Monday Love to your Creature Comforts
“Animals are such agreeable friends – they ask no questions; they pass no criticisms“
~ George Eliot
How close are you to the critters in your world? Do you have any canine or feline family members? What do the animals in our world have to teach us about universal love?
You may have heard this before; Dogs think you’re God, cats know that they are. If you have ever had much experience with either then you know that you can train a dog, but when it comes to cats, whether you’d like to admit it or not, you’re the one getting trained.
Some folks are ‘dog people’ others are ‘cat people’ and then there are those who don’t quite fall into either camp. A lot of people are better suited to appreciate animals from afar due to allergies unless they can find one of those breeds with hair rather than fur.
At the other end of the spectrum are the folks that are just plain crazy for critters. Birds, bunnies, guinea pigs, snakes, lizards, fish, and even turtles can be companions. At The Vivarium in Berkeley, you can adopt hermit crabs, millipedes, or even a friendly tarantula.
You might even live on a farm or ranch where you’re responsible for some livestock of one breed or another. Cattle, sheep, horses, goats, pigs, and fowl such as chickens, ducks, geese, or turkeys all come in a myriad assortment of specialized breeds.
Regardless of whether the animals you come in contact with have fur, feathers, or scales, they all have one thing in common. They communicate directly with a deeper part of your consciousness. Sure, you can talk to them, but your language only goes so far.
What they’re reading is your tone, your posture, your intent, and your unspoken mood. Your ‘vibration’ as it were is the most important factor when it comes to critters. And if you’ve ever come face-to-face with a wild animal who could potentially make lunch out of you, then you know that ‘vibe’ is everything.
Having a pet is not for everyone, there are innumerable reasons to hold off on the responsibility of caring, feeding, and housing some sort of wide-eyed creature. Where you live, how much you travel, and how you feel about having strings attached are all factors.
But even if you are adamant about remaining pet-free, at the end of the day you are still a part of nature. If you live in a city, outside your window are pigeons or possibly squirrels, and the corvids like Jays and Crows are more than happy to be your peanut pals.
I think it was José Arguelles who called pets like cats and dogs our ‘inter-dimensional allies’. I’ve always liked that perspective because it implies communication in a different context. The paranormal powers of pets are unparalleled.
What about plant people? Let’s not leave them out of the in-between-species communication conversation. To commune with plant life is to slow down even further, as every gardener knows. As Jean Reno’s character in “Léon: The Professional” proved, a houseplant can be your best friend.
As our world demands more electronically intermediated experiences between one another it’s important to continue to cultivate our connection with the natural world, be it pets, plants, or the great outdoors. We may be masters of technology, but we’re still part of nature.
If you’ve got youngsters anywhere near your home life, then you know that kids and critters go together like peas and carrots, (to borrow a phrase from Forrest Gump). My 12-year-old daughter recently rescued a stray kitten and convinced us that our house lacked a cat.
So Ozzie is our newest family member and wow, is he ever an expert at keeping us on our toes! If it can be climbed, cracked open, or crawled into, he’s on a mission to find out how. He’s like a miniature marauder testing every point of failure in our home.
They say that the argument against the idea that the earth is flat is that if it were, cats would have already pushed everything off the edge. I put a ladder in the middle of the living room to change a bulb and Ozzie quickly claimed it as his jungle gym.
Now we’ve got two black furry critters to keep us company. Eighty-pound Ivan with his wagging tail goes back and forth with my daughter while tiny Ozzie will stay put with us here at the house. They say cats are ‘place-based’ while dogs are ‘people-oriented’.
Whether you’ve got a castle full of critters or just a pet rock on your mantle, take a moment to appreciate your relationships with the flora and fauna of your world. While we humans create narratives and live in the past or future, nature does just fine in the moment.
Have a great week and enjoy your world,
Much love till next Monday!
M+
Mark Metz
Director of the Dance First Association
Publisher of Conscious Dancer Magazine
Dance First Media Spotlight: “Dancing by Myself” Study conducted by researchers with the Oxford Brookes University!
This week’s Dance First Media Spotlight is brought to you by Dr. Sarah Hennelly with Oxford Brookes University in the UK.
Dear Dancers,
Researchers in the UK and Australia are conducting a study entitled “Dancing by Myself” aimed at “understanding dancers’ perspectives on online Conscious Dance and Movement classes.” They’d like to know about your experiences of online conscious dance, how you’re feeling, and your hopes for the future. Their survey takes 5 to 10 minutes.
The coronavirus pandemic is lasting longer than anyone might have expected. The move to online and virtual offerings has been a dynamic shift in the paradigm of dance and somatic experiences.
Dr. Sarah Hennelly is Faculty of Health and Life Sciences at the Centre for Psychological Research at Oxford Brookes University in the UK. She’s working together with fellow Oxford researchers Dr. Adam Bibbey and Dr. Stephanie Tierney and Dr. Ineke Vergeer from the University of Southern Queensland in Australia.
What is the purpose of the study?
Social distancing restrictions during the COVID-19 pandemic mean that no face to face Conscious Movement classes, including 5Rhythms, Ecstatic Dance, Movement Medicine, Biodanza, Azul, Open Floor, and similar, are running. Some teachers are offering online classes using platforms such as Zoom. The purpose of the study is to understand people’s reasons for taking part in these online sessions, and their experiences, and reasons for not taking part.
In addition, one of the aims is to inform conscious dance facilitators about dancers’ hopes for future events.
How you can participate:
There is no fee or obligation. This study is for adults 18 years and older. No identifying information is required, your anonymity is assured. You will agree to a consent statement prior to completing the questionnaire.
What are the possible benefits of taking part?
There are no direct benefits of taking part in this study. However, we hope that you will find the questions interesting and that outcomes of this study will help to further develop research on this topic area. The results may help teachers to offer accessible classes and to understand dancers’ hopes for the future.
What are the possible risks or disadvantages of taking part?
Other than the time you spend answering the questionnaire, there are no risks or disadvantages of taking part in this study. You might feel emotional effects of thinking about how your life has changed in the pandemic, and thinking about the future.
Who can I contact if I have any questions?
If you have any questions or want further information about this study email Dr Sarah Hennelly at [email protected]
Thank you for considering this opportunity to contribute your insights to this important work!
(Would you like to write an Insight Column for Monday Love and be featured on the Conscious Dancer website? Send us an email today!)
>>>>>>>>>>>>>>
Monday Love is the weekly inspirational newsletter written by Mark Metz, publisher of Conscious Dancer and director of the Dance First Association. Join our mailing list and learn about membership at www.consciousdancer.com