One for the New Year

It's that time of year.  As December comes to a close it seems like we're all supposed to resolve to do or be something different or at least better starting January 1st.  As the owner of a dance and fitness studio I see the benefit of these resolutions - so many people seem to have "lose weight" at the top of their list of resolutions...enough so that the fitness industry banks on the trend.

Don't get me wrong - I WANT women to come in, especially those who are getting started on their path to health and wellness.  Yes, coming to classes can help you lose weight if you pair that change with looking at your food (both in terms of what you eat and your relationship with food/eating in general).  What makes me pause is the motivation and reasons behind the goals.

I also get the draw of the clean slate that the coming of a new year brings.  There is something really appealing about starting things on the FIRST of something.

And I get that taking stock of where you are as a year comes to a close is a way to see things about yourself or your situations that you want to change.

I wish, though, that we could all focus on the positives rather than the negatives.

I know that what I'm *supposed* to do is offer specials to lure in The Resolvers and get them locked in now before they give up on their resolutions.  First month free (on a 12 month contract) - you'll see that out there time and again in my industry.   Or I'm supposed to promise HUGE changes for clients - lose 20 pounds in 4 weeks, drop 3 sizes in no time - while they're in this vulnerable brain space.

That's not how I work.  It's not how I want to work.

Personally, I want people to start (whatever the date) working towards a healthier life.  I believe that moving and breaking a sweat is a really good step towards that goal.

I want people to make a positive commitment to themselves ("I WILL" statements rather than "I WON'T" are a good start) that they can and will keep because doing so makes them feel good.

I want people to start small and gain success so they can maintain the changes for the whole year (and the rest of their lives).

Professionally, I want women to find their way to the studio (whatever the date) as they work towards that healthier life.

I want them to try a variety of classes until they find the ones that make them smile.

I want them to commit, to themselves, to coming to one class a week for at least three months to make it a strong habit and something they look forward to each week.

I want them to feel so good after that one class that they organically find times and ways to move more throughout their week.

When ready, I want women to be in touch with themselves and their body enough to help define a good and healthy relationship with their food.

If that happens for them as of January 1, 2014?  Great.

Nothing

I did something new this week.  Nothing.  For 43 minutes.  It was kinda awesome!
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I'm a Doer.  I prefer to DO things, all the time, in a lot of different ways.  I can sit quietly, but when I do I'm still Doing...reading, knitting, watching TV (rarely), something.

It wasn't intentional.  I set out to take the train downtown and had things to DO with me.  My phone, a magazine in my backpack, my ever-present to-do list - plenty to keep me busy for the ride from Howard to Harrison, but...
...my phone was low on battery so I didn't want to use it up with email, Facebook, music, or a game.
...I had a cup of coffee with me in my Brothers K travel mug that doesn't close so I didn't really have the hands free to navigate my magazine or to-do list.

So I sat.  I had my headphones in my ears so that muffled some of the ambient noise (tell me why, exactly, teenage girls are so LOUD?) a bit and made me feel like I'd created an imaginary force field around me.  I sat alone in my row for several stops, moving over to the window seat to allow someone else to sit down next to me when we got to the Fullerton stop.  43 minutes.

I looked out the window (did you know it's a "thing" to hang a sport's team flag on your back steps?)
I listened to my breath
I watched the people (oh, so much to see!)
I thought (but without direction/goal)

It was kinda awesome.

As a people, we're Doers for the most part.  We Do things at home, at work, on our way to and from - even our rest is often spent Doing things (like classes, right Hip Circle ladies?) which keeps us Doing almost all the time.  I know I Do a lot.  Run the studio.  Lead the Main Street Merchants.  Bellydance.  Teach classes.  Serve on committees. Live life as a Wife, Mom, Friend.  And there's more that I want to Do that I don't always seem to have time to get Done!  Sleep is a time when we don't DO, but how many people do you know with trouble letting go and falling into or staying in sleep?

