My experience of RISING ... will you CELEBRATE with me?

Twenty-six years ago I met a man who would change the course of my life.  

Of course I did not know this then, as a young, sensitive, passionate yet insecure girl of eleven.  

I did not know then what lay ahead of me in the ensuing years during and after his contact with me ... 

-the confusion

-the pain

-the emotional isolation 

-the lack of ownership of my own body and being

-the continual feeling that there was something so very wrong with me because of what had been done to me without my consent

-a deep shame about my body

-feeling powerless and afraid, with no idea how to create the boundaries I needed to protect myself and take care of my own needs

-feeling worthless and shut-down

-feeling unsafe in the world

It was not only this experience of abuse with my dance teacher that created these feelings in me.  

There was a lot of negative imprinting from the professional-track ballet world as well.  Aspiring ballerinas are not valued for who they are and the uniqueness they bring, but rather for how well they ‘fit’ into a very narrowly defined idea of how they should look, dance, and behave.  

And while I wanted nothing more than to become a professional ballerina (with a desire burning so strongly within me, that it saw me through the physical, mental and emotional intensity of this all-consuming discipline), I had a very hard time ‘fitting in‘ to the mold that was required if one was to have the possibility of success.

My quest to be the best dance artist possible subjected me to a long, confusing path of trying to fit into what others decided they wanted, or needed, or preferred.  Feeling I must try as hard as I could to ‘become’ those things for them, if I was to ‘succeed’ in my chosen career path.  

(To simply call it a ‘career path’ feels ridiculous... I HAD to dance - I knew it from the time I was three years old - it chose me and the idea of doing anything else NEVER entered my heart-mind!).  

So many, many years of feeling inherently worthless as who I naturally was, and feeling a desperate need to be who others needed me to be, left their mark on me.  And caused me to be limited by fear, and insecurity, and indecision.  I just had no idea how to TRUST MYSELF.  Or VALUE MYSELF.  Or LOVE MYSELF.  

So for now, let’s fast-track to TODAY, twenty-six years after that fateful meeting.

I have claimed, truly, for the first time in my life, MY BEING - my sacred essence.

I have stood up, spoke up and rose up to take a stand for my WORTHINESS, my VALUE, my POWER, and my LOVE.  

I now see the infinite, beautiful perfection of my divine self.

My value is INHERENT in my being here on this earth.  

No one can take that away from me.

No one can GIVE that to me either.  

It is for ME to CLAIM.  

To honor, and to own.  

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In February of 2013 I participated in an event as part of the worldwide movement One Billion Rising, which was started by Eve Ensler to raise awareness around the abuse of women and girls and rise in solidarity against it.  

This was a seminal event for me.

I danced a solo improvisation.

One Billion Rising Live Interpretive Dance by Erin Parsley

I spoke (in public, for the first time since the court proceedings in 2009).

Erin Parsley shares "Why I am Rising"

I choreographed a group dance, and led a huge crowd of women and men to dance and rise up in solidarity for all victims of abuse.  

Erin Parsley leads "Break the Chain" for One Billion Rising

I encouraged people to find their worthiness, fall in love with themselves, and realize their inherent beauty and worthiness no matter what has happened to them.

I invite you to watch these videos, and to celebrate with me this amazing journey I have been on!              

                     

See the playlist here:  Erin Parsley participates in One Billion Rising

This is a turning point for me.  

This is the culmination of an intense, traumatic, yet transformative chapter in my life.  

And the start of a brand new chapter, one that is fresh with possibilities.

A chapter that I GET to WRITE from an ever-expanding place of freedom and clarity - the freedom and clarity that comes from truly LOVING and truly VALUING YOURSELF.

A NEW CHAPTER  where I am being led to SHARE what I have learned, and ASSIST OTHERS in claiming their own worth and in finding FREEDOM from their experiences, no matter how difficult or demeaning they have been.

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I appreciate each of you for taking the time to read this, for caring about me, for supporting me, and for everything that you are doing to bring more love, truth and beauty to our planet.

I am really excited to be bringing my new works, message and mission into the world!  

I have so much to share, and am working on bringing it all together in a way that will add value to others who are seeking to find and live the fullest expression of themselves in their lives.

There are many treasures I have gathered along the way while moving through this journey of healing and transformation.  I look forward to sharing them with you and others who may benefit.  

