Search Results for dance

Body Expansion Dance

Body Expansion Dance

April 29, 2020
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by Helena Roth
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in Tip
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1 Comment

Body. Expansion. Dance.
Three words that in and of themselves hold a lot of power, allure, magic.

Put together, those three words build upon each other and the result is three-quarters of an hour of me, step by step connecting to my body, feet, knees, legs, hips, shoulders, arms, hands and fingers, spine. Letting each part of me get its moment in the spotlight, being awakened, observed, held, caressed, moved.

Big movements, small movements, there’s no right or wrong.
Eyes open, eyes closed, same thing.
Listening within, following the movements of my body as it warms up, lightens up, heats up. 

All along, Carin Dackman, creator of Body Expansion Dance, is a wonderfully grounded chaperone throughout the experience, guiding me through it all in a clear and wholehearted way, letting me step into me and my body, without hesitation.

After a long day at the office, sitting behind my computer; just what I needed!

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Gifting me a morning ritual

October 13, 2020
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by Helena Roth
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in Reflection
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1 Comment

The bottom line:
Building a morning routine, where I feel thrown off my game when time does not allow for it to run its course in full, and realizing that this morning routine, or perhaps even ritual, is a gift. A Gift. To me.

Getting thrown off my new morning routine where I wake up, of my own volition, at six am. Get up, pee, go downstairs to fetch phone and iPad, standing in the kitchen doing a slow morning Seven of pelvic movements, waiting for the kettle to boil while checking my email and doing a quick scan of SoMe (now that the ayurvedic challenge is over, no more morning videos to peruse). Armed with electronic (writing) devices, a cup of warm water, I head upstairs, doing my Wim Hof breathing regime (normally in bed, today I lay down on the floor, pulling the duvet off the bed, to keep me warm), before climbing back into bed, to do my morning writing while drinking the warmed up water.

Once I’ve posted my writings, somewhere or other, I head for the basement bathroom, do my regular morning Seven (lately, a lot of Lindy hop-practices, which is akin to cardio, let me tell you) before jumping into a two minute-cold shower, before getting dressed, ready to meet the world.

By this time, it’s nine o’clock, give or take, and I realize how anything scheduled by me before nine throws me off my game. Off my writing game, to be precise, because the other things I do, regardless. Not necessarily in the order described above, but more or less.

Yesterday I’d scheduled a CoachTalk at 7:15 am, and then the day simply rolled on… never granting me (me never granting me, that is!) the time and space to sit down and do my (deep dive) writing. And somehow the entire day feels slightly off.

Yesterday, I had a Zoom-call scheduled at nine am, in conjunction with the Bonnie Bliss Yoni Club-training I’m taking online right now, and I got into sharing something I will be writing about in my deep dive, so in a sense, I got ”it” out of my system, but… it’s still not the same.

There’s something to the writing that provides both an edge (the permanence of it? The shareability of it? The way my words take on a life of their own? The dance with fear at being rejected, shamed and shunned for writing what I am writing?) and an expanded opportunity for learning. When I write, I explore. It truly is a deep dive, regardless if I am deep diving into a topic (shame) as I am at the moment, of if it’s ”just” writing because I want to, because I blog daily (No. Not at the moment. Unless the sharing in a small online-community can be called blogging, which, in a sense, it actually can.), because it’s a habit I’ve gotten accustomed to.

The way I write, I learn.
About me. About you. About the world.
There is discovery and surprise, there is exploration and aha-moments, there are connections made visible that have previously eluded me, there are new questions arising.

Waking up today, I realized… I need to stop giving away my mornings to others. I want to give them to me. I want to honor the precious opportunity they are to me, and be much more deliberate in when I schedule something else during this time. Sometimes, it’s a necessity. I have clients requiring my presence at certain times. I have commitments to others giving me an opportunity to prioritize, making me truly look at how I spend –and value!– my time. But if I am to give my mornings away, it’s going to be for very good reasons.

Because I haven’t, ever honestly, been so aware of the need to value my time, as I was today, waking, and realizing how my entire system longed for my morning routine, the very same one I did not gift myself with yesterday.

#tankespjärn, for those who wish to discover. More. Other. New.
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Do you know such a place?

October 4, 2020
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by Helena Roth
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in Reflection
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No Comments

The bottom line:
Finding a place where you and your endeavors have optimal conditions for deep-diving, for discovery, for expansion, for exploration. Within or without. A place which helps you go deeper, burrow further, discover more, other, new. 

