Dispirited or Disheartened?
Last week in a yoga dance class at Kripalu, the teacher read us the following as an introduction to what we would experience in the class.
“In many shamanic societies, if you visited medicine women or men, complaining of being disheartened, dispirited, or depressed, they would ask one of the following questions:
When did you stop dancing?
When did you stop singing?
When did you stop being enchanted by stories and poetry?
When did you stop being comforted by the sweet territory of silence?
Could this actually be the cure, the resolution, for anxiety and depression?
Talk about a huge “ah ha”.
I wanted to know more; I needed to know more.
So as usual, it’s down the rabbit hole for me searching for answers.
She said this was written by Gabrielle Roth quoting Angeles Arrien. That’s it. Well, I knew that Gabrielle Roth was a writer, dancer, urban shaman but I had no idea who Angeles Arrien was. But knowing what I know now, I certainly wish I had.
Angeles Arrien was a cultural anthropologist, educator and author. She wrote The Four Fold Way: Walking the Paths of the Warrior, Teacher, Healer and Visionary (1993).
Her research focused on the values and beliefs shared by humanity cross-culturally and on the “integration and application of multicultural wisdoms in contemporary settings”.
Meaning, her work revealed how indigenous wisdoms are relevant to our 24/7 hour 21stcentury world.
She was a gifted teacher, known for her wisdom, authenticity and compassion, who moved on from this world in 2014.
Her friends say she embodied each of the four archetypes she taught about: the Leader, the Healer, the Visionary, and the Teacher.
Her workshops bridged cultural anthropology, psychology and comparative religions to those seeking to live a purposeful, ethical and service oriented life.
Her workshops embraced 4 principles:
Show Up, Choose to Be Present
Follow what has Heart & Meaning
Tell the Truth Without Blame or Judgement
Be Open to Outcome, NOT Attached to Outcome
But I digress, back to the quote…..
In an interview several years before she died, she explains that in traditional cultures if you were disheartened or dispirited, the shaman, the medicine man, the holy man would ask
When did you stop dancing?
When did you stop singing?
When did you stop being enchanted by stories and poetry?
When did you stop being comforted by the sweet territory of silence?
And whenever/wherever that happened, is when you began to experience “soul loss” or “loss of spirit”.
And that’s when you “stopped bringing your voice forward”, “lost your connection to your body’s wisdom”, “lost your connection to your Fire, your Heart” and “when you began to mistrust the mystery, the unknown”.
Take to heart the video attached and start singing, start dancing, listen to the stories, tell your story and embrace the stillness.
Disclaimer: The information provided here is for educational purposes only and is not intended to substitute for medical counseling. InLightened Wellness does not treat, prevent, cure, or diagnose any disease or ailment.
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