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"Don't you feel it too?" FINALE and Celebration Dinner

Daring dancers, and inner-life explorers! Our final and 27th dance session of the year is today, September 23, 5:00-6:30pm.

SCHEDULE
At 5:00pm do your warm-up, and start dancing at your own pace and place. If you want to start with me, I'll be at Peavey Plaza.
At 6:00pm we dance together along Nicollet Mall anywhere from 3rd to 11th Streets.
At 6:30pm do your cool-down and final sivasana or resting.

Please dress appropriately for rain and cold, and be careful of the slippery surfaces. Maybe bring a towel to dry off. The rain will be a big part of your trepidation and your breaking through. It'll feel very different, but we've done it before in the rain. Stay present, watch out for umbrellas, and be smart out there. Remember, this is your practice, and you can adjust it to suit your needs, and take care.

DINNER
The celebration dinner starts at 7:00pm at Evergreen Restaurant, 2424 Nicollet Ave. S. RSVP at dyfit@graceminnesota.org. Remember to bring $10 cash for dinner and your stories to share! I'll end my session at Peavey Plaza for anyone who wants a ride to dinner.

Practicing happiness, marcus

“…love like your heart has never been broken, and dance like no one is watching." -Aurora Greenway

WORKSHOP in SAN JOSE, CA

Marcus leads Don't you feel it too? at the San Jose Biennial--Friday, Sept 17, 5:30-7:30pm

http://01sj.org/2010/attend/workshops/dont-you-feel-it-too-workshop/


DANCE, MINNEAPOLIS

Last 3 chances to experience Don't you feel it too? this season. We invite daring dancers and inner-life explorers. Unexpected freedom, purposeful self-embarrassment, and the practice of dancing our inner lives in public places. Everyone is welcome--artists and non-artists.

Thursday, Sept 16, 5:30-7:30pm. Meet at Peavey Plaza at 5:30pm.

Monday, Sept 20, 5:30-7:30pm. Meet at Peavey Plaza at 5:30pm.

FINALE: Thursday, Sept 23, 5:00-6:30pm. Meet at Peavey Plaza at 5:00pm.

Celebration Dinner-Evergreen Restaurant, 2424 Nicollet, 7pm, $10.

To participate:

• Bring your portable music player, headphones, and your most beloved music on a playlist.
• Wear comfortable street-dancing shoes and clothes.
• Don't bring anything you can't put in your pocket so that you can dance freely. Leave stuff in your car or at home.
• More instructions are given before you dance. Free. Just show up.

SATURDAY MORNING SPIRITUALITY, ST. PAUL

Saturday 10am-12noon spirituality discussions. We spend quiet and thoughtful Saturday mornings together. We listen to recorded lectures and interviews, and discuss. No preparation is required. NEW LOCATION: MACALESTER COLLEGE. Check back for exact room.

Sept 25: Irish poet John O'Donahue on beauty as a defining aspect of God

http://speakingoffaith.publicradio.org/programs/2009/john_odonohue/

Oct 2: Rheumatologist Esther Sternberg on stress, the body, and the mind

http://speakingoffaith.publicradio.org/programs/2008/stress/

Oct 9: New York Times' David Brooks on emotions, the cognitive revolution, and public policy.

http://www.aifestival.org/audio-video-library.php?menu=3&title=602&action=full_info

Oct 23: Buddhist nun Pema Chodron, Getting Unstuck: Breaking Your Habitual Patterns and Encountering Naked Reality (Part 1 of 3)

Oct 30: Buddhist nun Pema Chodron, Getting Unstuck: Breaking Your Habitual Patterns and Encountering Naked Reality (Part 2 of 3)

Nov 6: Buddhist nun Pema Chodron, Getting Unstuck: Breaking Your Habitual Patterns and Encountering Naked Reality (Part 3 of 3)

Nov 13: Depression and the human soul with Parker Palmer, Anita Barrows, and Andrew Solomon

http://speakingoffaith.publicradio.org/programs/2009/depression/

Nov 20: Technology journalist David Kirkpatrick talks about The Facebook Effect

http://minnesota.publicradio.org/display/web/2010/08/10/midday2/

Practicing happiness,

Marcus Young and Grace MN

Upcoming Summer Activities

NEW TIME for our dance sessions: 5:30-7:30pm. We’re pushing back the time by 30 minutes so more people can attend. Meet at 5:30pm at the same place—Peavey Plaza—every Monday and Thursday.

Mark your calendars! The Don't you feel it too? Nicollet Mall season will end Thursday, September 23. A celebration dinner follows the big dance, just $10 per person. It's a time to share experiences and hear how the practice has advanced. Details forthcoming.

