Dancing in the DUP circle with my full presence, I am sincerely touched by the vitality of this community.

In this circle, I can be alive without trying to become someone, I can feel special without trying to perform. All there is to do is follow the teaching, sensing into the rhythm, connecting with my body and going with the circle’s flow - the endless river of life.

Our individuality is both to be shared and to be kept to one’s own in the DUP. The way it shows up is graceful, humble and authentically human.

Mysteriously, the circle gracefully invites for our personal and collective wounds, in the same way someone patiently waits for a child who has been hiding timidly from the social stereotypes and prejudices to step into the light.

And then, the circle opens with loving eyes, open arms and kind hearts. When the space is well held with music and lyrics, the invitation becomes strong enough for that child to feel safe and courageous. Then the child comes out to play.

How beautiful it is that, in the DUP circle, we merge but each of us is still fully visible. We each become a part of something larger than ourselves.

Here I am not hidden or lonely.

Here I am a tiny drop in the infinite ocean.

And I am the ocean itself.

Lam Nguyen (Translated to English by Trang Nguyen)