What I’ve been liking is that, though I generally begin with a sense of obligatory gloom, this practice invariably morphs into fun midway once endorphins kick in. Also, I need the purposeful parameter to simply get off the floor where I’ve blobbed down far too often, glazing off into dreamy stretching that is little better than a nap. Of course I love napping, but when stressed (as I had been for many months) napping became an escape rather than a healing. Opening the door of self-witness was something that I’d gotten out of practice with, not being able to tolerate much self-contact. Now that things have levelled out, I need to jump back inside. Perpetual Motion gets all my sleepy synapses popping, and my body wakes into her story.

In terms of combining this pratice with Shadow & Light, I’ve found the right side of my body being very busy with space and time, very punchy, so Perpetual Motion suits the right side’s process.

One exercise in formal dance composition is to create symmetrical designs with the body. These are rather static as it is difficult to locomote in symmetry. With two of four people, symmetry is more lively but still suggests stability. I enjoy considering my body in light of these universal esing principals, though they have no bearing on physical sensation.

In daily life, we employ our natural symmetries, for the most part, asymetrically: dominant-handedness, driving the car, etc. If we could get our eyes to operate independently of one another we’d multi-task our vision. Limbs develop according to the tasks they are asked to do.

I suddenly recall my ballet teacher beginning preparatory barre-work exercises always on the same side. Sometimes she didn’t even bother with the second side (unusual in ballet!). And I think of the Islamic prayer, with the right toes curled under in the Qa’adah. Or dervish whirling only going counteclockwise. (Those of us who do this practice feel how the two knees have opposing torques.) Examples are endless.

In Shadow & Light practice my body has an opportunity to object, react, and express her experience with these long-term habituations.