5, 6, 7, 8…
One of the ways we used to rehearse routines for dance performances was by practicing as if we were already in costume and on stage, even if we were just in a small, sweaty studio with our teacher and a semi-functional sound system.
The more we danced full-out as if we were in front of an audience – even if it didn’t feel like a full-on show in the moment – the more natural it was to step onto the stage and give it our all, because it was all already embodied.
I’ve been thinking about this lately as a metaphor for how we can choose to operate: to practice living as if we’re already on the main stage of this one precious life.
It’s important for me to take my own advice here, because the last few years have been transitions on transitions without much certainty to spare – but when is life ever 100% certain?
(The answer is rarely / never.)
And even though I have a well-equipped mindfulness tool belt, it has been admittedly tough for me to practice being happy in the midst of so much uncertainty.
This is of course understandable and not something to invalidate, but getting stuck in downward spirals hasn’t done me any favors either.
Because the thing is, we can’t always wait for the performance to show up fully.
If we don’t consistently practice being the person we aspire to be, how will we have the stamina, confidence, and physiological knowledge of how to embody it all – whether it’s in the present moment or in the future when our big moment arrives?
In a way, this is also how the philosophical teaching of Sutra 1.14 advises us to practice yoga: for a long time, without interruption, with devotion.
When we practice how we want to live and who we desire to be (dancing as if we’re already on the main stage) – even if we don’t fully feel it yet – we can train our mindset and body to experience our desired outcome (the performance) now.
Martin Short – who might secretly be a wisdom keeper of some sort? – shared on Amy Poehler’s podcast that when he felt low before a talk show appearance, he would ask himself what it would be like to do an impersonation of a happy version of himself.
By aiming to act like a version of you who is already joyful, even if and when you feel otherwise, your mind and mood might eventually shift and respond accordingly.
So a potential result is being in a better mood in the moment instead of waiting for something or someone to make you feel better in the future.
We can use the 4 Mindset Tools I wrote about to help us notice how we currently feel, get in touch with how we desire to feel or how we want our life to be, and shift our thoughts and actions as if we are already in that desired physical place / headspace.
This is not unlike the teachings of meditation teachers, neuroscientists, and spiritual leaders like Dr Joe Dispenza, To Be Magnetic, David Ghiyam, Yoga, etc etc.
Trust me, I know from experience that this is sometimes easier said than done.
But the more I practice it, the better I feel, and the less I wait for external sources to fill the gaps I once felt, because I’m filling them myself.
This doesn’t mean I bypass emotions – I actually find I’m able to go deeper into them, even if I can’t always pinpoint where they stem from or why they feel so heavy.
But instead of getting swallowed by emotions, I consider how I want my main performance to look / feel like, then try my best to practice stepping into that energy by shifting my thoughts and actions to the person I desire to be on the main stage.
Because if we don’t practice embodying our aligned, magnetic, luminous future selves now, how will we ever know how to be that person when the curtain opens?
(And what if the curtain opens now? 5, 6, 7, 8!)
If we keep marking it instead of rehearsing the piece full-out, we risk missing the opportunity to make the present-moment performance a showstopper.
I’m definitely still a work in progress, but I think it’s worth practicing for.
Let me know what you think 🙂
Reach out for coaching and support to step into your most aligned performance – 20 minute intro calls are free.
Take good care,
S
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