Memories move. Through time with us, move through us, creating our current perspective. They move in our minds as they play out the scenario that happened before. They move to connect us to the present moment, from that place of what we have experienced before so that we can make something new familiar; safe. When we feel safe we allow ourselves to open up. Our memories have the power to move our bodies from a place of before, a safe place. But what if your memory begins to fade. And it's ability to process the familiar and unfamiliar starts to diminish. What happens if you begin to forget everything you have ever known and the body begins to lose it's ability of what it used to know how to do?
You have right now.
Being a Yoga instructor has taught me the power of the present moment. It's what we can create. All persons, even those with Alzheimer's have the ability to operate from the now. From now, new moments can be created; And there's no attachment. There is no suffering. Because the moments come and go and you are always open and ready for a new experience.
The intention.
When our Moving Memories group meets on Friday nights and Sunday mornings at Clove Lakes Healthcare and Rehabilitation, our intention is Joy, Expression and Pure Love; that is what is created. You can feel it in the room. . When the body begins to move everything else fades away. The aches, the pains, the confusion, the disillusion, the fear. Even if it is for a moment or coming in and out. It fades and something wonderful happens, the power of movement. The space begins to have it's own prana (energy), it becomes Joy, Love- the residents become Joy and Love; We are Joy and Love.
As I work with persons diagnosed Alzheimer's and Dementia, I am inspired by them. Many people say to me how do you do it . Out of any work I have done in my life, working with senior citizens with Alzheimer's particularly utilizing dance and Yoga has created an overwhelming feeling of Joy which I have never experienced before.
Maybe they remember me, maybe they don't. Maybe they see me as familiar. It doesn't matter. All that matters is right now we are gonna have some FUN and create a whole lot of Love and Joy as we DANCE!
When you have Love and Joy, you have it all.
