In our womens’ group we have been focusing on the hara, the belly center, and even more specifically, at the very center of the hara – the tant tien – where one can feel what has been called “the rhythm of the primordial force” by Kaneko Shoseki (see the appendix of Durckheim’s HARA, p.193). The tant tien is the center of gravity in our bodies, approximately two fingers below the navel, deep in the center of the belly. By focusing our attention on this center, we have been experiencing the rhythm of the universe flowing through us. It is the feeling of being breathed and nourished, being held and supported, by the Mother of us all. It is the feeling of connecting to Source, of being interconnected with all that moves, yet blossoming as a true individual, supported by the whole.
We have been exploring how the tant tien is energetically connected to the foot through the talus bone, where the tibia and fibula, the lower leg bones, meet the foot. When we walk with attention in our center, the weight of the body falls through the talus bone, and then 50% is distrbuted to the calcaneous (the heel), while the rest moves forward through the metatarsals. The energy then springs upward from the earth through the wellspring point just before the metatarsals. This feels deliciously supportive, as well as deeply connected to the Earth, as the tant tien has the same vibratory rhythm as the center of the Earth.
While dancing with this awareness of center, I have felt my body as a sacred temple, perfectly supported by the bones of the feet, like a cathedral on bedrock. This level of support allows me to feel my inner space geometrically, as if I am moving deeper into the temple through a series of sacred rooms.
The Nature of Us – Sabrina Page has an MA in Philosophy, Cosmology, and Consciousness, a background in movement and dance, focused on embodiment. She has been deeply influenced by her connection with nature, shaped by playing in woods and water growing up. Sabrina’s writing explores the earth community, love, body, embodiment, interconnection, our planetary moment, music – and the creativity and possibilities inherent in being human.