Description of the Method
20 Minute Dance is a body practice, where the invitation is to become more present and grounded in your bodies. Times are very busy and often we are lost in thoughts not able to concentrate on what we want or need to do. We do not take the time to listen, to what is calling us. With this activity, we invite you to become still, listen to your body, and learn to understand the language of your body better.
For the activity you need a space, where you can move and where you are not disturbed for 20 – 30 minutes. Ideal is a wooden or carpeted floor, where you can lie down. The 20-minute Dance is a practice in which we pay attention to the feeling of the body, without thinking about it or judging it.
Process: (taken from here)
Begin by resting on the floor with the eyes closed. Feel the body and bring some attention to abdominal breathing. Experience your body, simply, without judgement or goal.
Let a movement begin. Do whatever the body feels like doing without planning anything. For example, the body might feel like stretching, rolling over, or wiggling its fingers. Keep the movement close to the ground. Any movement is good. Pay attention to the sensations, the feeling of the body, as it is moving.
Then, pause and feel the body as it is resting in a shape or a posture.
Then begin to move again, paying attention to the feeling of the body moving.
Continue in this way, alternating resting and moving, paying attention to the feeling of the body. As we move or rest, our attention can be on part of the body (we feel our lower back or knee or shoulder) or on a sense of the whole body.
When you notice that you are thinking, labeling, or judging the experience, let those thoughts go. Simply rest your attention on the feeling of the body
Sitting
After several minutes, let the body rise to a sitting position. Continue alternating stillness and movement, allowing the eyes to remain closed
Standing
Again, later in the practice time, come to a standing position. Continue to alternate moving and stillness. You might include bending or twisting, maintaining a sense of standing on one spot.
Moving through space
Open your eyes and begin to move around the room. Keep your eyes downcast with a soft gaze so that your attention remains in your body and is not drawn outward into what others are doing.
Finding an ending
At the end of the 20 (or 10) minutes, stop and hold a still shape. Wait in the still shape until the others have found their ending shape and place in the room. Feel the back of the body. Feel the full three-dimensional shape of the body. Then become aware of the space above and below and around the body
Take some time for reflection. If you are alone, take a journal and note down what you observed. If you are in a group – take turns to share what you experienced.
Our Conclusion from Testing
In the testing phase some practised SPT regularly. One of the participants shared her experience: “When we tried out the ‘20 minutes of dance’ exercise in Tallinn, I immediately realised that it was very good for me. The exercise is very simple, you only need a blanket or a mat and a time frame and yet it opens up a space that I personally associate with freedom, openness, listening to your own body and relaxation. My routine was that I lied down on my yoga mat in the morning, set the timer for 10 minutes (I have adapted the exercise for myself so that it is more practical) and listened to myself. Then I started to do the movements that my body was telling me. Often exercises that I have learned in yoga, but also in physiotherapy, came to my mind. Sometimes I just felt like breathing.
During the test phase, I tried to "dance'" in this way for 10 minutes before work, if I managed to somehow organise it. I didn't necessarily expect it, but on days when I start the day with my "dance", I faced challenges or problems much more calmly and relaxed. I want to keep this routine for myself, as it enriches me personally.” (A.S., project coordinator in an NGO from Austria)
Sources & Resource
For more background and details of the activity we recommend to go to the website of u-school and watch the video of Arawana Hayashi.
