“Free-Flow Dance” as the Ultimate Meditation Method

A meditation method that emphasizes the mind being “as it is” is perhaps one of the ultimate forms of meditation.
The “meditation method for drawing creativity from distracting thoughts” from my previous article is based on “as-it-is meditation,” but since it emphasizes creative change, it might be called “free-flow meditation.”

However, including these, meditation usually only addresses the “mind,” and in most cases, leaves the “body” behind.

While there is yoga that uses the “body,” it has fixed forms and is basically positioned as a preliminary stage before advancing to the “mind.”
There are meditations that control and activate prana, but prana is not the physical body.

However, originally, the “mind” and “body” are one.
In esoteric terms, it is “body, speech, and mind,” and it is one including the “voice.”

I believe that meditation should be the integration of the liberation of the “mind,” the liberation of the “body,” and the liberation of the “voice.”

Esoteric Buddhism performs meditation targeting the three of “body, speech, and mind,” but it has not fully transcended symbolism.
Dzogchen and Zen have transcended symbolism, but this is only for the “mind,” leaving the “body” and “speech” behind.

The practice that aims for the three liberations in the true sense is the theme of this article: “Free-Flow Dance.”
I consider this a type of meditation method.

In addition, I will also devise “Free-Flow Movement” and “Free-Flow Vocalization.”

Also, as an appendix, I will deal with several themes related to dance.

Free-Flow Dance

Let us call moving the “body” “as it is” “Free-Flow Dance.”
I believe this is both an ultimate form of dance and a meditation method.

“Free-Flow Dance” is a completely improvisational dance, a free dance performed without intending anything, without any form, and without expressing anything predetermined.

Also, there is no need for rhythm as the word “dance” might suggest, and there is no need to move fast or move largely.
You can stop, you can make subtle movements as if you are not moving, or you can move slowly like a slug.

Making the “body” “as it is” means expressing and unfolding the potential movements that naturally appear in the “body,” the movements before they become forms.
Stop all intended movements and let the “body” move as it wants to move.

This is to be free from all existing movements and repetitions, and to be free from the concept of “dance” itself.

Move without the consciousness of “I,” without the consciousness of “my body,” without the consciousness of “hands” or “feet,” and without the consciousness of “dancing,” “moving,” or “expressing.”

What defines bodily movement

Daily movements of the “body” are shaped by purpose and language.
In other words, they are socially defined.
These things have entered the “body” and become one with it.

For example, when a person moves their body to pick up a glass in front of them, that movement is neither instinctively determined nor natural.

Even without conscious thought, there is an ego-consciousness of “I,” the concept of a “hand,” the concept of a “glass,” and the purpose of “taking.”
Movement is defined by these many words.

If you are in a hurry, you move quickly, but this is because thought intervenes.

Also, the movement of picking up a glass is the result of having repeated the same action many times in the past.
It is also the result of having seen other humans perform similar actions, and the movement is modeled after them.

Furthermore, even without conscious thought, women move in a feminine way, and men move in a masculine way.
These are defined by society and ego-consciousness.

In this way, human “body” movements are shaped by society, language, thought, past memories, and self-image, all of which have been internalized.

The state of consciousness and the way the body moves are two sides of the same coin.
While “Meditation as It Is” eliminates and liberates the shaped movements of the mind, “Dance as It Is” similarly eliminates and liberates the shaped movements of the body.

Tips for practice

I will write about some tips for actually performing “Dance as It Is.”

At first, start with some intentional movement, and gradually make the continuation of that movement unintentional and improvisational.

As you do this for a while, the layer of consciousness will shift, and a switch to a kind of altered state of consciousness will be flipped.
Then, completely unconsciously, movements will continue to be born naturally from the “body.”

However, if you feel that the “body” is moving too smoothly, becoming sluggish, stereotypical, or repetitive, cut that flow, switch your consciousness, and start again immediately.

This corresponds to realizing that you have fallen into thought during “Meditation as It Is” and naturally pulling yourself out of it.

Also, let go of your everyday physical sensations as much as possible.

Roughly speaking, the "body" is made up of a hard bone body, a soft flesh body, and a liquid body.
There is also a body of "Qi (prana, ether)."

However, during "Butoh as It Is," it is better not to think of the "body" too analytically; for example, it is also good to vaguely imagine it as multi-layered vibrations of various densities.
Also, instead of thinking of the "body" as a connection of five limbs, it is good to imagine it as a sphere from which protrusions (limbs) appear as needed.

Of course, discard the consciousness of being human.
Even if you temporarily become like some kind of animal or reptile, do not become possessed by that image; instead, diversify and deconstruct yourself like a chimera.

