Wednesday, January 20, 2010

Study Break

I wasn't going to write today. With the way classes are working out,
I certainly won't be able to write on a daily basis. However, there are
some moments in which studying becomes briefly impossible.

For example, this moment, in which Rachel's online radio just decided
to play "World Spins Madly On" by the Weepies. Sometimes the links
between sensory input and memory amaze me. I had to stop reading.

And so, here I am. Today I caught up with Cindy, and then I had two classes.
First was "Performing Stories East and West." While
I'm having to drop the course in favor of a more education-based
set of credits, I have to wonder that such classes exist.
Those students are going to really enjoy their semester. The class is a mix
of Buddhist/Daoist meditations, individual/group dances, and dramatic
character development. I came out with a reading list and the address for
the Shambhala center where the professor teaches meditation classes. Also,
I learned the basics for two exercises which could be adapted for use
in my own classroom someday. The first of these exercises is called the Snake
Dance and is a physical meditation. While the professor mentioned
that this is a very complex and multi-dimensional activity, the basics are simple.

Snake Dance rules:
1. The person in the front of the line is the leader
2. Followers line up behind the leader
3. Each follower meditates on the person immediately in front of them (not the leader)
4. The leader begins choreography with improvised repetitions, stills, and movements
5. The followers each try to stick with and copy the movements of the person in front of them
*Use of sound is encouraged, but sound should be continued by the followers instead of echoed by them
*Perfection and precision don't matter. Relaxation, use of peripheral vision and awareness of the body in front of you are important.
*Leaders can switch. Multiple snakes can interact. "Free agents" can interact with the snakes.

The second activity we did was called the Circle Dance.

Circle Dance rules:
1. Stand in a circle as a group
2. If music is in use, dance for a minute or two
3. Watch the movement/fidgeting/tapping of others in the circle through your peripheral vision
4. Pick up motions and actions from others, then put them down as soon as you notice another movement
*Relax
*Don't hold on to any motion too long

We ended with a class meditation, and I was relieved to be heading to my
research seminar on Myths and Fables. Perfect. As uncomfortable as I feel with
dances and acting, research and reading always bring me back to a comfortable place.
I knew from the reading list that this class would be fantastic. My professor asked
about our concentrations, and she responded to mine with "I can already see research paper
topics waiting for you." If I could explain to you how excited I am by this...well... I would
need a couple more languages and possibly a short happy dance.

I then spent ridiculous amounts of money on textbooks, ate soup, shuffled courses
one final time, checked out two articles (http://knol.google.com/k/polyphasic-sleep#
and http://knol.google.com/k/why-are-europeans-white-e1#, though I haven't finished
the second yet) and settled down to read "Small Victories" by Samuel Freedman.
I'll let you know how it is when I finish. Which I can do now that the music changed...

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