From now on, I am just going to SHUT UP and Dance... Do you know the song?
It has been a wild ride over the last few years and I have to admit that embracing Latin dancing was the only thing that revitalised my soul and definitely kept me sane during a time when I was completely vulnerable and broken.
If I hadn't discovered Latin dancing (in particular) Salsa... I hate to think what would have happened to me. You see I had a breakdown... of the nervous kind, they called it an acute stress episode.
When I look back at where I was and where I am now, these two places are worlds apart. I am amazed at how my hardship, stress and mental health trauma forced me to (eventually) dig deep and drag myself out that dark, dark place that had been so cruelly imposed upon me. The "alternative" was not an option for me, I knew I was so close to dropping off the grid and NOT keeping it together... I can visual the image of seeing fingernail imprints scratched along the edge of the cliff as a symbol of where I was headed - DOWN.
As I clung on for dear life, it was clear to me that I was so close to falling and never climbing back out of that deep dark gloomy crevice.
In 2014 - if someone had announced that I was going to fall into the biggest darkest pit FULL of venomous snakes and then encounter unspeakable horrors that would be inflicted upon me by the ones I loved and other evil peeps... I would have called "B" "S" (@ ull / @ hit) - unfortunately it happened and the truth is an ugly twisted tale.
Dancing has helped regain my happiness, when all I could be was sad. It has provided me with some company when all I felt was stark loneliness and it has helped me defeat the demons that possessed me and kept torturing my soul. Finally, I am free of the terrible past that kept me trapped in a world of trauma and mental punishment.
This is a fairly dramatic introduction for my first post on Steemit, but it had to be said straight up that the true gift of a lifetime is my passion for Latin dancing.... it has saved my soul and kept my eternal fire alive - when everything else was so dismal. Now my world burns so brightly especially when I dance and with a positive force let the journey and adventure continue as I prepare to journal and blog as "Miminejo" the divine feminine who just wants to SHUT UP and dance, because now I can truly spread my wings and fly. (Takes a bow)
Through blogging I hope I can help others find their own passion to become whole again... not just through dancing but in the knowledge that once completely broken... there will come a time for resurrection, like a Phoenix rising from the ashes. It is impossible to imagine the powerful forces at play here, as the Universe in all it's wonderful glory shakes you off and sets you back on your path with lessons learnt and such wisdom that comes from devastating destruction.
How then will we triumph and prevail to come out stronger, happier and better than ever imagined.
During my darkest hours I learnt the benefits of keeping a journal and the helped me reflect upon my lessons, there was so much solitude, heartbreak and loneliness. I thought I would never be able to come out of that dreadful place. Those emotions that washed over me time and time again... taking over my mind and body, so that resistance was futile - as I had no power over it.
Quite probably there was mostly fear, definitely feelings of hopelessness and anxiety which incapacitated me time and time again.... Ohhhhhh my God the pain was unnerving and I prayed for release that was extremely slow to come about - because it ebbed and flowed with tides of life.
My life changed (although it took a long time) and I was forced to confront all of my demons and fears, but my one passion and enjoyment through out this traumatic experience has been Latin dancing. I have learned to live and love life again through the music and the movement.
It has been my absolute savoir... even to the point that when I finally took a leap of bravery to travel overseas on my own, it was dancing that got me there and made every single minute so precious and exciting. Doing these things prior to this would have been impossible, if not UN-enjoyable as I would have been too stressed and distracted by my fears.
Latin dancing was like a diving board that allowed me to jump into the water and splash about with glee - no fear, only excitement and happiness. Like I said "A GIFT".... and this is where the real story begins.