Hope Jinishian is a Tara Dhatu Student Teacher. She was instrumental several years ago
in bringing our Dances of Tara to the Woodstock Monastery (KTD) where she practiced,
studied and served. She is a member of the Sacred Circle Dance community based in the
Findhorn tradition. She recently led a day long Tara Dance retreat in Mexico. Now living
in Massachusetts she writes…
I initiated a Tara group on the land where I live in Shelburne Falls on the August full
moon. We danced outdoors. Tara was embraced wholeheartedly.
I started by inviting just a handful of people for the full moon circle and then, last minute.
decided to invite a few more sisters. I set out a spread of simple delicious morning
snacks, a little heart shaped cake with berries atop, some homemade herbal teas and
watermelon splashed with lemon.
We began dancing at 10:30. The morning sky was bright blue and clear and we were
cradled by the surrounding mountains within view. The Deerfield River runs through the
center of town, just a couple blocks away, with a dam and waterfalls running over glacial
potholes etched into ancient rocks. There is a Bridge of Flowers, resplendent with flowers
and trees blooming from Spring to late Fall. It crosses the river making for a spectacular
view. These past couple weeks there have been blooming artichokes with purple flowers
on the bridge, crazy beautiful, along with hibiscus flowers, dahlias in every color, and
roses. There are ever changing colorful flowers in full bloom for every season, lovingly
cared for by a group of volunteers.
I opened the meeting sharing a bit about Prema, the history of the dance, how it came into
being, and about the many blessings it has received by great masters. Then I taught the
Prayer of Motivation and the Dance of the 21 Qualities, weaving wee teachings of some
of its deeper meanings along the way, to inspire this already spiritually astute group. We
danced in a circle in our bare feet by a crabapple tree with an image of Tara dancing in
the wind on her branches with an altar at her feet.
From time to time we would sit on Mother Earth to set our intentions and deepen our
connection with the earth and one another. We were a group of women in age from our
thirties to our seventies. All came feeling called; willing, smiley, excited and ready!
I was in the flow of my sharing. These past two years I have led only a few in-person
circles. We went at the pace that was right for the group. One attendee, one of my oldest
friends, wrote afterwards saying…
“I still feel Tara in the sky here. You have made a powerful contribution for us all. I bow
and press hands together. I want to say that you taught like a wise river, noticing where
to flow, moving at a lovely speed to carry us with you. So valuable and nourishing.”
This same friend shared in the circle after dancing that this was the first time she’d felt
safe in the body of a woman. She is a woman in her seventies.
Everyone engaged in the practice beautifully and got it. Afterwards we opened the group
to inspired sharings. Someone read a piece she had written. Then we offered some more
closing prayers, blessed ourselves and each other with the water from the small bowl
donned with a pink flower in it that was seated at Tara’s feet, a little nectar to go home
with.
One of the women who I know from a different dancing circle shared that her intention
was to become a vessel for Tara and she felt the dance helped her to accomplish that
aspiration. At the end, they all wanted to know when we would meet again.
I am so grateful for this precious practice, for the encouragement and support from
my Tara Dancing teachers and friends.
I can’t always make all the zoom practices but when I do, I am always nourished by them.
I love traveling around the globe this cyber connected way, dancing with Tara sisters in
zoom circles across this country and in Brazil.
With great love
Hope