Also, discard the consciousness of expressing your inner self.
Conversely, forget the existence of yourself, become one with the surrounding environment, and have the sensation that the place itself is expressing you.

Of course, the mind "as it is" moves in conjunction with the body movements "as they are."
This is emotion, feeling, and affect before it takes shape.

Also, the scenery you see and the environment you feel will change subtly.

Direct your consciousness toward these changes in mind and sensation, and let them interact with the movements of your body.

When you dance for the first time, or after a long time, some emotions or forces that you usually suppress may be expressed, and a kind of suppressed, accumulated energy may be released as if a dam has broken.

It is fine to let these things out, but the true "Butoh as It Is" begins after that.

Movement as It Is

For those who cannot do "Butoh as It Is (Free Dance)" well, it might be good to try "Movement as It Is (Free Move)."

This is an application of sitting meditation or walking meditation to body movement.
There are terms like "Standing Zen" and "Moving Zen," but this is different.

First, stand upright comfortably.
It is better to keep your eyes closed at first.

Then, turn your consciousness inward to your body and feel the potential movements.
It is strictly about sensation.

It is also good to perform this by moving your consciousness in sequence from your head to your feet.
This is an application of the 'body scan' sometimes used when relaxing or during Vipassana.

Then, turn that potential movement into actual physical movement.
When you feel that the movement has finished, return to an upright position again.

Next, do the same thing while walking.
While walking, focus your consciousness on the potential movements within your body and add them to the movement of walking.
And when it is finished, return to normal walking movement.

You are using walking as an anchor for movement, but in this case, since a synthesis of movements is taking place, this is more complex.
However, this leads to the normalization of the 'Dance of Letting Be' in daily life.

In either case, if movements start to occur more and more and you transition into the 'Dance of Letting Be,' you may go ahead and transition.

Vocalization of Letting Be

In Esoteric Buddhism, as in the 'Three Mysteries of Body, Speech, and Mind,' the practice of 'words' and 'voice' is emphasized simultaneously alongside 'mind' and 'body'.

As the term 'Sound Dance' suggests, the movement of the 'body' and 'music' or 'song' are one.

Therefore, in the 'Dance of Letting Be,' you may freely, improvisationally, and meaninglessly emit 'voice'.
In other words, it becomes a 'Sound Dance of Letting Be' that incorporates 'Vocalization of Letting Be (free voice)'.

The basis for 'Vocalization of Letting Be' is, like the 'Dance of Letting Be,' an amorphous emotion that exists before it takes the form of a feeling.

It is a voice from much deeper than an interjection, a voice from before it becomes words.
It is not something directed at someone like a shout, nor is it something with a purpose.

And it is a voice from much deeper than scat singing, a voice from before it becomes a song.

The 'body' naturally emits a formless and meaningless 'voice'.

I also think it is good to imagine it as being the same as trees rustling when blown by the wind.

Normalization in Daily Life

The ultimate goal of 'Meditation of Letting Be' was the daily practice and normalization of meditation.
Therefore, the goal of the 'Dance of Letting Be' is also its normalization in daily life.

In other words, it means releasing the liberated movements of the “mind,” “body,” and “voice” within your daily life.

That said, this does not mean dancing all the time, everywhere.

When you practice “Dance as It Is,” subtle changes should begin to appear in your everyday physical movements, even if you are not consciously aware of them.

Incidentally, I am able to control the “qi” within my “body,” and I have had someone I had just met suddenly say to me, “You can control qi, can’t you? I can tell by the movement of your hands. Your qi is flowing.”

When you move the “qi” within your “body,” the fluid movement of “qi” naturally begins to be added to the movements of your “body.”

It is the same with this; when you practice “Dance as It Is,” the movements of your “body” change subtly. It is a movement where many movements coexist within a single movement.

Being conscious of the movements of the “mind” before they take shape and letting them be “as they are” is, at the same time, being conscious of the movements of the “body” before they take shape and letting them be “as they are.”

If you keep this in mind in your daily life, the movements of your “body” will no longer be simple movements molded by words. They will come to include subtle, deviant movements that fall outside of that.

In this way, you can gradually mix “as it is” movements into your normal, everyday “body” movements.

At times, you may even find yourself changing the act itself along with your sense of purpose.

Of course, in public, please be careful not to be seen as a suspicious person.

Appendix 1: Movements of the Art of Dreaming and Dance as It Is

In Focusing and process-oriented psychotherapy, it is believed that unconscious messages appear as unintended, unconscious movements, just like dreams. And by focusing on them, one engages in dialogue or develops images.

However, I think that may not necessarily be required.

In Focusing and process-oriented psychotherapy, they say that even if you do not interpret dreams, experiencing them consciously changes your personality.

