02 – Freedom

Ananga’s Notes On Freedom

What can I say! Freedom I just love, and I use it often, sometimes when I’m flagging and a bit tired, sometimes when I get up and am ready to set a positive and lively frame for my day. And sometimes just for the sheer joy of dancing round my kitchen to Pia’s incredible vocals and my mad drumming.

Recording the music for Freedom was pure fun and pleasure, it took a few days to get it right and that meant I got to hear Silvia’s vocal magic probably a hundred times, how did I feel at the end of that – just listen to the last few minutes of this track and you’ll have a pretty accurate idea!

Silvia had some very neat ideas for this track such as having me whisper “freedom” in English and German and swirl and pan it around the track as if the words are being carried on the wind.

When Pia came to the studio to record the vocals we had a fantastic time, she was asked to really go for it and “cry freedom” and she did! After one particularly heartfelt and enlivened take we both burst out laughing, later when I went to make the final mix of this track I found Pia’s laughter had been recorded as she was still right by the microphone – so I left it there :-)

For Freedom I used live hand drums such as the Turkish doumbek drum, traditionally used in belly dancing, Indian bamboo and western classical flutes, live bass guitar, electric guitar phrases played in an ethnic chromatic style, and various other percussive instruments.

Silvia’s Notes On Freedom

A long time ago, I was thinking of writing a trance dance CD for people to exercise with.

But when I looked more closely at people’s energy bodies, I saw with great sadness that they weren’t ready to dance yet.

Dancing is something you do when you’re healthy, when you’re joyous, then it comes naturally.

As long as you’re still burdened with all sorts, in pain from all sorts, and tired and depressed, dancing cannot be anything else than yet another chore, something you “should be doing”, like losing weight or getting fit, only you don’t have the energy and you don’t have the heart for it.

What good can THAT do?

No good at all.

So, first of all, let’s take off those shoes!

In Freedom, we go and get a bath for the energy system, a very special release and relief from old entrainments and reversals that hold us back, and we regain the freedom of our movements.

When we’re ready, THEN we have a beach party, and we can celebrate our newfound freedom with joy and our friends who have found their joy of freedom too.

The Text: 3/02 – Freedom

Now, first of all,

we're going to take off our shoes.

Not only these, but indeed,

all the shoes you have ever worn,

across your life and all your lives -

let's take them all off.

And not just that

but even all and every

memory is now relieved

relaxed

from deep inside your feet themselves,

every blister, every sore and every injury

which still retains its shadow

loosens bubbles up

and is released

as we begin to walk now forward

on a softly sanded beach

where land and sea

and you and me all meet -

where bubbling sprightly little waves

wash to the shore

here it is we learn to walk once more.

Afresh as new

and every light and tingling contact,

welcome laughs the lively water

and your feet flex forward eagerly

from every greeting to the next,

the buoyant fine refreshing water

helping now to clear away

all those weary remnants

which once did reside inside your skin

your very flesh and bone,

and then beyond and there as well

the matrix clears with wonder

and there's a hunger building

as you can sense and feel and know

your feet refreshed rejuvenated

that the rest of you

would love this too,

has hungered for such clearing,

lifting, for such resolution and has waited -

oh so long!

for the burdens to be taken,

for finally to be released ...

Let's move into the summer surf,

a little deeper

on the sweetly sandy floor beneath

that does extend for many miles

and as your ankles

and your calves are now embraced,

it is as though

an armour first is washed away

and then you really feel the loving touch

of the soft vibrant sparkling water,

oh, how alive it is!

Alive it is and

ah, it wants to come and play with you!

and in return you move on forward, swiftly deeper,

yearning now for this release

and inviting it to come to you

and lovingly embrace your knees and thighs

and from inside your legs

there is that pressure too now - YES!

I want to clear away the hurts and pains

and all those shards

that never did belong to me!

I want to come to life again this day

and I will do so eagerly and readily

join in this freeing

of the shackles and the memories of old,

step out into the new alive,

refreshed and in perfection -

and in a loving deep embrace

to which you dissolve completely,

you move forward faster,

eager now to let your buttocks

and your genitals be freed and

oh, it feels so good,

such a relief, such a release,

complete acceptance and entire freedom

as the oldest, deepest hurts

begin to soften

and to flow away,

to bubble up from deep inside

your deepest structure and beyond beyond,

there are no words to thank creation for this blessing,

for this benediction

and at last you understand

as you release the last restraints -

dive into the water,

dive inside with hunger and volition

for all of you deserves to now be healed

of all your lifetimes hurts and chafing pains

from the constrictions

from the grating yokes

and from the chains of slavery and servitude,

the manacles of hatred and of domination -

wash then away!

And the bright and sparkling water laughs

and kisses your skin,

flows loving touches all across you,

all about you, strokes your hair,

each part of you

in perfect jubilation and in joy -

you dive and soar

you spiral fly and reach out wide

you breathe and love

and give

until you simply float so still -

acceptance.

gratitude.

delight.

So much compassion

and such joy

that on this day,

you did reclaim your self

and took it on your self

to free your body,

free it now at last -

and only now,

we dance.

© Silvia Hartmann 2003