Amidst traumatic times, how dance and the trees nourished my sanity

[Soulful Experiences] Being in my body, inspired by a Dance Teacher, helped my sanity at a crucial time

Health affirming resources sustain us for a lifetime

When undergoing Somatic Experiencing trauma therapy in 2014, to work on ingrained chronic stress, I was asked to connect with a part of my body that felt good.

Through a quick body scan, I knew immediately it was my legs.

My legs have helped me experience the delights of swimming, the freedom of dancing alone to soulful music, always taking me places, keeping me grounded and stable. Yes, my legs felt fine!

(In telling this story, I want to honor those who have challenges with mobility. I am truly sorry that you have to experience this and please know I do not mean to offend.)

With this, came the memories of places I lived early in my life, where I had easy access to swimming, walking in nature observing plants and trees, and my lifelong love for free dancing that began when I was a kid.

For a lifetime I have fully relied on my legs when traveling, wandering through narrow streets and old quarters, and even walking part of the Camino de Santiago.

My therapist said: “know that this is one of your resources”.

Under unsettling circumstances we had to relocate

A new capital city was being planned and built in Brazil, deliberately placed at the center of this very large and diverse country.

In its inception project, a cutting edge University was included, where innovative learning approaches would be implemented.

Professors and researchers, who for lack of funding had been working the world over, were called to participate in this innovative concept of learning. My parents were both teachers at this early iteration of the University in Brasilia.

My father was an engineer, who wanted to demonstrate through research how buildings could be constructed in alignment with the local climate, making the most of natural ventilation, refrigeration and light. These were the early 1960’s, and there, for the first time, he had been given a laboratory and equipment to pursue climate research and the investigation of local materials for building in accordance to the local cycles of the land.

My father was a visionary, who sadly died too early, before he could see, after the mid seventies, his ideas taking life through so many around the world.

But all of this came to a halt when, in March 31st, 1964, a military dictatorship took over. Only three days after, they came for professors thought to be of liberal thinking.

In a separate post, I share on how my father, quietly, stood in integrity to his belief in free thinking, and not too long after, lost his job and had to find work in research centers abroad.

As a family, we were displaced, having to leave schools, friends, to face the unknown.

A dance teacher who was an inspiration for many

As a teenager, I did not even realize the significance of the full life story of this remarkable woman. At that time, all I knew was that she had polio when younger, her legs being compromised, but through her knowledge of healing through dance, she worked on maintaining her mobility, becoming capable of walking, dancing, and teaching, even thou her legs were visibly affected by this crippling disease.

Columbine Aquilegia formosa - photo by Ruth Toledo Altschuler

The Modern Dance classes I had with her at that time, were partly exercise and at the end, free movement improvisation. During those last minutes, every time, we would dance freely, keeping eyes closed if we wanted, expressing ourselves through our whole body, feeling very safe to move with the music.

While I danced, this teacher saw and encouraged me

It was truly significant that, during that challenging time, someone saw my artistic expression through body movement, and truly encouraged me to flourish.

Going to these classes was my healing practice: I would walk for about an hour through streets lined with lush trees, take a bus for the other half, and would spend more than an hour deep into these sequences of movements, and then the free dance!

Being fully present in my body as a healing gift

As a shy adolescent who had been uprooted and was finding her footing in life, having these practices along with being truly seen in my sensitivity and creative expression, allowed me to be grounded and stable.

I can’t say enough of how grateful I am for the healing space this provided me. Dancing freely to classical music or blues had been something I loved as a kid, that I was now retrieving as a sanity practice.

I am so grateful to this dedicated teacher, and to my body!

Columbine Aquilegia formosa - photo Ruth Toledo Altschuler

Growing in the liminal space between shade and warmth

Now that I know the flower essence of Columbine, I can see how this would have been the precise Plant Archetype for me, as it nurtures this very freedom of being. Columbine is so original in its form and color!

The plant grows in the liminal space between shade and sun, and is part of the Ranunculaceae Botanical Family, the name coming from the latin “rana”, which means frog, as a reference to its plant’s transitional movement from water to earth. This is the Botanical family of Buttercup, Clematis, Larkspur, Monkshood, as well as Anemones and Windflowers, all quite different in shape and color. What is common to all of them, is just how much the leaves change from the base stem to the upper areas near the inflorescence, a remarkable example of dynamic metamorphosis.

Being encouraged to be myself as I danced, even while only one person was watching, was decisive for my physical and mental sanity during those troubled transition times.

When someone truly sees you, this alights your Soul

When someone sees you, and acknowledges your creativity and uniqueness, this in itself is healing and truly alights the soul. Always remember this, because you may be the one in the role of helping a shy child or adolescent to be seen and recognized in their unique creative spark.

A teacher brought light to my core human need

This remarkable woman, whose extraordinary dedication of learning the language of dance and movement, started her dance career when she was 11 years old in Hungary. She moved to England to pursue further dance studies, and became highly skilled in the language of the body and its movements, and how movement can heal.

During WWII, the school where she studied in England had to close due to the constant bombings and Maria (her maiden name Ranschburg) moved with her family to Brazil, where she met her lifelong partner, taking the name Maria Duschenes.

She had polio when she was 22 years old, and despite this crippling disease, she was able to keep herself mobile and continue her dedication to dance and movement, inspiring numerous students through a lifelong career as a dance teacher.

She would encourage groups of kids and adolescents to express themselves through body movement and went on to coordinate numerous programs, including social programs, and trained many teachers. Little did I know at the time, just how lucky I was to have been seen by this sweet and dedicated woman.

Embodiment as a resource for sanity and wellness

As I review my life at this later time, I honor my disposition to move my body, walking regularly every day, sometimes even freely dancing. This helps keep my body agile and my mind clear and sane, even amidst great stress and overwhelm.

I am deeply grateful for all of those who encouraged me to acquire these healthy habits, starting with my grandfather who supervised my love for swimming freely and dancing for hours in the ocean waters.

And I strongly encourage you to be inspired by my lovely dance teacher, and find your ways of moving and enjoying being in the body, no matter the circumstances.

We live in bodies that are made to move and when we find freedom in doing this, we can continue to flourish!

Read more about the Columbine flower essence in this article by Richard Katz