I write.
Every morning, I fetch my iPad from the downstairs charging station, after feeding Pop the cat, and bring it back to bed with me. Using the wifi of my iPhone, as the wifi at Hasselbacken has exceptionally shaky reception in my bedroom, a fact which I am not altogether sad about, I load Pages and open The depth(s), containing my current writing endeavor. 

I write, write some more, pause, looking out the window, drinking a sip of lukewarm water, breathe for a few repetitions, deliberately, sensing into it, and then write some more. 

But you don’t get to see it.
Not here.
Not yet.
Possibly not ever. Here, that is. 

Parts of it will be shared, with you, but not here. Perhaps you will not find it. You see, at the moment, my plan is to share, in due time, parts of it at least, anonymously. 

It’s a way to be gentle with me, to not push myself so far outside my comfort zone that I freeze. But rather, to play at the edges, dipping my toe now and again into the unknown, in that which I paint inner landscapes off as scary. After not dying this time either, revert back to base, rest, recuperate, nourish myself, only to let me loose at play at the edge, over and over again. I do share it though. So far, all of it’s been shared, in a small community, a community where I feel held, where it’s (me. My writings) not just possible, but even welcome. A safe container, boosting me, strengthening my resolve, self-confidence and commitment. To finally, at long last, shine a light, at that which I’ve kept in the dark. For so long. Forever…

The writing is better, goes deeper, affects my every waking moment, informs my every waking moment. Thanks to the container in which I share, thanks to the people within this community, generous and gifted, loving and laughing, kind and considerate, smart and sharp, all in the most nourishing mix. My roots go deeper, my branches wider, the leaves of me vibrating with the richness of the colors of the rainbow, open to receive sunshine and rain, in exchange for oxygen, the life-blood of humanity and all things organic, freely given, in abundance. 

Do you know such a place?

#tankespjärn, for those who wish to discover. More. Other. New.
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What’s not to love?

September 1, 2020
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by Helena Roth
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in Reflection
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2 Comments

Two years ago I reclaimed lindy hop dancing into my life. A beginner weekend course (a refresher from the few years I danced lindy hop almost twenty years prior), and then classes for three semesters and social dancing at that. Or… almost three semesters. The spring classes (10 classes constitute a semester) were cut short for obvious reasons (Corona, pandemic, social distancing) after the first three.

Today. The first of the remaining seven classes was held. One and a half hours of dancing. N o t the way it was. But… still. Dancing. The music. The sweat, laughter, struggle and flow. How I love it!

How I hope that we will find ways to make dancing a part of our actively lived culture again. Not to have to be afraid of it. Of being close to others. (Yes, measures were taken. Stay home if symptomatic, of course. No obligatory partner swopping, but if you want to swop, going for smaller groups of 2-3 couples. Wash hands. Sanitize them often. No touching of face. Well. You know the drill…)

Am I crazy for doing it?
Possibly. But I am not sure I’d remain sane n o t doing the things I love doing, not for long…

And here’s a clip of two others who also love it. It’s my favorite lindy clip, all categories.
The ease of these skilled dancers, the fun they have, the lovely music… what’s not to love?

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I will disconnect.

July 11, 2020
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by Helena Roth
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in Reflection
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1 Comment

Come Christmas quite a few years ago by now, I decided, on the spur of the moment, to refrain from Social Media for a week. It turned into almost three weeks, and it felt great. I didn’t blog a lot, but some, if I remember correctly, but didn’t share on SoMe in my usual manner. (I think I used Buffer back then, so I could post to SoMe without actually being on there, which, even though it works, sort of defeats the purpose, using SoMe solely as a one-way megaphone, rather than a platform to forge relationships.)

Today is the first day of my three-week vacation, and I am coming to the same type of decision. Unceremoniously I deleted Facebook, LinkedIn, Spray (email-client) and other app’s from both my phone and my iPad. Had an embryo of this blog text spinning around in my head since the afternoon, and plan on posting it on both my blogs.

And then… I will disconnect.

Not necessarily go on a strict digital sabbat, but… if you are used to seeing me online, you will see much less of me, for a couple of weeks, that’s for sure. I might blog, now and then. Or… I might not.