I like Doing, but I'm pretty excited by this new-found ability to just be and look forward to my next opportunity.  Maybe after I slog through more of those to-do list items.  :-)  How about you?

Month of Me

September was both the fastest and longest month I've seen go by in a while.  Fast because ohmygoshhowisitoctoberalready!  Slow because, what with a whole bunch of changes at home and work, some planned and some unplanned, we sometimes felt like we were slogging through the days.  In all of the chaos and busy-ness, I found that my personal dance practice had gotten lost.

Remember back in March of 2013 when I had the fabulous experience of going to Portland, OR for Rachel Brice's 8 Elements Initiation?  It was a wonderful week away immersed in dance, and I came home charged and ready to focus on bellydance and creativity and self-expression.

Then life happened.  It was ever so easy for me to reschedule my dance practice sessions in favor of doing something for the studio, or subbing a class, or getting a kid from point A to B, or...or...or...  Before I knew it my practice schedule disappeared.  My body noticed the difference right away, but it took a while for my brain to catch up, and even longer for me to come up with a strategy to fix the oversight.

I know this happens for you, too.  Life gets in the way of whatever you're doing for yourself - all those other people and things are so very important, and it's so much easier to focus on them then on yourself.

Let's declare October the Month of Me (not me, Malik, but Me, you).  We'll observe by taking time for ourselves on a daily basis.  Yes, daily.  That might mean something "big" like leaving the house to take a class, or something small like sitting for 5 minutes in between tasks.  If we forget ourselves in the shuffle, who will remember us?  

I am making these commitments to myself for the month of October...the Month of Me:

* Daily yoga practice (20 minutes)

* Twice Weekly personal dance practice (one with Zills, one without)

* Weekly friend time (outside of the studio)

* Weekly date night with Bill

Share your Month of Me commitments as a comment and we'll cheer each other on!

Nominated for Best Dance Classes, and...

Hip Circle Studio won!  We won "Best Dance Classes" in the Make it Better Best of 2013 contest.

But let me tell you a story...

I didn't know we were even nominated until I got a letter informing us of our win.  Honest!  Most of the time, these contests are won through lots of promotion on the business' part - sending emails out to all of their subscribers, posting about needed votes on Facebook and Twitter (and other social media outlets I haven't figured out yet), reminding customers to vote after every visit - you know the drill.

I didn't know we were in the running.

I didn't ask for a single vote.



When the email came, I was a bit skeptical.  I decided to play along, though, figuring it couldn't hurt.  I went to the magazine offices ready for a hard pitch to buy advertising and such, but what I got was a hot cup of coffee, some treats, and the opportunity to talk with the founder of the magazine about the studio.  It was lovely!  I also found out we didn't *fully* win.  Nope - we'd tied with two other dance classes:

Zumba and WERQ

Here's the thing...Zumba is an INTERNATIONAL sensation.  WERQ is a National brand.  Both entities license or certify instructors from all over to teach their classes.  Heck, I AM licensed to teach Zumba, and we offer WERQ at the studio, too.

How cool is it that my little studio, just 3 years old, with a single location, came out of the contest in a three way tie with these two giants!

So Awesome!

So I will be flying our Best of 2013 flag high this month (and beyond) and will float around for a while on this winner's high.

Thanks to everyone (whoever you are) for voting, and I really do hope coming to the studio helps make things better for you!

Moving with Confidence

"Experienced travelers move with confidence..." - this mantra greeted me at Midway Airport on my way to and from Las Vegas this week.  Their intended message was about international travel, but for me this became something of a theme as I did all the people-watching I could during our vacation.

We stumbled into a portion of the Miss USA pageant when we visited the pool at our hotel.  The contestants were all in one section of the pool, surrounded by camera men, frolicking away as part of a contest segment (the girls had to use a kickboard and motor around one small portion of the pool).  While not competing the rest of the girls were on deck, jumping and cheering on their Miss USA sisters.  This meant we had 50 model-quality co-eds on display. In the rest of the pool area there were "regular" people - men and women (no children since this was the 21+ pool) sunbathing, playing in the water, and watching the Miss USA ladies.

