The absolute minimum that you need to get started with Shiva Nata (also known as Dance of Shiva) is just two things:

• A space in which you can move your arms around
• The rules in which to move your arms

However, for those of us with a less ascetic bent, you can be a whole lot easier on yourself.  In fact, I’d totally recommend that you are because that way you can spend more time and effort on getting into your practice rather than worrying about what the heck you’re supposed to be doing.

If you’re a software geek (or you’ve just used enough software to recognise the difference between “I want to smash this stupid program through a wall” and “I didn’t even notice the program I was using”), think of it like a well-designed interface.  It makes it all about getting the job done rather than learning how to work the piece of software itself.  But I’d best not go on or I’ll start a rant about software interface design, and I have my other blog for that.

Second: The easy route to starting Shiva Nata

So, if you prefer the easier route then here’s 4 seriously easy steps to get you on your way:

1. Check out my review of the Shiva Nata Starter Kit from Havi – then go buy it!
2. Find a space where you can move your arms about without whacking furniture, light fittings or walls – or you can be like me and learn the hard way
3. [The trickiest for some.]  Make sure you have some time when you can do this on your own (or with others who are doing this with you).  Believe me, you will feel silly when you first start doing this.  It doesn’t take too long to get into it, but until you’re used to the movement you want to avoid anything putting you off practicing whenever you can.
4. Grab some paper and a pen.  You will want this to capture your thoughts and ideas.  Seriously.  Keep this with you at all times.  Or again, learn the hard way

Third: The extremely structured guide to starting Shiva Nata

Some of you may prefer a very structured approach (so not my style) so here’s a more structured version of the easy guide:

1. Check out my review of the Shiva Nata Starter Kit from Havi – then go buy it!
2. Set a time that you will work on this for 20 minutes every day.
3. Find a space with room to move your arms around where you can be alone.
4. Get a notebook or journal to record your thoughts (a quick guide is also included in the starter kit).

Have you any other tips for the shiva-curious?  Or are you shiva-curious yourself with a question?  Shout out in the comments section, I’d love to know what else has helped/would help.

I made a note about the fact that my feet were cold when relaxing after practice – my favourite part.  I lie flat on the floor and completely relaxed (Yoga peeps will know this as Shavasana or corpse pose).  If you’ve ever seen a Bunny Flop you know what I mean.

Writing the note let an idea through…

My clever thought was this: wear some socks!  It sounds silly and obvious, but it was something I would never have considered if I hadn’t given my thought about my cold feet some attention (one of the reasons to keep a journal).  If you’re anything like me you won’t go and get a pair of socks now and put them where you practice/with your notebook/on the floor somewhere – but you might remember this post next time you realise your feet are freezing!

Which then led to me having a lovely warm feeling!

The next day as I lay down I suddenly remembered about the socks and got to have lovely warm feet – now that’s a result!

Writing things down does more than get ideas that are running lose in your head out and onto paper.  It gives them a tiny amount of undivided attention.  If you read productivity blogs you’ll know about the idea of focussing on one idea at a time, and even on a small level this seems to work wonders.  My theory is that they are looking for your attention and having got your focussed attention for just a few seconds your thoughts are happy to get to work generating ideas for you!

Do you have any little success stories from your journaling – or any other part of your practice – you can share?  I’d love to hear of anything that your proud of so we can celebrate your success!

So far, I’ve read through Havi’s Starter Kit stuff info watched the Theory section for Level 1 (yeah!  I’m a geek, I love theory!) and played around with the arm sequences for Level 1.  I’ve done a total of 4 Shiva Nata practice play sessions and BANG! it’s epiphany time.

Seriously – it’s that quick – jeepers!

The way it went

We had a big roast dinner (yum!) and so I had a kip afterwards and then in the evening (uh-oh!) did some more playing around.

First off – it totally helps me to get clearer on what is running around in my head at the time.  So it turns my foggy brain (which leads to low moods and self-esteem) into understanding as to what is behind the fog.  This in itself is life-changing for me.  Whenever I’m having foggy head you can guarantee that I’ll find myself a space to start going through the latest sequence.

Then I went to bed.  Thing is, my brain was now totally engaged and I ended up spending 3 hours writing notes that kept cropping up as I started to drop off.  Somewhat frustrating (very frustrating for Glyn who was trying to sleep with me clicking on and off a little light to write by) but ultimately worth the reduced amount of sleep (both of ours).  I could probably have let myself drift off at this point, but I was so taken aback by the quality and quantity that I didn’t dare stop in case I lost them.

Lessons learnt

1. When writing about what I’m thinking, be specific!  All I wrote in my journal was “got clearer understanding on what was bugging me” – but not what it was that was actually bothering me!  Oh dear, now I’ll have to have that lesson again another time.
2. Shiva Nata in the evening may see the results kick in as I’m ready for bed (the whole brain buzz as I drop off combining with Shiva Nata to be a pretty powerful force)!  Could be useful if I don’t need to worry about getting up the next day.
3. [Later experience tells me that] I can always get fresh insights at a more appropriate time – Shiva Nata keeps delivering.  So I don’t need to worry about capturing everything!

Have you had your first epiphany?  What was it like?  Did it catch you off guard?  Scare you?  Amaze you?  Leave you underwhelmed or disappointed?  Please share your story below.

I was so excited about getting started with Shiva Nata that I set up a little notebook in which to journal my daily habits, including practices and thoughts from Shiva Nata.  I set it up with a few guidelines in mind:

1. There are no rules – only suggestions to work with for now, I can change my mind later
2. What I am looking for in a daily routine is not rigid – work with how I’m feeling to find a daily routine that matches me real needs, not some imagined ideal that I’ve read about
3. It’s about making notes of how I felt about what happened and didn’t happen – not checking I’ve done what I’m ‘supposed to’.

I’ve found this really useful for a couple of reasons.

Firstly, it helped me to clarify my thoughts and feelings on my practice.  When I commit a word to paper I can tell if it doesn’t feel write.  Often after writing an entry I will read it and find myself replacing the occasional word with one that matches better.  This way I get clearer results from my practice.

Secondly, it gave me an avenue to ‘share’ my reactions.  That’s why I started this blog too – I’ve had so many thoughts start coming through after starting my practice that I had to find a way to start sharing them with more people that just me and my notebook!

And it only takes a couple of minutes – a hassle it is not!

I need more info on keeping a journal…

I’ve adapted a guide on keeping a learning diary which I found thanks to the wonderful Nichelle of Dance Advantage

WHAT TO WRITE
What in particular went well or was difficult?  Remember – you want something to have tripped you up completely or you being too easy on yourself!
Habits that you have noticed in yourself.  It’s all about the habits!
How you feel about the way you are doing things.  Getting frustrated? That’s great! Acknowledge any associated feelings rather than push them away.
What have you achieved today?  It’s always nice to see the progress you are making.
Anything else that feels of importance to you – even though you may not understand the significance of it.

WHY DO IT?
It helps you to learn from your successes, as well as your mistakes
It makes it more likely that you will use what you have learnt next time
It gives you an opportunity to plan concisely what you want to do, what you want to change
It may help you feel more ‘in control’, more positive, deepen your understanding.

One final idea

I’m too lazy, but if you want you could keep a key dates calendar.  Basically, keep a separate note (stuck on the wall if you like) with dates when you’ve got to particular ‘milestones’.  E.g. Got through the Level 1 horizontal arm sequence.  Then did vertical as well.  Then done all the Level 1 arm moves.  Basically just keep a note whenever you feel proud!  That way, if you ever find yourself comparing how you’re doing with others, you can look at the sheet instead and remember how well you’re doing!