Noh Walk reflection

The more I practice the Noh walk, the more in-tuned I feel with my body. At first I interpreted the walk as nothing more than a gliding motion in which my feet guided the way. With practice, however, I started to feel my entire body being connected. Tucking in my belly is what allows me to keep my balance. My arms are the engine behind my motion and the compass for my direction. In order for my arms to guide the way I have to imagine gravity pulling my arms forward. It is precisely this “imagining” that classical Asian theater is based around. The mantras developed by the performers elicit their movement and thus allow their true emotions to be seen in the form of art. 

What allowed me to feel the essence of the Noh walk for the first time was discovering that my knees were what pulled by feet up.  Before, I was picking my feet off the ground by lifting my toes which inhibited my feet from being flat. Feeling the glide for the first time made me realize that the flatness of the feet is what harmonizes the movement because everything is even. Although flat feet are essential in the Noh walk, the glide cannot be achieved without tucking in one’s belly, sitting down, having a stable upper body, and being pulled by gravity through one’s arms. These are separate acts that integrate the Noh walk.

Breathing is another essential aspect to the Noh walk. Without breath, there is no movement. With every inhalation one extends, and with every exhalation one moves forward. Although breathing seems like a no-brainer, it is easy to get caught up thinking about the moves and thus forget to breath. As a matter of fact, breathing fosters concentration so that one moves even more precisely, without having to think about it so hard. By breathing, the performers are able to internalize their spirituality, and avoid any outside factors that may interfere. This breathing reminded me to the ujjayi breath of yoga in which one breaths in and out through the nose in order to create an ocean-like sound that creates balance. Although both breaths promote balance and calm the body, the ujjayi breath is meant to create internal body heat.