One thing is for sure, the genie is out of the bottle and we’re not going back anytime soon. You can debate the merits of technology’s advance until you’re blue in the face, but the fact remains that the world is changing faster all the time, and our kids are going to have a much different experience growing up than we did.
One topic that you hear a lot about these days is Artificial Intelligence. AI as it is known is purported to be the panacea that will relieve our beleaguered brains of their burdens once and for all. From our point of view here in 2016, while we are still driving our own cars and hiring real-life people for services such as law and healthcare, it’s hard to imagine how different our world is about to become.
For a thoughtful preview of coming attractions, I highly recommend you taking the time to read part one and part two of this illuminating article by Tim Urban on the Wait, but Why? website. If we can believe the soothsayers, we’ll be able to outsource nearly everything to the machine except for creativity, intuition, and the capacity to love and feel emotions.
Which brings us back to the flip side of all this technology, something that most of you movers and shakers on my list are well acquainted with, and that is Body Intelligence. Since the one question that science seems at a loss to answer is: “Where exactly does this ineffable thing called consciousness actually live, and how does it work?” it seems that the term ‘body intelligence’ may be something of a misnomer.
My intuition and personal experience tells me that consciousness, and by extension intelligence, don’t actually live in our flesh and blood and muscles like the software in a machine, but they support a complex system of mirror neurons and brain cells that function as our antenna into the morphogenetic field where we tap into universal super-consciousness on one hand, and our own individual experience of it on the other.
What happens when we become ‘embodied’ by consciously dancing and cultivating mindfulness practices is that we ‘tune up our receivers’ and become clear channels for creativity, intuition, and love to flow through. This brings me back to the point I’d like to make about bringing awareness to our collective dance with “the machine.”
My dear friend Timothy Leary passed away just a few years after the advent of the Internet. In one of his later books, a prescient volume called “Chaos and Cyberculture” he pointed out that computers were going to give us the opportunity to ‘push back’ on the screen, and allow us to accelerate our individual creativity, in contrast to the one-way programming of television that ‘pulls’ us in.
What he may not have envisioned was how effective technology has become at distracting us. When you’re facing the screen, most likely one of two things is happening. Content, information, or entertainment is pulling you in, or you are pushing your creativity and inspiration out. Interactive activities such as online gaming or social media are designed to maximize your engagement time with the device, while creative pursuits usually require some focus and effort to become proficient. Short-term buzz versus long-term results.
Anyone who has ever got lost in their Facebook feed, played a video game past bedtime, or binge-watched Netflix knows exactly what I’m talking about. Alternatively, people who used to paste-up magazine layouts with red tape and a razor blade or make architectural drawings by hand or compose music on paper know how incredibly easy it has become turn their imaginative visions into reality with a few clicks of the mouse.
More and more these days I find myself counseling other parents about kids and technology. Teenage screen addiction is an unfortunate byproduct of the modern world, often encouraged by well-meaning adults who mistakenly believe that every toddler needs an iPad. While the topic is fodder for another much longer post, my advice boils down to this. Keep them screen-free for as long as possible when they’re little, and do everything you can to create space for their imagination to grow, (start by buying a turntable!). When they’re old enough to grab technology by the tail, do your best to steer them towards something that they can push on.
When you model embodiment and honor creativity in your own life, you empower the essence of humanity to rise above the fray. Watch where you are being pulled, and pay attention to where you can push. As our world evolves, the creative beauty inside you is becoming our most valuable natural resource. Let it flow!
Much love and best wishes on this historic election eve!
M+
Mark Metz
Director of the Dance First Association
Publisher of Conscious Dancer Magazine
Dance First Member Spotlight:Azul, One Dance Tribe, and Amara Pagano!
Did you know that Hawaii is one of the most remote places on the planet? It sits by itself practically dead center of the Pacific Ocean, 2,290 miles from California and 3,850 miles from Japan. And yet it’s hardly isolated, being one of the most accessible crossroads for international travel and one of the jewels of the planet with an amazing ecosystem and culture, home to over 1.39 million people.
The vibe there is truly unique, and that’s why it’s such an appropriate home for Hawaii edition of the One Dance Tribe annual international conscious dance gathering, hosted by the renowned team from Azul Conscious Movement, Amara Pagano and Pierpaolo de Angelis.
Since 2013 they’ve been meeting twice a year in Hawaii and Europe with a carefully curated collection of movement leaders to offer an in-depth experience where participants can partake in a wide variety of movement and transformation practices, and commune with kindred spirits from around the globe.
This years faculty includes Soul Motion’s Vinn Arjuna Martí, Dancing Freedom’s Samantha Sweetwater, 5Rhythm’s Jo Cobbett, Open Floor’s Jenny Macke, Wave Continuum’s Eva Geueke, and of course Azul’s Amara Pagano, among many others.
Immediately following the week-long One Dance Tribe event you can immerse yourself further in the Path of Azul 4-day Awakening Love Retreat with Amara Pagano. The One Dance Tribe and Awakening Love Retreat packages are all-inclusive, including accommodation and all organic meals at the spectacular Camp Keanae on Maui.
Now is the time to reserve your spot at either or both of these amazing events. Early bird pricing is in effect until the 19th of this month and there’s a great deal available to combine the two, so sign up now and book your tickets while fares are still low. And there’s nothing like gifting someone you love with a surprise trip to dance in paradise to start the new year off right!
