when was the last time you tried something new?

Was it sometime today?  or yesterday?

Last week?  or last year?

When was the last time you fell flat on your face?

We are two and a half weeks into 2015 already, and my question is:

What have you done so far that is brand new to you?

What experiences have you had where you are the newbie, the tenderfoot, the fledgling.

When was the last time that you were the new kid on the block?

When was the last time you were emerging?

For me, I am pretty comfy.

I know my way around.

I know what I like and what I don’t like

I am aware of the hierarchy in my little bubble of a world, and I know my place in it.

I haven’t been a neophyte in a long long time.

So for some godforsaken reason, I thought it was time to put myself in the position of being a beginner so that I could fall flat on my face.

And  I did.

Exactly 3 hours ago in my skate skiing lesson.  

I was on a tiny hump of a hill, and started to go down that little bump in the road, and then I was in snow, on my belly, sprawled out in all directions, flat on my face.

I can’t wait to try it again, though I am really glad I have 7 days between now and the next lesson.

I think there is something kinda amazing about being brand new to something.

Somebody told me once that when you are in that sort of experience — that sort of klutzy, unsure, and dithering experience — especially when it is movement related — that millions 

(she didn’t say millions…I don’t know how many, but I like the sound of millions, so let’s just say millions) of new neurons are forming in your brain, making connections with each other, and ultimately making you smarter and more shrewd.

So when I was face down in the cold cold snow earlier today, that is what I was saying to myself:

 “YES!!!  I am growing millions of neurons in my brain RIGHT NOW and those neurons are making connections with other neurons, which means that when I finally figure out how to stand up on my skis and get my head out of the snow I am going to be really really intelligent and really really perceptive and I will start to see the universe in a brand new way.” 

And that is exactly what happened after my instructor and another student pulled me up and out of the snow and I was sent back to the lodge to warm-up and drink hot chocolate while they finished up the lesson.

But in all seriousness, I think there is something fundamentally amazing about being in an unfamiliar and new environment, where you don’t know anyone and have no idea about how to proceed.  

I do actually think connections are made in your body and your brain that are psychically life altering and cellularly pleasing.

So, my dear:

Your dance mission for this week is to try something brand new that you have never tried before.

Notice how it feels.

Notice the sensations in your body.

Notice your breathing.

Notice how it changes over time.

As always, I would love love love to hear from you. 

You can leave a comment here, or email me directly.

With warmth,

Joanna

of 

Joanna and the Agitators.

sweetly agitating/persistently upending.