Being Human is the Real Spiritual Practice.
Being Human is the Real Spiritual Practice.
Solitude. Intimate. Vulnerable. Humble. This is how I feel when I’m naked under my skin.
Naked Under My Skin
Yeah. Naked. Humanly Naked.
Last Sunday in Portland’s Ecstatic Dance, someone stood up and said
“I’m from Grass Valley California, and our dance is ‘the cool’ dance. You know you can’t dance ugly when you’re all caught up in looking cool. I feel so at home in my skin here in Portland. Thanks for dropping your shit, and being real today.”
I don’t show up to dance to be- anything. Not cool. Not happy, or nice or spiritual. I show up to be…human.
Okay. I suck at being human. Right? To get here to dance, driving, I cut in front of people. I passed homeless folks without giving them money or even eye contact. I drank coffee and ate chocolate grown in non-sustainable farms. My ‘doggy bag’ was put into a styro-foam container.
…I arrive at dance. Rattled. Just drove through traffic. Highways. Tunnels. Bridges. 
Cars. Bicycles. Pedestrians. Dogs on leashes. Concrete. More concrete. I drank 2 shots of espresso. I’m wearing tight-clingy dance clothes. I drop on the dance floor.
Horizontal.
I sprawl flat and attempt to touch as much of my body from head to toe on the floor. My round skull feels lumpy. My bony protrusions-shoulder blades, elbows, hip bones and ankles feel extra large and it takes awhile for my body to let go. It’s like I am wearing a Fireman’s armor, and as I roll on the floor, I slowly shed it and maybe eventually I begin to feel my body touch the floor.
Sometimes someone else is rolling on the floor near me and I’ll roll over and join them in a contact dance. We’ll take turns smashing and rolling out each other’s crunchiness. One person is a rolling pin and the other person gets rolled flat like dough.
I often feel compressed-from the inside. Literally I am crowded with sensation. 
Even when I’m sitting still, inside I’m swirling. My mind is tossing and turning. My mental images might be strobing from all the visual input of my phone screen. My ears may be roaring from audio input-music, urban noise, recalling conversations and shouts of unsaid withholds to avoid conflict.
Then an ‘Angel’ appears and squeezes me. My outside is squeezed, like how my insides feel cramped.
At first, I can barely gasp for air. I die. The ‘old’ life is squeezed out of me. The agitated, eager, caffeinated part of me surrenders under the external pressure of human pressing human, and what remains is humble, vulnerable, naked human . I go from solitude to intimacy. Inside the hug- My heart beats with their heart. And then I have to let go. Present tense human pressing me flat-pushes out past tense survival skills. The ‘Now’ me dominates the old me.
The smush of body weight against the floor feels like a full body hug.
Now, let’s return to ‘ecstatic dance’.
ecstasy Latin from Greek ekstasis ‘standing outside oneself’.
Ecstatic Dance: To move, flail in rhythmic motion, a spontaneous combustion of authenticity in human form.
To be an empathic, sensitive, authentic Human Being
demands discernment;
requires choosing responsibly;
feeds on doing service;
and produces compassion-
AFTER LOT’S OF DANCING.
My greatest desire is that eventually, by the end of 90 minutes of sweating my prayers, I’ll become human again. Naked under my skin.
Vinn Marti -Arjuna, Father of Soul Motion says “Dance ugly and drool”.
When I’m dancing, I feel my roots. Around my tail bone and between my legs, I feel energy.
My heart twinges, my skin tingles.
Energy enters me from the soles of my feet runs through the palms of my hands and blows out from the top of my head. And then energy enters me from the palms of my hands and dances out my feet. I am spontaneously combusting love.
When I show up, my presence makes a difference. There is no doubt that my dance impacts my world.
Every breath ripples laughter in and out of me. Laughter moves me. Joy moves me. Gratitude blasts through my body like sonic waves. I am Boundless. I Defy gravity. Lyrical comes to me. I am danced.
Vibrating, purring. I hum. I am humble.
Titilated. Every cell stimulated.
My skin wrapper is glittering.
Being Human is the Real Spiritual Practice.
Solitude. Intimate. Vulnerable. Humble. This is how I feel when I’m naked under my skin.
“Everyone has a story that will break your heart. And, if you’re really paying attention, most people have a story that will bring you to your knees.” Brene Brown
Call me. I’m at your fingertips.
Letting someone help you is sometimes the bravest thing you can do.
I’m a phone call away.
Let’s schedule a free introductory session
Click here to read more about who I am professionally.
As a published author, I am your writing coach and editor.
As a trained Transpersonal Therapist, I am your soul advocate and Heart Whisperer.
As a facilitator trainer, I help you move forward and stay focused.
As a mover and shaker of authenticity, I help you unleash your tongue and speak your truth from the inside out.
As a trained Transpersonal Therapist, I listen with soft ears. My Soul purpose is to help reclaim intuition as the flashlight to our inner guide.
When I feel heard by someone, it’s like the best hug ever!
Being seen and heard transforms pain into medicine, tragedy into comedy, and death into rebirth.
What others say about Carola’s Shedding Skin Writing Practice:
“Carola’s sweet and loving energy is only surpassed by her ability to tune into a higher channel and by doing so guide you in finding your highest good. She helped me reaffirm a huge life change and especially my purpose for it. It was a confirmation AND an expansion. It was empowering. Knowing this woman will fatten your soul! Thank you x 3! -Aloha”
“Carola’s intuition ability is excellent! Through her fine-tuned listening, she helped me unearth core areas in my personal life that had been unexamined; she supported me to become more empowered and clear.”
“She has a special ability to listen in a way that allows you to connect with your true self. She is a steady, insightful and a supportive guide. Through her skillful leadership I developed confidence in my ability to connect with myself more deeply.”
“Most importantly, I learned how to ‘follow the energy’, to listen for what resonates within me. I feel lucky to have found her and I am more attuned and authentic as a result of our work together.”
I teach what I desire to learn which is how to listen, discern, and respond to intuition.
Carola Marashi M.A. Published Author, Writing Coach, Transpersonal Therapist.
My 30 years of professional experience is primarily Body Based Therapy
What folks say about Carola
“Carola was so perfectly right on and complete. As I look back on the experience now I’m struck that the nature of the communication was not something the egoic mind can really grab hold of and make an action plan out of. (wink!) The message was directly communicated to the heart where it still lives glowing encouragingly. Your open-hearted acceptance and sweet encouragement allowed a natural and easy deepening, and I especially like that you encouraged me to articulate for myself what I had received in the session. Thanks for your openness, your spiritual maturity, and your insightful sharing.”
First 10 Minutes free.
“Carola’s intuition ability is excellent! Through her fine-tuned listening, she helped me unearth core areas in my personal life that had been unexamined; she supported me to become more empowered and clear.”
“She has a special ability to listen in a way that allows you to connect with your true self. She is a steady, insightful and a supportive guide. Through her skillful leadership I developed confidence in my ability to connect with myself more deeply.”
“Most importantly, I learned how to ‘follow the energy’, to listen for what resonates within me. I feel lucky to have found her and I am more attuned and authentic as a result of our work together.”
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