Moving Meditations: A Means to Embodying Gratitude

Abstract

Over the past few months, I have adopted a practice of self-care that intersects with my faith, culture, teaching, and research. Teaching dance during the pandemic has been challenging, to say the least. Add the layer of being a dance education doctoral student and being a caretaker, and I had stress overload. This article outlines my journey to a practice that I believe has enabled me to function effectively during this pandemic, maintain my sanity, and still be there for those who need me on a daily basis—my students, my family, and most of all myself. During these times of political unrest and escalating racial injustice, I found a way to “practice what I preach” by adopting a lesson plan, which I developed for my students, to my own practice of embodying gratitude.