Episode 86 - Dancing with Life with Monika Nataraj

Question for you:Have you danced recently?I'm a huge fan of dancing...even though I am not what you would call, good at it.Nevertheless, I love to dance.Recently, I've been dancing around with my 1-year old son, Eli and he seems to love dancing too.If you think back to when you were a kid, do you remember how much fun you had jumping around, spinning and dancing?It was a fucking blast.My guest this week, Monika Nataraj, has not only physically danced her way through life but also metaphorically.As you live your life, dancing with what unfolds before you is a key concept that can make even the most difficult of situations or circumstances better.That means when a "shitty" situation manifests, figuring out a way to dance with it (i.e. not push it away or fixate on it) can be a liberating tactic.This doesn't mean when someone close to you dies, or a relationship ends, or you're in financial ruins that you put on a shit eating grin and pretend everything is great.What it means is you learn how to approach the "shitty" stuff in a way that actually helps you.Incorporating aspects of playfulness, grace and fluidity (all aspects of dancing) can be the alchemical magic you're looking for when the proverbial shit hits the fan.But back to Monika.Happily not over-identifying with any external "identities", Monika most enjoys dancing the Divine into existence, finding Truth in every breath and sharing this with others.Since 1999, she has lived full time on the road as a "nomadic dancing mystic Shakti adventurer of the soul" studying and practicing with a host of incredible spiritual masters and in turn teaching a bevy of sacred traditions herself for 17 years.Her current manifestations are the result of a deep passion and dedication to movement mysticism, tantric yoga, meditation, travel and community work.I had a great time speaking with Monika in the East Village of New York a couple of weeks ago and I have a sneaking suspicion you're going to enjoy our conversation too.Monika has upcoming retreats, workshops and teacher trainings in Japan, Turkey, USA, Chile, Canada, India, and Thailand.Find out more at monikanataraj.net