It is an insanely daunting task for a largely non-verbal person (unless it is for rants) to start a blog and then keep up with the habit of writing, verbalizing, and/or making sense. For me, the best way to do it is simply to surprise myself into doing it - impulse works for many neurodivergent people I suppose - and also procrastinating. Right now, it is on an impulse that I am starting this and also, procrastination on my perpetually pending applications for research opportunities.
So today, I have decided to take action on starting to build this habit. By taking one of my instagram reels and writing about it. For the last 5 years or so - since i started moderating our movement community and also facilitating spaces for movement exploration, I have been meaning to start writing about my practice. So i have procrastinated on this particular project for 5 years. I do share bits and pieces on social media now and then.
This blog will most likely be a mix of a lot of things - rants - of requiems, rhapsodies, and ennui from a late-assessed AuDHD artist. And its flow will totally be determined by my erratic brain chemistry and dopamine levels. Therefore, if someday, my brain decides to stop my supply of motivation midway through a writing session, an incomplete thought is what i will post. And of course, there will be addendums to each post in a subsequent post.
Now, finally coming to the title of the post and its content: I started a project series called “On Keeping Up With A Practice” (#OKUWAP) on Instagram in December 2023 during a residency with an artist collective in Kaunas, Lithuania. The introductory post read:
“It has been over a year since I have had a regular movement practice for myself. And it is only this practice that keeps me sane. Moving across the world and living almost every month of the past year in a different country might sound incredible and amazing. It is. But it also came with navigating bureaucracy, adjusting to chronic culture shocks, accidental damage, travel anxiety, finding time to actually do the work I love while also adapting to constantly changing environments, not having health insurance or money or the time and space to take care of myself and a ton of mental and physical health issues. All the while being under a flood of gratitude overwhelm at the truly amazing experiences I found myself in. And at the beginning of the year, I had no idea that this is how it would look and I had no space to prepare for it or put structures in place to ground myself.
I am certain this is not just me. It is a lot of people reading this right now. I want to make it a habit to make space for what nourishes me. And I see that it helps when I find a community that sticks it out with me.
Therefore, if you have something you want to make space for, I offer to stick it out with you. I will make time to practice my movement everyday in at least miniscule amounts and you can do the same with your practice. For me, it helps to share a reel or a post everyday. That way, when I need motivation, I turn to myself. It may look different for you and maybe you'll find some other way to log your time. But you can always turn to this account to find support.”
In continuation of OKUWAP, I started sharing my practice in reels under 10 seconds in hopes that you'll see it (because.. algorithm!) and start, continue, or resume your practice. And probably let me know so that I have some inspiration to do the same.
The first on in this series is about spaces and bodies in that space. To have a sacred space where I feel safe enough to explore movement has always been critical for my practice. It can be more than one space - as long as it's accessible to me at my sacred times: pre-determined times when I try to make it a priority to show up in the space with the intent of movement practice.
Your sacred space can be anywhere you feel it best - it has taken me many trials and errors to figure out what works for me and every time I move to a different place (which happens insanely often) I have to go through the whole process. But without a space it show up to, it becomes very difficult for me to start and then keep up with a practice. It has been many places, some better than others : space between my bed and study desk, kitchen, rooftop, some accessible studio space that I could book ahead, some park, garden, etc. But what was most important is that I was able to show up to that space for a given amount of time regularly and stay there - even if I didn't move at all on a day - I would simple be in the space. Some days I will have the energy and heart to practice a lot and other days I wouldn't do anything. But that excercise of showing up helped immensely. I would often come to the space knowing I will not move that day and end up having a really rewarding practice. The other way round also happens.
I would ask you to think of such spaces and maybe start being in a few spaces that you feel comfortable in by yourself, making a note, and turning up there for a little bit of time (even five minutes) everyday/every other day.
Next time, I'll probably write about what to do in the space!
P.S. Please let me know what you'd like to read about from me. This will give me some inspiration to keep ranting about things close to my heart <3
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