As a person who studies movement, musicality, and force, my favourite moments of life are when I am being controlled by outer forces. Within reason, I love the feeling of rollercoasters or plane rides that may be turbulent, and it gives me great joy to feel out of control for a bit. I am able to relax into the waves of push and pull.
I love to be dragged by my friend on the floor after a night out.
I love the way this video is sculpted.
I find comfort in the bumpiness of rollercoaster rides because I know that I am stuck inside a seat and there is no where to go. Yes, they can be scary at times but if I trust that the engineers and crew have designed it specifically for safety then I can just enjoy myself. The slow up towards the big first drop allows for gravity to be felt at full capacity. There is so much force pulling me down but the ride just keeps going up. Then the drop happens and we follow gravity like a servant. I feel so in-tune with the Earth’s pull that my mind goes to my happy place and my organs settle down for once. They aren’t fighting anything, unless, of course I had a full meal beforehand. Otherwise, I let the ride do its job of sending me around, about, and through wind. It’s magical and peaceful. Like a yoga class with more seatbelts.
Another fleeting moment of uncontrollable happiness is when a plane takes off and lands. The start of an airplane experience begins with a huge jolt backwards into the cushion seat. My immediate reaction would be to fight this feeling and find my own posture sans force, but I let go of any tension in my back to allow the ascend to be pleasureful. Eventually, the plane starts to go down toward ground level and the few seconds where the plane has to defeat itself and come to driving speed I release forward into a glorious contraction, almost hitting the seat in front of me. It’s so wonderful! My body has completely given up!
Finally, the last moment I will share with you comes from my time in California at a beach that I forget the name of. The group of people I was with didn’t feel too keen on swimming but I was drawn to the water. The waves were extra crazy and the sun was warm on my pale skin. I found my footing in the sand and took a selfish amount of time to submerge into the water. Getting out far enough, my mind raced to where the water must be coming from. The Pacific Ocean, nonetheless, but where exactly did the current start? I belonged there, I thought. Even though I wasn’t quite far out, I still felt separated from my friends. It wasn’t a dangerous amount of space but it was safe enough that I could feel personally attached to the salty waves. Sun shining, waves going, and suddenly I forgot that I had legs to stir myself. I just went along with where ever I went. In fact, one big wave brushed my sunglasses off! I tried to search for them but knew there was absolutely no use. Oh well. My mind settled back into its seashell and the waves took their time to carry me to the shore. Stepping on the sand again reminded me of when you step off a treadmill and it feels weird to be solid in your gait.
“Oh there ain’t no diamonds in the boredom. Oh there ain’t no darkness that I fear. Oh there ain’t no way to say I love you more, so be clear, just to be clear.” – Ben Howard
