Hello Friends,

Definitions for today:

Primal: 1) essential; fundamental. 2) relating to an early stage in evolutionary development

Primal Rhythm: Rhythm composed of fundamental rhythmic structures.

Rhythm is primal, fundamental and essential. If our bodies lose rhythm we find out very quickly. For example your heartbeat. Variation is good, too much and we put in a pace maker to keep you alive. Or breathing, easy in and out, all is well. Breath too fast and hyperventilate. Hold your breath and hopefully you wake up uninjured on the floor. These primal rhythms in our bodies we can manipulate through activity, but we do not control.

Being in a TaKeTiNa journey is very similar. We can not control all the parts of a rhythm. If we try to control each piece entirely, we fall out. We have to find a way to allow our bodies and minds to relinquish control and let it happen. Feel the pulse in the room, step. Move with the group and on our own, clap. Hear the voices around us, sing. A multilayered rhythmic structure can not be embodied by will alone; it takes surrendering some of that control and allowing it to flow.

Quite often I am told by first time participants that TaKeTiNa felt very “Primal.”(2) I know I felt that as well. For me it also felt good, empowering and useful to tap into something primal in a safe and fun way. I still don’t know why it feels primal (2), but it does, and I am working on letting that go. Maybe this weekend we will have a revelation of why it feels primal, and you probably don’t want to miss that! Your friends don’t want to miss it either.

Peace,
Jacob