Upcoming Saturday morning 10am-12noon spirituality discussions. We listen together to recorded lectures and interviews, and discuss, so no preparation required. TEMPORARY LOCATION: 209 8th St. E. #410, St. Paul, 55101

Sept 4: Thich Nhat Hanh’s “Teachings on Love”

(Part 2, but we will review Part 1, so everyone can attend)

Sept 11: New York Times’ David Brooks on the emotions, the cognitive revolution, and public policy.

http://www.aifestival.org/audio-video-library.php?menu=3&title=602&action=full_info

For the details of how to participate in any of this, see the previous posting below. Thank you!

Grace Minnesota Summer Activities at Art of This

A NEW ART, A NEW SPIRITUALITY!
Grace Minnesota is offering a whole bunch of great activities this summer, all in the name of a new art, a new spirituality! Are you ready?

It's our third year of "Don't you feel it too?"--freeing our spirit through dancing our inner lives in public places. Crazy, huh? Open to everyone, regular Monday and Thursday sessions start June 21, 5-7pm on Nicollet Mall. To find out more, see below. We're also offering free yoga classes led by the inspiring Helena Raghubir of the Center for Happiness. Classes on select Monday and Thursday mornings will be at Art of This Gallery as part of the Open Summer program. Again, more details below. We'll hold 10 Saturday morning spirituality discussions based on recorded lectures or MPR Speaking of Faith podcasts that we listen to together. Open to everyone, sessions are Saturdays, 10am to 12 noon. More details below. If you're interested in any of this, just show up. If you have questions, send email to dyfit@graceminnesota.org. Art of This Gallery is located at 3506 Nicollet Ave, Mpls 55408. Yoga is 5000 years old. "Don't you feel it too?" is just 3 years old. Help us create it. Thank you! With practiced happiness, Marcus Young and Grace MN

Now, the details...

1. DON'T YOU FEEL IT TOO? DANCE SESSIONS

For daring dancers and inner-life explorers! "Don't you feel it too?" is the practice of freeing our spirit through dancing our inner lives in public places. A courageous and joyful act of purposeful self-embarrassment, the work is also mind-body study, gentle social protest, participatory public art, and physical exercise. An aspiring spiritual technology, it's free, and everyone is welcome to come for one or more sessions.

Sessions are every Monday and Thursday, 5-7pm, starting June 21 and going through the summer. Meet at Peavy Plaza on Nicollet Mall at 5pm. For up-to-date information, follow us on Facebook

To participate:

• Bring your portable music player, headphones, and your most beloved music on a playlist.
• Wear comfortable street-dancing shoes and maybe sunscreen.
• Don't bring anything you can't put in your pocket so that you can dance freely. We discourage backpacks. Leave stuff in your car or at home. Bring a donation if you want. We appreciate it!

2. FREE YOGA CLASSES

We are learning some basics in Kundalini Yoga, and you are invited to join us for one or more classes. We're using this opportunity to understand how an established spiritual practice can inform our developing practice of "Don't you feel it too?" Thank you Helena Raghubir, our teacher, and Art of This Gallery for the Open Summer residency program.

Yoga classes are 9.45am - 11.00am at Art of This Gallery, 3506 Nicollet Ave, Mpls 55408 on these dates: Monday, June 21; Monday, July 5; Thursday, July 22; Thursday, Aug 5; and Thursday, Aug 19.

To participate:

• Please dress for movement and bring a yoga mat, an extra mat if you have one to share, water, and optional items for relaxation like a pillow and blanket.
• The tradition of yoga encompasses the concept of "when you come empty-handed, you leave empty-handed." To receive the most out of a yoga class, the student is asked to find something to give. Since we are not assessing a formal fee for this class, we suggest that you consider giving a free-will donation. This could be a monetary donation to the teacher, a donation to the charity of your choice in any amount, or an offering such as fruit, flowers from your garden, or incense to the teacher or to other students. Your donation could also be giving your time as a volunteer to the cause of your choice. It is suggested that you make this donation as feels best to you within a week of receiving the class.

Helena Raghubir has been practicing yoga and studying holistic healing since 1993. She is a certified Kundalini Yoga Professional Teacher Trainer, Level III Sat Nam Rasayan Practitioner, Neurolinguistic Psychology Practitioner, Reiki Master Usui and Karuna, CMT, and Reflexologist. She is the director of the Center for Happiness.

3. DISCUSSIONS ABOUT SPIRITUALITY AND DON'T YOU FEEL IT TOO?

Let's talk about spirituality...after we listen to people who really know the stuff. Some examples of what we'll listen to include recorded lectures by Pema Chodren and Speaking of Faith radio interviews on topics of play, beauty, science, social activism, etc. One hour of listening together, then one hour of talking together. We'll also explore how these ideas connect to our developing practice "Don't you feel it too?"