I have a few online meet-up’s already planned, and a few in-person ones as well.
I might clean house, mend clothes, binge-watch Netflix series, bike down to the ocean to go skinny dipping, write.

Take long walks. Or not.
Go bike riding. Or not.

(I will) Move. Dance. Sing.
Laugh. Cry.
Sleep.
Dream.

Rest and recharge.
Read and revel in the beauty of my garden.

#tankespjärn, for those who wish to discover. More. Other. New.
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Secrets of the millionaire mind (book 6 of 12)

June 22, 2020
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by Helena Roth
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in Reflection, Tip
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2 Comments

Secrets of the Millionaire Mind by T. Harv Eker is one of those books written with tongue-in-cheek in a you-can-do-it-tonality, that usually irks me. And it did. Here and there. (Or honestly, quite a few cringe-worthy moments I am to be honest. And why shouldn’t I be?)

”[..] remember that thoughts and opinions aren’t good or bad, right or wrong, as they enter your mind, but they can sure be empowering or disempowering to your happiness and success, as they enter your life.”

But the basic concept of the book, as stated above, is one I do appreciate after all, and as the book is also on my twelve books to read and reflect upon in 2020-list, here I go.

Because yes. Thoughts do enter my mind, one after another, in a steady stream throughout my days (and nights…). And me understanding that these thoughts were thoughts and not Truths, was a pivotal moment in me becoming the person I am today.

Once I’d gotten that fact down, I started to re-program myself by asking How does this serve me? (or variations on the theme) over and over again, in any and all situations and moments. Silently. Within. I would ask Does this serve me? and it would provide me with the tiniest gap in my stream of thoughts, giving me a moment to observe myself, and decide whether or not this thought was one I wanted to partake in my life. Or not.

Having asked myself that questions tens of thousands of times, I no longer have to consciously think about it, because I truly have been re-programmed. My brain automatically takes me down that path, when called for.

The fact that you can re-program yourself is the message T. Harv emphasizes, over and over again. Starting with an introductory chapter on Your money blueprint, he moves on to the seventeen wealth files, which is his word for how to re-program your mind from a mentality and mindset centered on lack to one of abundance.

”The secret to success is not to try to avoid or get rid of or shrink from your problems; the secret is to grow yourself so that you are bigger than any problem.”

This I find truly interesting though, and I now know where a few of my friends have gotten this idea, they’ve obviously read Secrets of the Millionaire Mind themselves! And I have to say, this is a piece of first-class tankespjärn. Agree?

When I look back on my life, the moments of exponential personal growth and development, have – mostly – centered on big problems, to use T. Harv Ekers words. And as a direct result of those problems, I have grown. Immensely. Proof of which I’ve gotten, when somewhat similar types of situations have arisen, giving me ample opportunity to observe myself and compare Helena of today with Helena of the past. (And no, not judging Helena of the past as lesser, or bad, or wrong. Simply observing, from a place of self-love and -honoring.)

Have you grown yourself bigger than any problem of yours?

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Attention energizes. Intention transforms.

June 1, 2020
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by Helena Roth
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in Reflection
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1 Comment

Attention energizes.
Intention transforms.

Two phrases I pick up on, every time I hear them. Which I’ve done a few times lately, in the voice of Deepak Chopra from a few of the meditations that are part of his 21 day abundance-challenge.

When I hear them, I am jolted out of my lull.
There’s something to these words –this combination of words– that wakes me up, makes me alert.

At first, I put attention energizes into a negative category, linking attention to what I call drama. When someone does or says something, or omits to do or say something, and how these actions/non-actions can be nitpicked and studied, broken down into their very smallest pieces, and judged.
Right. Wrong. Who’s the victim? Who’s the perpetrator?

And, falling into the normal pattern of polarizing, if attention energizes is negative, then intention transforms would automatically fall into a positive category, right?

Well.
Let’s just say, that today upon waking, after both conversations and internal reflections upon current affairs throughout the weekend, I realized how off my categorization is.

Neither phrase is negative nor positive.
They just are.

Attention energizes.
Intention transforms.

This is information.
It’s not advice on what to do or not to do, but input to be put to use, when and where it serves me, you, us, the greater good.

Attention energizes.
Intention transforms.

What if (more) attention was given, with a clear intention at its core, as the driver? What might shift then? Individually as well as collectively?