There were a lot of bikinis.  A lot.  I felt a bit odd in my one-piece bathing suit, especially because the bikinis I was seeing were on all sorts of bodies.  I don't think of myself as having a "bikini body", even after seeing the meme roaming around Facebook telling me that the only thing I need to do to get a bikini body is to put a bikini on my body.

What I realized was this: when a woman carried herself confidently, she was beautiful...period.  I saw this from women of all ages, shapes, and sizes.

The meme is wrong.  In order to have a bikini body I need to do 2 things...put a bikini on my body AND move with confidence.  Until I can feel comfortable and confident while wearing it I won't be able to pull off the look.  It's the confidence we need to focus on - not the abs, butt, thighs, and breasts we get so caught up in stressing about.  It was inspiring to see the regular women rocking their bikinis.  Absolutely inspiring.

My goal for Summer 2014 is to be bikini ready from the INSIDE.  Will you join me - confidently - poolside?

Lights, Camera, ACTION!

Two months ago, at our monthly Founding Moms meetup, I set myself a task: Figure out the technical logistics necessary to record a video for the studio.  I'd been thinking about making a video for a while, and even have toyed with having classes available via video, but felt like it was outside of my abilities.
It's amazing what a bit of accountability can do for you!

I had 4 weeks to have something figured out, so I set down to it...

I learned that my iPhone 4S would be enough of a video camera to meet my needs but that my old laptop was not up to the challenge of editing video.  I also realized, after trying my hand at getting some footage recorded, that a tripod of some sort was important.  One week in towards my deadline I invested in a new laptop, access to One to One training (thanks, Apple financing), and a little tripod.

With the help and patience of the ladies of the studio I was able to record several video clips of classes. These provided a lot of good learning opportunities with my Apple Geniuses at Old Orchard, though a lot of what I recorded ended up on the virtual cutting-room floor.

1 week to go and I landed on A Vision for the video...a vision that was impossible to realize with iMovie.  Of course, right?  Back to the drawing room I went but with a clearer idea of what was and wasn't possible.  The good news?  I had something to show at the follow-up Founding Moms meeting. I had met and exceeded my initial goal, but I was eager to have a finished product to share at the next meeting.

Our group meets again on Monday, one week earlier than normal, and I'm pleased to report I have a completed video to share!  What you see here is the video made in iMovie, with a soundtrack I created in GarageBand.

I've learned a ton about lighting, sound, fade ins/outs, titles, color matching, and more.  And I understand why people pay good money to have someone make a video for them - this takes a lot of work!

This is, hopefully, the first of many YouTube shares.  Next up...a practice video for our "Flash Mob" song for Custer Street Fair.  Yes, I'm hooked on the magic of video creation.

Stay tuned (and subscribe to my channel)!

KangaCardio™ - An Expectations post

So what can you expect at Hip Circle Studio classes?  I'm going to do my best to give you a peek into the different classes we offer through a series of "Expectations" posts.  Of course, seeing is believing, so I hope this is just enough information to help you give a class a try.  Nothing is a replacement for the live experience.

I created KangaCardio™ about 5 years ago, though it had a different name at the time.  My intention was to create a class that allowed moms with wee ones (6-weeks and older) to get out of the house, connect with other moms, AND get a workout all in one trip.  I used the information I had gained through my Zumba training and my Group Exercise certification, as well as my experience working with moms and babies as a postpartum doula, to craft the class.  The result was a fun, moderate-intensity level workout in which moms could wear their baby.  Success!

What happens in a KangaCardio™ class?

Moms arrive and get their baby on in the carrier of their choosing.  We've had moms in ring slings, front carriers, and back carriers - much of the choice depends on the age and weight of the baby.  Favorite carriers have been the Moby (linen, not the stretchy t-shirt material) and the Ergo, but I swear we've pretty much had every carrier represented over the years!