Please stay tuned as I unveil my new creations....  (coming soon!)

In the meantime, I would love to stay connected to you and to hear your comments, thoughts and feedback, either on my website, YouTube channel or my Facebook page.  Or email me!

All my love,

~ Erin ~

Erin Parsley

Dancer, Choreographer, Dance Educator, Poet

DANCE & POETRY  http://www.erinparsley.com                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                 VIDEOS http://www.youtube.com/eepdances

FACEBOOK http://facebook.com/erinparsleydance

Dancing Away Density

Dancing Away Density 

in the eternal moment of Now

So much to spin out of the Self...

stories, histories, experiences, emotions

perceptions, beliefs, identities,

thoughts, wishes, dreams, 

desires, wants, needs, hopes.

Dancing away the density

letting it all go

What will be left 

is the only essential thing:

one's Soul.

Breaking Loose

Experiencing the bliss

Of simply Being

Honestly and purely

As Nature intended.

Opening to mySelf,

To the fullness of who I Am.

No fear.

No ceaseless imperative to limit,

To edit, to amend,

Based on the perceived expectations of others.

Finding joy in

The delicious freedom

Of regenerated innocence.

Taking my rightful place among Creation

Where each exists as it was intended:

The star, the tree, the animal, me.

Unable to pretend to be, 
I simply Am.                                                                                                                       

****************************

"Truly, I say to you, unless you turn and become like children, 

you will never enter the kingdom of heaven."

-Matthew 18:3

Putting it out there... re: Support

*************** Greetings Friends & Visitors *******************

I started this blog just over a year ago as a way to share my art with you, to inspire you and bring you beauty and peaceful respite in a challenging world.

It is a wonderful experience to connect with you, and I hope you have found what I share to be uplifting and encouraging to your spirit.

I am being led to work on my transparency and honesty around my own need for support, and so I ask:

If my creations touch you please consider making a donation so that I may continue.  I am and have been really struggling.  My technology I need to even make and share these creations is old and falling apart, and I am at the point where I am wondering how I can keep Creating.  My circumstance of decades of poverty despite discipline and hard work doesn't seem to be shifting no matter my increasing experience or inspiration.

So, despite trepidation born out of a lifetime of lack of renumeration, I hereby am asking for Support from my community.

If you appreciate what I have to offer here, please consider an Investment in my work, via the Paypal Donation button on the right sidebar (you don't need a Paypal account yourself).

Thank you dear journeyers....
Erin
*************************************************************

Calling All

Stomping on truth 

Killing beauty

Denying the pain of the world

So we can continue to deny our own.

Wounded children in adult bodies

How can we heal the world if

We cannot heal ourselves?

Wake up

Stand up

Express courage

Open your eyes

Face reality

Don't retreat

You are no longer helpless

And the world needs you

A whole individual,

Creating (through being) a

Transformed world

New Dimensions

breathing in 

the breath of

Life

into every cell 

of my body

Invigorating

filling each 

molecule with

Light

the limitations of

this physical realm

Dissolve

Energy

expanding outward

into 

Infinite Being

the True Dimension

shedding all awareness

of Separation

transcending false perceptions

conditioned restrictions evaporate

the small self

a distant memory

in this space,

reveling 

in the

Truth

of who 

I AM

Seven Years....

the River of Life

Saturn Return

Done

Made it through

Not easy

Not easy at all

But worth it

For all the lessons 

learned and mastered

Transformed,

through the fire 

of experience 

into a truly 

New Creation

Ready, so very ready

to close that book,

with all its chapters

of pain, effort, and confusion

Relieved to be

Moving On

to new vistas

Where wide open expanses

of journeys into 

Spirit awaits

With joy and excitement

My soul calls me onward

Trusting ever so much more 

Than before

in the process of Life

Connected at all times 

to All That Is

through my Higher Self

who guides me -

She who Knows

and 

Is One

with 

the 

Infinite and 

Benevolent Universe

Sacred Fire

In my heart            
Ever glowing
Flame of
Divine Love
Greeting me
As I awaken
In the morning
Acompanyning me
Until my sleep
At night
Warming embers
Of Truth
Burning away
All falsehood
Illuminating
Eternal Vision
Connected
Every moment
Without fail
To All That Is