Every Saturday, 10am - 12 noon, from June 26 to August 28. Everyone is welcome. Bring a cushion or mat if you have one. Upcoming Saturday morning spirituality discussions at Art of This gallery will be these topics:

Aug 7: Thich Nhat Hanh’s “Teachings on Love”

Aug 14: Sherwin Nuland, former surgeon discusses the human spirit as an evolutionary accomplishment of the brain
http://speakingoffaith.publicradio.org/programs/2009/biologyofthespirit/

Aug 21: Rachel Naomi Remen, the art of listening, and the difference between curing and healing
http://speakingoffaith.publicradio.org/programs/2010/listening-generously/

For questions about any of the above, contact: dyfit@graceminnesota.org.

Next Dyfit?--Wednesday, 3/31, 5.00-7.30pm, Hamline Midway Library

Hello Dyfiters,

Our final session of the "winter" season will be tomorrow Wednesday, March 31, 5:00-7:30pm, at the Hamline Midway Library, 1558 W. Minnehaha Ave.  We don't know yet what the topic will be, but if it's anything like last time, we'll be out in the sun and fresh air and grass.  Also, we'll do some planning for our outdoor season which will start in May.

Always wanting to see what other practices are out there to help us better figure out what we're doing, I've come across these two:

www.laughteryoga.org/
www.danceanywhere.org/index.htm

With practiced happiness, marcus


*****
Inviting artists and non-artists interested in PUBLIC DANCE, MISCHIEF, AND JOY--"Don't you feel it too?"

We're looking for daring dancers and inner-life explorers!  “Don’t you feel it too?” is a newly-discovered mind-body practice of freeing the spirit through dancing your inner life in public places. A generous and courageous act of self-embarrassment and joy, the work is also emotional study, gentle protest, performance, and physical exercise. It premiered during the RNC in Saint Paul in 2008. Currently, over the winter, we are developing this form in indoor settings in preparation for our practice season outdoors on Nicollet Mall. Free, no obligation, and everyone is welcome to come for one or more sessions.

If you're interested, contact Tamara at Dyfit@graceminnesota.org, or just drop in.  **Important: Bring your mp3 player with your favorite music on a playlist and street-dancing shoes.**  www.graceminnesota.org

Final session of the indoor season:
Wed March 31, 5.00-7.30pm, Hamline Midway Library, 1558 W. Minnehaha Ave.

Next Dyfit?--Monday 3/15, 5.00-7.30pm, St. Anthony Park Library

Our next session will be tomorrow Monday, March 15, 5:00-7:30pm, and the topic will be: "The Physical Spaces: Center, Fringe, Audience, Interaction."  We're at the St. Anthony Park Library, 2245 Como Ave.

We learned a lot from our last session when we worked on "Endurance and Meeting Ourselves at the Limits" including:

1. When we work on endurance, we may get an out-of-body experience and feel the hilarity and wonder of the practice. You laugh and love it so much, feeling clarity with exhaustion.

2. We didn't have to stay inside the whole endurance session.  We could go back and forth, outside and inside, to feel the differences in temperature, interaction, environment, etc.

3. Serving each other simple refreshments at the end of a long endurance session was a nice ritual.  It nurtured the group and created another way to be together.

Hope to see you at Dyfit? for last two sessions of our winter indoor season.  With practiced happiness, marcus


*****
Inviting artists and non-artists interested in PUBLIC DANCE, MISCHIEF, AND JOY--"Don't you feel it too?"

We're looking for daring dancers and inner-life explorers!  “Don’t you feel it too?” is a newly-discovered mind-body practice of freeing the spirit through dancing your inner life in public places. A generous and courageous act of self-embarrassment and joy, the work is also emotional study, gentle protest, performance, and physical exercise. It premiered during the RNC in Saint Paul in 2008. Currently, over the winter, we are developing this form in indoor settings in preparation for our practice season outdoors on Nicollet Mall. Free, no obligation, and everyone is welcome to come for one or more sessions.

If you're interested, contact Tamara at Dyfit@graceminnesota.org, or just drop in.  **Important: Bring your mp3 player with your favorite music on a playlist and street-dancing shoes.**  www.graceminnesota.org

Final sessions of the indoor season:
Mon March 15, 5.00-7.30pm, Saint Anthony Park Library, 2245 Como Ave.
Wed March 31, 5.00-7.30pm, Hamline Midway Library, 1558 W. Minnehaha Ave.

Next Dyfit?--Monday 3/1, 5.00-7.30pm, St. Anthony Park Library

Our next session will be Monday, March 1, 5:00-7:30pm, and the topic is a good one: "Endurance and Meeting Ourselves at the Limits."  We're at the St. Anthony Park Library, 2245 Como Ave.