The music starts and we get moving quickly (the babies don't like standing still)!  We use several basic dance-fitness moves and, of course, bellydance moves to get and keep our heart-rate up throughout class.  Everything we do keeps baby moving with mom in a way that is similar to what one might do to soothe baby out of a fussy state.

The music is loud enough to hear but chatter happens over the music - we talk about baby-related things in equal measure with current events and general topics.  No topic is off limits in class and a lot of questions get answered from among the community of moms in the room.


When a baby needs to nurse or eat, mom slows down and moves off to the side.  The same happens if there's a diaper emergency mid-class.  These pauses are totally welcomed and understood since the whole room has either been there or will be there soon enough!

That reminds me...Fussy babies (and their frazzled moms) are welcome!  Every baby benefits from the movement of dance, but the fussiest of the bunch may benefit the most. Check out this list of tips from Dr. Sears - you'll find wearing baby at #1 and dance at #2.  Need I say more?  

We are sure to cool mom down and do a good stretch.  Some babies retire to the floor for stretching time while others stay on mom.

What you WON'T find in KangaCardio™:

• Jumping
• Sharp movements
• Inversions
• Mom-shaming (all parenting choices are respected at the studio)
• Age limits (if you can wear your baby you're welcome in KangaCardio™)

If you have a wearable baby, I hope to see you in a KangaCardio™class soon!

Jump, Start, Cruise

There's got to be something that gets you started on a path to wellness.  Something that happens (or doesn't happen) that makes you change for the better.

For me, that something was a threat.  Not from a person, but from my body.  I had found bellydance and fallen in love when my knees started to put up a fight.  Dancing around with my 240 pounds was too much for them and they let me know in no uncertain terms.  The threat of surgery or giving up dancing was real enough for me to jump into action.

I started my path to wellness by tackling my diet, feeling like I was already active enough - I was a dancer after all.  I did a fair amount of research into a variety of options (from meal replacement plans to surgery to "solution" diets) and landed on Weight Watchers.  It was hard to walk into that first meeting and face the fact that I had, according to the charts in the book, over 100 pounds to move, but it was a START.  And that was what I needed.  I tend to finish things I start (except for knitting and quilting) so taking that first step was super important.  I also went public with my plan by posting my intention on Facebook.  Now I had to do it, right?

I changed my eating habits with the help of their Core plan (which doesn't exist anymore, sadly) - I started eating regularly throughout my day instead of forgetting to eat for hours at a time.  I started eating tons of fruits and veggies and whole foods.  I started paying attention to portion sizes and nutrition labels.  I started losing weight.

I cruised through my first 20 pounds, going down every week, before physical fitness really came up.  When it did, I first tried to brush it off (again, I was a dancer...I was "active") but I really wanted to stay successful at my weight-loss process so I looked at my options.  I was working at the YMCA at the time and had a membership as an employee perk. I started on the treadmills and knew that wasn't something I wasn't likely to do long-term.  I tried a Zumba class on a whim since it happened right before a class I taught.  It was AWESOME - I danced for an hour and they called it "a workout"!  That was something I could get behind!  I did, however, know myself well enough to know that I wouldn't keep it up if I didn't *have* to. 

At over 200 pounds I was, by far, the largest person in the Zumba licensing workshop.  I didn't fit the mold (or the Zumba clothes they were selling), but I made it through the training and set out to teach my first class.

A year and a half later, I was 75 pounds lighter, my entire lifestyle had changed, and I was truly an Active, Healthy, Well person.  

Today a woman took a jump into the unknown by emailing me with questions about the studio, at the start of her journey to wellness.  I really hope I get the chance to help her find her cruise setting!

