming, is vital to keep a good breathing technique and body alignment. Elegance and your own life depend on it.
You use your feet to kick and maintain the balance. You move your head to inhale air without sinking. It’s a golden rule: You don’t compromise your alignment. There is simply a lot at stake!
On my last tango class, I learnt the secret of no compromising myself on the dance floor.
My teacher Ieva made a remark that resonated strongly: just open your arms. It’s simple. There is not a fixed set of rules or a defined structure to give a hug.
You open your arms and a subtle energy flows in that movement, but here is the vital part:
You hug your partner and open yourself to that magical vibe of two people dancing together. But your core remains intact. You give a hug and move with your stand and posture in the right place.
Dancing with someone is a delicate thread of asking and responding, of telling and listening.
But, while hugging your partner, or leading a sequence, you don’t ever compromise yourself.
Giving up your core is betraying the space between. That place where everything is clear and open and transparent. By compromising your centre you put that beautiful balance at risk.
There are high stakes in open water, on the dance floor, in your relationship with others. To be fully alive and gracious, you need your deepest truth. Find it and trust it. Yes, you are flexible, loving, flowing, and, yes, you’ll be yourself at every embrace.
