The Dolphin's Dance by Micheline Nader
Conscious awareness is something that many of us only dream of—if we’ve heard of it at all. But that state of self-understanding seems closer than ever, thanks to Micheline Nader’s new book, The Dolphin’s Dance: Discover Yourself Through a Powerful 5 Step Journey into Conscious Awareness (Balboa Press, 2015). Her self-help guide is designed to allow people to tap into their inner selves through an easy-to-follow five step process, called the DANCE.
BookTrib: Can you explain exactly what your five-stage “DANCE” process entails?
Micheline Nader: The five-stage process follows the acronym DANCE. The first stage is about discovering emotions. The second stage is about awakening to our beliefs. The third stage is about naming our patterns. The fourth stage is about canceling out our polarities. And the fifth is about embracing our true selves.
BT: How do you define conscious awareness and why is it so important when it comes to unmasking your true self?
MN: Conscious awareness is a state of being aware of one’s own existence. It’s not something we get, but something we unearth within ourselves. Within all of us, there’s an awareness that is still unconscious at all times. The process of conscious awareness for me is a process by which the unconscious becomes conscious.
So why should we become consciously aware? 90 percent of all our learning and habits are formed by the age of 7. By becoming consciously aware, we can access parts of our internal programming. And we can replace it. The process of conscious awareness can clear our inner space to make room for our real selves to emerge. This way we can connect our higher consciousness to our purpose and our mission in life.
BT: Your process puts a lot of emphasis on “exercises” that the reader should do along their journey. What benefits do these have?
MN: The DANCE process is experiential. It’s not only a concept. Each stage of the DANCE is based on a well-researched and documented concept. And each stage is illustrated by stories from my own life, or people that are very close to me. [This is why] every step of the process includes experiential exercises to trigger the reader’s own reflection.
The first three stages are all about self-discovery and awareness. The last two stages teach us how to transform our negative beliefs, behaviors and patterns. The last part of the DANCE is where we can learn to flip our experience in the moment. Above all, The Dolphin’s Dance is a book of practice and active self-inquiry.
BT: The journey doesn’t end as soon as you reach conscious awareness. What comes next after someone goes through your five-step process?
MN: After going through the five-step concept, a lot of people have felt an inner freedom from the past and they start expressing life free from limitations. When there is nothing limiting the flow of consciousness, we become more connected to our true self. And by being more connected, we start attracting the experiences in our life that support our deep inner mission in life and our purpose. So in a way, our purpose is revealed to us as we’re connected more to our true self.
As for what happens next—are we totally transformed and consciously aware, which means that we won’t still live our lives? That is not true. We still live, because this is life. But our falls are not as long and not as deep, and we are able to shift our awareness regarding our personal crises or our challenges in life. We are now able, through the five-step process, to identify what is at work in each moment.
Tune in on Tuesday, June 2 at 4 p.m. for a Booktrib Live Chat with Michelene Nader!
