"The Excretion Tour"

Every year--starting from my birthday, November 26--there is a theme to take me through my next year of living. Using the “signs” of the past 11 months to guide my planning, I consider where I want to go physically, professionally, financially, and spiritually by the year’s end . Most of my inspiration for this year comes from the lessons I have learned in practicing Bikram-style Hot Yoga. So much has been learned in my 3.5 years of practicing, namely discipline, patience, and the function of energy. In May 2017 I almost stopped practicing due to financial constraints and my yoga teachers at 105F Chicago made a way that I could continue practicing by becoming a work trade student. Not only was I able to afford my classes, but I started to take them more frequently due to the scheduling, which incredibly helped in my ability to heal and augment my body for dance performance purposes. I also have noticed how often my insecurities are addressed with each 90-minute session in the hot room, and I love having the time to confront and subdue those thoughts--which carry over into my mentality when dancing in class and on stage. In continually studying and practicing this year, one concept has stuck out the most to me: the process of the excretory system in the human body.

Just in case this is new to you, excretion is the bodily process of discharging waste through urine, fecal matter, sweat, and breath. As objects like food, beverages, and air come into the body, your organs process the matter and separate the useful matter from the unnecessary matter. There are four steps to completing excretion: ingestion, digestion, release, and removal.  Knowing that the physical state is just a manifestation of our spiritual well-being, I have been considering what mental and emotional excretion look like.

- Ingestion: Ingestion is the intake of resources to the body. As much as this is the quickest step to complete in excretion, it may also be the most impactful as the success of the other steps depends upon what is ingested. Dance is an extremely physical profession, which causes us to be very aware of the effects of food or other physical activities on our bodies. However, we may not be as intuitive to the effects of the thoughts we have towards ourselves, nor may we catch as quickly how guided we are by the critiques of those closest to us. Here you should ask, “What am I putting into my body?” or “What activities am I participating in, and how are they suppose to help me?” or “Who am I allowing in my proximity, and what are their goals?”

- Digestion: Digestion is the breaking down of resources after ingestion and conversion of those resources into energy for the body. Digestion, by far, is the most time-consuming step in the excretory process--and rightfully so! Consider that during this time your body is doing its absolute best to ensure that you are getting EVERYTHING that you need from whatever you ingested. In addition to that, you are also receiving information on what your body appreciates, what you cannot digest well, and what you may still be lacking. Honestly, this sounds like your standard 10:00A company class--more so 45 minutes into the class. You may also find yourself here in moments that you contemplate why you continue performing or teaching, especially when family and close friends are not supportive or seeing other people living more “successful” lives. Consider these questions: “How well am I preparing for rehearsal days and teaching my classes?” “How do I let the opinions of others affect my performance or creative process?” “What are my mechanisms for dealing with disease or criticism?”

- Release: Release is the outward flow and ejection of digested matter from the body. Seemingly simple, as this is arguably the most straightforward part of the process, there is a tendency to rush releasing waste, which either causes strain to the body or incomplete discharge of ALL the waste. It is similar to passively/minimally participating during the cool-down exercise at the end of a class, not acknowledging the teacher once the class has ended, and rushing to your next endeavor. Repeated struggles in postures and concepts and insecure feelings toward your practice are strong indicators of incomplete or premature release. Though this is the actual excretion within the process, the release of waste is only the solitary act of the waste leaving the body, and there is still another step needing to occur for excretion to be complete.

- Removal: Removal is the elimination or separation from the released waste. What distinguishes the removal phase from the release phase in the excretory process is that removal involves the  consolidation that the waste is no longer in relationship with the body. Acts like flushing the toilet and post-exercise bathing are valid and vital moments in the excretory process. It ensures that whatever came out of you has no lingering effects on you. It is like taking notes after class, reviewing and discussing those notes, and leaving your notes alone to continue your day. IF YOU DO NOT REMOVE YOUR WASTE, YOU WILL INCREASE THE DIFFICULTY OF YOUR NEXT EXCRETORY CYCLE.

Last summer, I decided that becoming a certified Hot Yoga instructor was going to be my 30th birthday anniversary gift to myself (hence, my preparation for this is being called “The Excretion Tour”.). A huge influence to that is one of my yoga mentors and friends, Blanca Arellano. For her, it is imperative that you are aware of energies around you and your contribution to the spiritual status of the environment. She advised to not forget that my work in Atlanta is part of a journey and to continue practicing with gratefulness while here, so that when this era ends I will be content and available for the next chapter. Thanks to Blanca, I’m definitely geeked to take this tour!

Let's open the conversation! What is your current excretion cycle about? Which step of the process challenges you most and why? Where are you planning to go on your next excretion tour? Leave your thoughts in the comment section below, or e-mail me your responses to this article at averybrandon0812@gmail.com. Thank you for your time, and stay elevé-ted!

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