Jeff Wysaski
Have you ever wanted to tilt your head back, laugh with delight and spin in a circle as a swarm of butterflies flutters around you? We’ve all dreamt about – according to a recent poll, the famous Butterfly Spin is the third most popular butterfly-related fantasy listed among you, our loyal readers of Metamorphosis Magazine (right behind discovering a new butterfly species and building a giant cocoon out of spit and twine so that one might personally transform into a human-sized butterfly following a 6-week hibernation).
And yet, when inevitably confronted with a full-on swarm of butterflies in a hidden meadow or dewy dandelion field, the majority of us lack the cajones to actually fulfill this lifelong dream. And of those who are not frozen in fear when actually confronted with this ecstasy-inducing opportunity, a certain percentage will unfortunately succumb to injury due to poor spinning technique (the percentage is 0.01%).
As a whole, the editors of Metamorphosis Magazine have had the good fortune of spinning freely among butterflies on nearly a dozen occasions. Collectively, we’ve assembled the following tips to help you garner the courage and expertise to safely spin among our world’s truly most delicate and blessed creatures:
1. Practice, practice, practice. Dreams alone weren’t enough to help Shawn Johnson (American hero) pull-off a perfect open-floor routine during the 2008 Olympics. She practiced. A LOT. And when the pressure is on and those butterflies start flying this way and that, you’re gonna need to draw on some heavy-duty experience to stay focused and stick that perfect twirl.
2. Hold your arms straight out. Loss of balance is the number one cause of injury during a Butterfly Spin. Keeping your arms outstretched helps maintain your center of gravity (bonus: it also allows your body to come in contact with more butterflies!). As you spin, cup your hands and keep your palms pointed skyward. If you feel your body start to spin out of control, turn your cupped palms sideways. The added wind resistance should help slow you down.
3. Take small steps. High steps can quickly lead to an unbalanced spin. Plus, they increase your chances of stepping on a butterfly. And no one wants that, because a butterfly’s wings are pretty slippery and you’ll probably fall if one gets underfoot.
4. Breathe in through your nose. No doubt your mouth will be open wide as you laugh with unabated glee. Unless you want to inhale a butterfly and choke and die, then you best be inhaling through your nose and out through the mouth.
5. No flash photography. Certainly, you will want to photograph your epic spin for reminiscing and future enjoyment. By all means do so, but turn the flash off, as this may blind you in mid-spin and cause you to wobble off-kilter.
5. Enjoy yourself! A spin among butterflies is supposed to be CAREFREE. If, during your spin, you are scared, doubting your abilities or afraid you might fall, then you probably will. Only by spinning with pure, unadulterated joy will you enjoy your dream spin and survive unscathed. So tilt that head skyward, laugh hardily, and spin freely without a care in the world!
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