"What we must do,
I suppose,
is to hope the world keeps its balance;
what we are to do, however,
with our hearts
waiting and watching - truly
I do not know."
Mary Oliver
What I am feeling in regards to the undersea images of the oil pluming into the sea is beyond words... I am reposting "The Whales are Dying" in black and white (my inner feeling tone or, bhava) as my response today...
Today's dance practice was inspired by my inner body weather of feeling deeply saddened by hearing of the worsening condition of the oil spill in the Gulf of Mexico... I have been avoiding images of the tragedy and it's affects on the ocean beings, until today... there are some images: here.
It is hard to know what to do sometimes, with the heaviness of the heart when the grave situation feels so far beyond our control...
Also, whales in the Puget Sound have been dying lately and the most recent one was found to have contained massive amounts of garbage in it's tummy - mainly plastic. I have felt for a long time how it is so hard to realize the impact of the pollution we are creating beneath the surface of the ocean, because we cannot SEE it - from the surface, Grandmother Ocean is so beautiful - reflecting the immensity of the sky and often glistening so intensely with the sun's reflection upon her...
Now, however, it seems, we are able to witness more and more the results of our actions as the sea-life are beginning to wash up dead upon our shorelines.
I feel grateful to have this dance practice I can use for times like this to let the sadness and the helplessness flow through me, to send a dance prayer to Grandmother Ocean and Mama Earth... This afternoon was spectacular and I was feeling fortunate to be able to spend time by the shore communing with the Ocean in this way... at times it felt I was a sea creature caught in plastic garbage, or oil (my hair) and unable to breathe... at other times I could feel the desperation of swimming through oil...
My favorite mantra I teach my yoga students is 1000s of years old: Lokaha Samastaha Sukhino Bhavantu...
May all beings everywhere be happy and free from suffering and may our thoughts and actions contribute to that happiness and freedom from suffering for all beings...
May we also remember WE are within that circle of all beings...
There is also a theory that the whales are dying due to the sound pollution under the sea created by the navy. The following is from one of my favorite poets / poems:
There is so much noise in the oceans
the whales can't hear each other.
We're making them crazy,
driving dolphins insane.
What kind of ancestors are we?
Thank you for reading / viewing my blog... I wonder what you may be doing in your life, while we as a species carry the weight of responsibility in the Gulf in our lives, to lessen your sadness, to lessen your anger... What kind of ancestors are we?
Lee
If you double-click the image below you can view the film without it being cut off on the right side :~)
Music: Claude Debussy
Visit my butoh mentor's inspiring blog here: Maureen 'Momo' Freehill
The suffering of the sea swallows me whole. I can barely look at the oily gulf shots, so much more authentically informed by your dance here than any image fed to me through the news. And to be driven to death of madness by the noise in the name of defense? What is there to do but to pray? Pray for the whales, pray for the gulf,pray for the prisoners, pray for beauty and happiness, pray for ourselves. Feel the wholeness of the dark as well as the light. Own up to my own responsibility for the mess. On this beautiful May day.
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