It takes two…

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What do you do to find inner peace?

Everybody wants a break from their own mind’s unending conversation. For some people meditation is the answer, others go for long walks together, others like sports passionately and a lot of people simply love to make love…

Everybody has that one thing that helps them rest their soul and enjoy true inner peace.

Finding peace for me has always been about travel – and as the famous poet once said to exist is to travel and we might easily add to travel is to exist.

While travelling on my last adventure I found a totally new way to inner peace which I would love to share with my dear friends. It’s a kind of inner peace that you don’t find alone but that you actually need a warm and very close embrace of a total stranger or an old friend – doesn’t matter which as long as you are willing to let go and let intuition guide you slowly to the rhythm of a whole nation meditating together two by two. Close your eyes, embrace your partner and let her lead! Smile as you change roles and the masculine fades in to the feminine and back. Move slowly in the beginning until you find your rhythm together and let poetry happen as you slide your feet one by one across the dance floor. Meditation has never been so easy, taking a walk together never such fun, passion has never been so abundant and making love has never been so poetic as when we Tango!

Yes. Welcome to Argentina traveller… close your eyes and rest your mind and soul for a few minutes or at least until you hear the professor say – “Cambio de pareja!” and then take a deep breath and start the next song with a completely new partner, relax once again and let go once more allowing a new story of passion to unfold in your arms. Don’t think about remembering moves but simply slide your feet along with your partners across the floor in an intuitive joining of the souls that is the tango. Look your partner straight in the eyes, whoever they are don’t be afraid of the intimacy that will follow so naturally as you dance to the rhythm of Argentina’s favourite pastime.

My friend introduced me to tango in Rio de Janeiro and I will never forget her for this, as I found that following her steps would eventually led me to La Plata Buenos Aires where students from all over Argentina spend their free time and not necessarily their money passionately dancing together tango after tango. As you soon discover everyday there is a different venue, every venue has a different teacher, every teacher a different style and every style is meant for every student. Students change teacher and venues as this enriches their tango and gives new depths to this exquisite form of dance. A nod of the head and a smile with a symbolic monetary contribution at the end of the class is all you need to do as other tangoers explain to you the concept of “a la gorra” a practical way for the mentors to earn their bread.

Don’t be surprised when during the breaks conversations become lengthy and intellectual as every dancer has something new to share and contribute,  they do as they are carefully encouraged by the dedicated professor who watches quietly as people evolve the conversation and thus everybody gains a deeper meaning of just how profound the tango is.

Be prepared to meet people and make friends and lovers on the dance floor while you give up your “self” and the two become one.

Be amazed as you also realise It’s all about sharing the experience and letting passion takeover as a few delightful hours fly bye in the embrace of this unique Argentinean cultural whole.

Enjoy the spontaneity of it all as couples flow in and out of each other’s embrace while the thoughtful eyes of the teacher watch from the side lines as if he/she was a zen master observing the monks in their morning prayer ritual.

“Cambio de rol!” the teacher says. Change roles as you realise that the man does not lead in this dance and that there is no man or women when the dance is on, forget your male ego as you let you partner lead or take initiative as a woman who boldly leads another woman or man in her embrace.

Go slowly or faster or fastest as “La Cumparsita” teaches you that you make your own rhythm and you only need to gesture your partner in order for him or her to follow. A nod of the chin or a touch on the shoulder changes direction or starts a more elaborate move that looks stunning from any perspective. Hear the sound of “El Choclo” as you slowly realise that the tango can be danced to almost any music bringing a sense of inner peace.