Therefore, if you consciously perform the movements that serve as unconscious messages, wouldn't that alone change your personality?

Even if you do not verbalize or visualize them on the spot, words and images will eventually emerge.

Appendix 2: The Sacred Dance of Beginnings

We do not know when or why people first began to dance.
However, I imagine that they began to dance as a form of communion with spirits.
Let us call this the “Sacred Dance of Beginnings.”

I believe that at first, people began to dance unconsciously.
They likely perceived this as spirit possession or as a message from the spirits.

Then, they began to dance to summon spirits, eventually leading to people dressing as spirits to dance, and dancing as an offering to the spirits.

Therefore, festivals likely began as dance.
Dance incorporated song, music, and mythology, forming various rituals.

And from this sacred dance, music, dance, and theater as performing arts were born.

The “Sacred Dance of Beginnings” is about humans becoming spirits.
The mystical experience of the union of god and man likely began as this dance.

In sacred dance, one experiences a holy space-time, a primordial space-time, and the world of truth.
Cosmologically speaking, dancing as a god is the creation and destruction of the world.

In India, the creation, maintenance, and destruction of the world are expressed as the dances of Shiva and Kali.

On the other hand, dancing as a human is about dying and being reborn.
One offers their earthly self as a sacrifice to the divine, to be reborn by the divine.

The dance used to enter a trance state is perhaps less of a dance and more of a “movement” involving jumping, stomping, or spinning.
And when entering a trance state, “movements” like convulsions are added.

Furthermore, the dance as a spirit, possessed by a spirit, is the manifestation of that spirit's power.

Spirits dance because they are beings overflowing with extraordinary energy; the dance is an expression of this and serves to bring that power to those around them.

Stomping gives power to the earth and the body, leaping encourages growth, and spinning indicates the radiation of power.
The gestures of the dance express the radiation and return, the rising and falling of power.

The “Sacred Dance of Beginnings” was likely improvisational and involved movements different from those of daily life.

Spirits were often imagined in chimerical forms, which represent the potential of all possibilities—being everything and nothing at once.
Perhaps the “Sacred Dance of Beginnings” was something like that as well.

Appendix 3: Animal Dance

In hunting cultures, hunters sometimes perform the dance of an animal before hunting it.

One reason for this is to imitate the animal and become the animal, thereby gaining a mystical (shamanic) connection to ensure the success of the hunt.

Another reason is to praise the animal's life through dance and to extend that life.
This is a return offering to the spirit of the animal.
Dance is something that expresses and extends life.

Beyond the hunting dances of hunting cultures, people all over the world have performed “animal dances” imitating animals for various purposes.

For example, in ancient Greece, there were animal dances for pigs (boars), bears, lions, wolves, leopards, stags, foxes, goats, horses, owls, roosters, swallows, snakes, lizards, and fish. (“The Dance of Ancient Greece” by L. B. Lawler (Miraisha))

One reason is likely that they believed they could obtain the mystical power of an animal by imitating it.

Also, certain animals were considered messengers or incarnations of specific gods, and those animals were offered or protected.
And during rituals, dances of those animals were sometimes offered.

Furthermore, in totemistic cultures, the ancestor of a specific clan was a totem animal.
Dancing the dance of that totem animal was a form of communion with ancestral spirits.

In shamanic societies such as those in North and South America, it is believed that each person has a power animal (guardian animal).
A power animal is an entity that serves as the source of a person's life force.

If a person does not occasionally dance the dance of their power animal, the power animal will leave. (“The Way of the Shaman” by Michael Harner (Hirakawa Shuppansha))

This dance is not something with fixed choreography.

It is the manifestation of the power of the power animal, and by dancing it, one confirms its existence and secures the connection.

Appendix 4: Late Esoteric Buddhism and Dance

The 'body' in the 'body, speech, and mind' of the Three Mysteries empowerment is basically a hand mudra.
It is nothing more than a shape of the fingertips, systematized as a symbol for a specific Buddha or similar entity.

However, in the era of Late Esoteric Buddhism, which emphasizes dynamism, deities began to be depicted in dancing postures.
This is basically the same posture as Dancing Shiva (Nataraja, the King of Dance, or Nateshvara, the Lord of Dance).

Also, banquet-like rituals accompanied by music and dance began to be performed.

However, the dance forms were never systematized by being linked to the families of the mandala.

In other words, dance was never turned into a doctrine or a practice method.

However, the contemporary Dzogchen master Namkhai Norbu devised a dance called the 'Vajra Dance' as an important practice.

This is performed in a group on a mandala and is considered a type of meditation that brings about the harmony of body, speech, and mind.

Please see below for details.

*The title image is Dancing Shiva from wikipedia