I’ve mentioned and linked to most of my musical moments in Kiawah in prior posts, but collect them here in one place for easy reference, especially for those searching for new music.
You can listen to clips in iTunes or full songs in Spotify.
And if these fifteen songs aren’t enough, here’s a treasure trove of other music shared from Kiawah.
Diamondbacks music played by Susan, our S teacher extraordinaire, during our five movement classes in an iTunes ping playlist.
Here’s the music Becky played for the Coachwhips classes. I’m still browsing this playlist.
Tunes from the Moveable Feast, DJ’d by Alex Torres-Ventura, organizational guru in Kiawah. I can’t listen to this one without a reliving Tina and Anupama’s mesmerizing 20-song dance, who I couldn’t take my eyes off!
Erotic Creature (EC) Ball songs thanks to Seraphine, Becky, Susan and Alex:
I love having the music. It transports me back to Kiawah and our sultry steamy dancing.
In addition, a brief interaction Alex and I shared after the EC Ball has made it much easier for me to know my own preferences and ask for what I want.
What do you want?
I went to collect the list of songs I’d asked Alex and the teachers to record so I could share them with retreat alum and blog readers. Since it was handwritten, I skimmed the list to ensure I could read it.
I found a missing song. Alex filled it in then surprised me by asking if I wanted to take the list or if I wanted her to take it.
I didn’t think I had a preference. Plus I was so grateful that they’d collected the songs I figured the least I could do was type it up and post it. So I said it didn’t matter, I was happy to do it unless she wanted to.
Alex asked again. “What do you want?”
Hmm, I didn’t know. My husband and I did this all the time, deferring to each other, neither with a strong preference. Saying things like, “I’m 60-40, but can go either way….”
Alex understood and said she was the same way, but then smiled and patiently asked me again, “What do you want?”.
I wasn’t going to squirm out of this one. I had to decide. What did I actually want? Thoughts bounced around like ping-pong balls in my head.
Alex has already done so much. I feel bad asking her to do more work. I want to post the music in my blog. What if she takes forever? I trust her. And when will I realistically make the time? I’m going home to an empty house. Shopping, laundry, packing. Several more posts to write. Finish prepping workshop for next weekend. Leaving town again on Friday…
And then I knew. I wouldn’t get to the playlist for nearly two weeks, at best.
“Alex, would you take the list, type it up, then send it to me?”
“Yes, Lisa, I’d be happy to.” Alex replied.
She didn’t just type the list, but rather posted ping playlists the day after we all arrived home!
More importantly, this little encounter improved my ability to know what I want, check-in when unsure, decide and then make requests. It’s as if her calm and steady three-peat—”What do you want”—flipped a switch in me, enabling me to distinguish among even subtle preferences and then act on them.
Flying Home from Charleston
The morning after the retreat ended, still in need of sleep, I was frustrated at missing my airport shuttle by two minutes. I let the tears flow, felt the swirling ocean of emotion, began enjoying the warm humid air and smiling at the memories from the weekend. Then a man walked out & started smoking upwind of me. I stomped across the street, thinking, How rude!
He asked, “Miss, is my smoking bothering you? I was trying to stay out of the way.”
“Yes it is. Would you mind moving downwind?” I asked, while pointing to the left of the door and walking back to my luggage. After he moved, I told him I really appreciated that he’d moved for me. Then he thanked me for my appreciation. Next time I’ll ask before stomping.
Arriving at the airport later (but not too late), I shared a surprise love moment with Heidi & Vanessa, two retreat attendees. It helped me to have the strength to ask the frazzled cashiers (twice – after a tear break) to make me a special fruit bowl without honeydew (a cross food sensitivity to ragweed allergy makes my throat itch) so I’d have food for my long flight to California.
During the last month, I’ve been amazed by how much easier it has become for me to know (or find) my preferences. To decide what I want. And then to ask for what I need.
I hope you enjoy the musical bonanza from the Kiawah retreat and find something new to dance or listen to. And may you be inspired to pay more attention to your own preferences, even subtle ones. It’s quite freeing to spend less time stuck in in-decision.
Start now.
What do you want? And let me know if I can help.