Theresa and Julia will be our fearless leaders.  Also, don't forget Theresa and Mad King Thomas this weekend at the Southern!

With practiced happiness, marcus


*****
Inviting artists and non-artists interested in PUBLIC DANCE, MISCHIEF, AND JOY--"Don't you feel it too?"

We're looking for daring dancers and inner-life explorers!  “Don’t you feel it too?” is a newly-discovered mind-body practice of freeing the spirit through dancing your inner life in public places. A generous and courageous act of self-embarrassment and joy, the work is also emotional study, gentle protest, performance, and physical exercise. It premiered during the RNC in Saint Paul in 2008. Currently, over the winter, we are developing this form in indoor settings in preparation for our practice season outdoors on Nicollet Mall. Free, no obligation, and everyone is welcome to come for one or more sessions.

If you're interested, contact Tamara at Dyfit@graceminnesota.org, or just drop in.  **Important: Bring your mp3 player with your favorite music on a playlist and street-dancing shoes.**  www.graceminnesota.org

Mon March 1, 5.00-7.30pm, Saint Anthony Park Library, 2245 Como Ave.
Mon March 15, 5.00-7.30pm, Saint Anthony Park Library, 2245 Como Ave.
Wed March 31, 5.00-7.30pm, Hamline Midway Library, 1558 W. Minnehaha Ave.

Next Dyfit? dance: Wed Feb 17, 5.00-7.30pm

At "Don't you feel it too?" winter session #3, our theme was "Get Intimate with Your Music."
Here's some of what we found:

1. We were pleasantly surprised we could hear our own well-known music in
new and deeper ways.
2. We found that it can be good to perform as if in our own personal, bad,
imaginary musical.
3. We observed our minds unable to focus on a song for its entire
duration, with many visual and mental stimuli occupying the same space.

The next practice session is this Wednesday.  You can forward the below
message to friends.  This week's theme is dancing in pairs or groups and
will be led by Julia and Theresa.

Since we worked on "Dyfit as prayer" two sessions ago, I heard recently a
new way of thinking about prayer: "Prayer is falling in love with life."  I
think that describes how I feel when I dance this dance.

With practiced happiness, marcus


*****
Inviting artists and non-artists interested in PUBLIC DANCE, MISCHIEF, AND
JOY--"Don't you feel it too?"

We're looking for daring dancers and inner-life explorers!  “Don’t you
feel it too?” is a newly-discovered mind-body practice of freeing the
spirit through dancing your inner life in public places. A generous and
courageous act of self-embarrassment and joy, the work is also emotional
study, gentle protest, performance, and physical exercise. It premiered
during the RNC in Saint Paul in 2008. Currently, over the winter, we are
developing this form in indoor settings in preparation for our practice
season outdoors on Nicollet Mall. Free, no obligation, and everyone is
welcome to come for one or more sessions.

If you're interested, contact Tamara at Dyfit@graceminnesota.org, or just
drop in.  **Important: Bring your mp3 player with your favorite music on a
playlist and street-dancing shoes.**  www.graceminnesota.org

Wed Feb 17, 5.00-7.30pm, Hamline Midway Library, 1558 W. Minnehaha Ave.
Mon March 1, 5.00-7.30pm, Saint Anthony Park Library, 2245 Como Ave.
Mon March 15, 5.00-7.30pm, Saint Anthony Park Library, 2245 Como Ave.
Wed March 31, 5.00-7.30pm, Hamline Midway Library, 1558 W. Minnehaha Ave.

Dyfit? winter indoor practice starts Jan. 13, 6-8pm

Dear Dyfit?-ers,

 

We don't know enough about the mysterious and crazy "Don't you feel it too?" so we continue our exploration indoors this winter.  Come dance with us and develop this practice of mind, body, and meeting ourselves and each other.  Here is some of what we know:

 

*We're meeting on Wed, Jan 13, 6-8pm at Saint Anthony Park Library (2245 Como Avenue St. Paul, MN 55108) meeting room.

*Please RSVP to Kathleen at kathleen@graceminnesota.org

*We will do some dancing, maybe meditating, talking, planning, etc.

*Bring your mp3 player with your favorite music on a playlist and normal street-dancing shoes.  The floor surface is tile.

*Bring friends, anyone is welcome, yet we are not advertising this to the general public at this time.

*We want to embark on a 1000-year journey of exploration, and this is year 2.

*We are tentatively holding the next session on Wed, Jan 27, at 5 or 6pm, so put that on your calendars.

*If you can't come Wed nights, and you really want to join us, email Kathleen your February availability.

 

I saw on PBS last night that science is proving your happiness affects people up to 3 degrees of separation away from you, like my friends' friends' friends...hmmm...more dancing! 

 

Hope to see you Wednesday,  marcus