#tankespjärn, for those who wish to discover. More. Other. New.
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What if I never…

May 25, 2020
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by Helena Roth
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in Reflection
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2 Comments

What if I never…
find – or am found by – that ”special someone” that I long for?
get to fall in love, deeply, crazily in love, again?
find – or am found by – someone who can see me, feel me, hold me? All of me.
get to wake next to a loved one again?
find – or am found by – one who will walk beside me?
get to experience another long relationship, where we grow to know and love each other deeper and deeper?

Who knows?
I do believe, though.
That I will.

But rest assured.
I know this ”special someone” will not meet my every need.
That’s my job, to ensure I have my needs met.
It’s my job, to parcel them out, wisely.
Myself. Best friends, Mastermind-group, coach, family and friends, Buddhas and soul sisters, colleagues and co-workers, collaborators and co-creators. Assignments and workshops, books and podcasts, dance class and gardening. There are many people and arenas that help me meet varying needs.

But now and again…
As I watch some romantic tear-jerking movie, physical longing tugs at my heartstrings, so bad it hurts.
Physically, it hurts. Within.
The longing. Some day, some time.

I believe.
I will.

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Why hold it in?

May 12, 2020
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by Helena Roth
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in Reflection
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2 Comments

Sitting at the city library in front of a gigantic wall of windows facing the park outside. It’s beautiful! Have my earphones on, with Spotify running on my computer, so as I sit here, with 45 minutes to go before I am headed to a friend, where I will be holding a webinar later tonight, I am dancing. In my chair. (Give it a few more minutes and I might not stay put…)

Ask any friend of mine, and they will tell you Oh, that’s just like her. Put on music she loves and she has no qualms at all to start to dance – and quite often sing as well – regardless of where she is. On a bus. Walking the city streets or in the park. Waiting for the train. On her bike, driving a car or… just about anywhere.

And they would be correct.
I do.
Dance.
Sing.
Most anywhere, regardless of the setting.

I. Just. Cannot. Help. Myself.

And, why should I? Why hold it in?

#tankespjärn, for those who wish to discover. More. Other. New.
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What makes you not a Buddhist (book 4 of 12)

May 8, 2020
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by Helena Roth
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in Reflection, Tip
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2 Comments

Dzongsar Jamyang Khyentse, author of What makes you not a Buddhist, has really managed to clarify for me what makes me not a Buddhist, and consequently, what would make me a Buddhist. I appreciate his take on this, and the book, short and easy-read that it is, is very informative and to-the-point.

”All compounded things are impermanent.
All emotions are pain.
All things have no inherent existence.
Nirvana is beyond concepts.”

If you do not accept these four truths, you would not be a Buddhist.
If you do, well, then… you are?!

”The recognition of impermanence is the key to freedom from fear of remaining forever stuck in a situation, habit, or pattern.”

Finished reading the book, and the morning after, was sent day 19 of the 21 days of Abundance-meditation by the (Deepak) Chopra Center. And funnily enough, the exercise for the day, attached to the meditation, centers around the parable of This too shall pass.

And I have to say, in my ever-deepening knowing of this, through and through, I find life more enjoyable to life. The high’s. The low’s. The nothing-much-is-happening-at-all’s. All of it.

”[…] when we remember that things are impermanent, we are less likely to be enslaved by assumptions, rigid beliefs (both religious and secular), value systems, or blind faith. Such awareness prevents us from getting caught up in all kinds of personal, political, and relationship dramas. We begin to know that things are not entirely under our control and never will be, so there is no expectation for things to go according to our hopes and fears.”

This is right up my alley, and something that greatly helps me in life. But no. I don’t see myself as a Buddhist, nor do I have any desire too. But I also want to clarify that in no way, does this mean that I don’t feel. That I don’t cry tears of despair as well as tears of the utmost joy.

I do. And I want to.
In no way do I want to go through life numb.
But knowing that whatever is, is right now and not forever, makes it easier to feel in the now, and not fall down the rabbit hole (at least not as often, as long, or as easily) of getting stuck in remembrance of feeling into what was, or imagining what might be.
Being here. Now.
Knowing nothing lasts forever. 

Recognizing the instability of causes and conditions leads us to understand our own power to transform obstacles and make the impossible possible. This is true in every area of life.

The book I am blogging about is part of the book-reading challenge I’ve set for myself during 2020, to read and blog monthly about 12 Swedish and 12 English books, books that I already own.

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