image by @anduinvaid
I'm sleeping in this morning, the sun is glowing orange through the blinds and I'm in bed watching he shadows of my hanging plant dance across the white walls of my bedroom. I have two more hours of morning to lounge. This is how I wished Sunday mornings had been growing up instead of the hustle to dress up, act nice, and go to church. This Sunday morning is my version of a religious experience.
I drink coffee while I get ready. I put on a tight cropped-top so I don't have to be confined by a bra, and I pair it with high-waisted flowing pants. There's a peek of my midriff so that I'll be able to feel the cool breeze on my skin once I'm lost in the heat of the moment. I don't wear makeup because I'll sweat it all off anyway, plus I don't care much to attract attention. I'm there to move, connect, and not to be judged.
I arrive at the space and it's quiet. There's no talking here. I leave my shoes by the door and walk gently across the floor, matching the cadence of the slow, melodic ambient music. The energy in the room is calm. It's still early. I see a few faces of friends, but I refrain from hugging anyone yet. Eye contact is enough for now. We start slowly.
I find a section of sunlight coming through the window and place myself directly in its warmth. I'm lying on the floor, eyes closed. I stretch, bend, rotate, and roll around as the music slowly builds its rhythm and volume. I notice the feeling of another body next to mine but I don't open my eyes yet. I know it's my friend Tom, I can sense his energy. I trust him.
Our toes touch, our feet dance in the air. Now he's directing my feet, now I'm directing his. Now we're moving in unison and we are one foot, we are only a foot, we are only a body, we are only energy. We learn each other's language of movement and come to anticipate the next gesture, like finishing someone's sentence, or speaking the same thought at the same time. Energy fuses, I'm lost in the flow.
Subtle movement becomes grander gestures and the momentum elevates us on to our feet. The drumming is intense and loud, steadily thumping with my heartbeat. We stomp our feet and pound our chests. I whip my hair our of my face. Endorphins are coursing through the whole room which is now filled with ecstatic dancers. My nerves vibrate outward, yet I'm hyper focused on this moment, my body, each movement. I let out a loud, primal scream, which echoes through me. We dance for several minutes or several hours as time plays with our senses.
The music starts to calm down, and so do we. We're all laying on the floor. Someone drags a scarf across my back and the places his hands on mine. We all lay in stillness, absorbing the energy of the room. A young child giggles. Another person laughs. The room erupts in laughter. I open my eyes and take in the light.