Is Argentine tango a form of meditation?

Last updated on November 13th, 2020 at 12:09 pm

Lately, I’ve been looking for new ways to relax. With all the mess around us it’s no surprise that we’re all struggling a bit to keep sane. And since this winter will probably feel long, I made a commitment to resume taking online tango classes (bring on those red tango shoes!) and signed up to a meditation course.

My experience with meditation

I have never been too keen on mediation, but exceptional times require exceptional measures. For those interested, I joined the Delve Deep Meditation course led by Jimmy (@that_meditation_guy). The first draw was the friendly instructor and that he seemed to talk in human speak and secondly, he taught Transcendental or Deep Meditation which was new to me.

In the past, I had done some Mindfulness Meditation without much success at sticking with it. Transcendental Meditation is meant to be a lot more effortless. You can wiggle while you meditate (hurray!) and it is practiced for longer periods (20min at a time). So I decided to check if this style suited me better.

One of the things I enjoyed most about the course was the explanation of the “mechanics” of meditation. I’m quite rational at times so to understand what we were doing was right up my alley. We explored how the mind works, what happens while meditating and what are the consequences of the work you are doing during the lessons.

And what does this have to do with tango? Stay with me, we’re getting closer to the point.

Transcendental meditation

In Transcendental meditation, you learn how to let go, surrender and flow with how things are in the moment. You get out of left-brain DOING mode and move into right-brain BEING mode. This is a switch from your analytical side to your creative side.

After meditating, you’ll “come back” with a clearer mind. This allows you to undertake your next tasks with more focus, enjoyment and even productivity. Some people describe this as being in the “flow”. When everything seems easy and your thoughts come to you with clarity.

“For years, dancing was my form of meditation without knowing.”

After doing the course these ideas really stuck to my mind. And one day, I suddenly remembered how I used to feel after I had done a dance class as a child.

Argentine tango and meditation

I started dancing when I has 12 and by the age of 14 I had already discovered tango. It was my absolute favourite and mind you I didn’t even had any proper tango shoes! Around that time in High School, I had a teacher who would set a test every week on Wednesdays. Every Tuesday I had dance class in the evening, and every week I had the same dilemma: should I skip the class to revise for the exam the day after? Luckily, my mother always insisted in me going to the dance class so I didn’t lose many.

After the class, I felt pure bliss, unworried, happy, singing on the way back home and feeling lighter. During the class my mind was completely focused on the music, the steps and following the instruction. I would never think of school during that hour and a half. Any worries of the week would dissipate on walking into that class. This was my deep meditation.

Then at home, after having dinner and doing a bit of revising for the upcoming exam, the study was easier, faster, it seemed less complicated. Only these many years later, I understand I was in the “flow”.

So for years, dancing was my form of meditation without knowing.

How does Argentine tango feel for you?

I have some more thoughts on dance as meditation as an adult, but I will delve into that on the next blog, so stay tuned for Part 2 of Tango and Meditation.
___
Yuyo Brujo is one of the main UK tango shoes suppliers, whether you are looking for Argentine tango shoes for women specifically or more generally for good quality women dance shoes, drop us a message and we will be delighted to help.