Importance of Motherhood

I wear a lot of hats.  Business Owner, Dance Teacher, Fitness Instructor, Personal Trainer, Board President, Meetup Organizer, Women's Club member, Doula, Wife, Friend, Mom.  It's that last one that is most important and that seeps into everything I do.

I've wanted to be a mom for as long as I can remember.  Once I learned that moms were where babies come from I was ready.  Really!  I'm not exactly sure where the strong pull came from, but it was a part of my consciousness all through my growing-up years.

When I found myself pregnant for the first time I threw myself into the roll, reading EVERY book I could get my hands on (I worked at a bookstore at the time - can you imagine?) to get ready for the baby.  I didn't focus so much on prepping for labor, but more-so for the task of parenting.  I was so excited about finally (finally, at the age of 21) getting to be a mom!

When Forest arrived I was hooked.  In love.  And 100% a Mom.  She was my everything, and my biggest concern was with keeping her safe and well.  We had bumps in the road along the way for sure, but I loved being a mom.  I worked full-time, juggled my way into a career, and navigated relationship ups and downs, all while being 100% a mom.

When we had Quinn four years later, I felt like I had a good grounding in the basics of motherhood, but he had new things for me to learn and practice.  I was able to improve on some things from the first time around (breastfeeding - 2nd time's a charm!) and had an interesting time juggling two kids having zero sibling experience.  I don't remember doing much more than working and moming when Quinn was small, but that was plenty.

Grey arrived as our third and final family addition three years later.  Being mom to three kids was QUITE a challenge, but we worked out the kinks fairly early on and I found my mom-legs again soon enough.  I added the most "other" things to my life after he was born.  When he was 1 I started doing doula support.  When he was 2 I started my own business in earnest.  When he was 3 I found bellydance.

Through all of these additions to my world, mom-ing stayed the most important "job".  I love my kids with all my heart and soul. I am thrilled to say that I like them, too!  Seeing them grow and flourish into solid individuals is awesome in the truest meaning of the word.

So what does it mean to me to be a mom?  I should have all sorts of flowery prose to explain that, right?  I don't.  I can only say that I AM a mom.  My kids come first in my mind.  My absolute most important task is doing what I can to help them grow up healthy, well, and safe.  I make decisions of all kinds with them in mind.

They probably don't realize how important they are to me, and how much I think about them every day.    That's ok.  I think that may be the way things are supposed to be.

Happy Mother's Day!

Hula Hooping - Try it!

Read on for our first guest-authored post!  Cynthia Narcisi, our inaugural Hoop instructor at Hip Circle Studio, shares her love of hooping and gives you a peek into what you can expect in your first Hula Hoop class!

You might’ve noticed that hula hooping is a big trend (again) and no longer just for kids. It’s gotten a ton of media attention lately.  You’ve seen Kelly Osborne hooping, Marissa Tomei hooping, and even Ellen DeGeneres hooping (who knew?).    Good Morning America recently did a segment on it, too.  So all this might be what has inspired you to try hooping. And if it has, then great! But maybe there’s more to it than that. Maybe you want to lose weight. Or spend an hour having fun and connecting with other amazing women. Maybe you want to just move your body in a brand new way.  It could be you just want to prove to your inner child you finally, FINALLY, got that hoop to stay up! As kids, some of us were great at it, but most of us really really struggled, myself included.   I’d wind it up, give it a whirl, and then PLOP!   You can expect you absolutely WILL learn how to waist hoop. And you’ll have a LOT of fun while doing it because we don’t just stand there for an hour with the hoop on our waists. We hoop it like we mean it! 

Aside from waist hooping, we also:

• Hoop on the hips, chest, and shoulders.

• Hoop off-body such as on the hands and above the head.

• Hoop while we move (it’s no fun to just stand still, so we walk, turn in circles, do grapevines, all while hooping!)

What else can you expect? You can expect to use a larger sized hoop! They’re adult sized (and hand-made with L-O-V-E), meaning they’re much larger than the toy hoops you’re familiar with. Larger sized hoops are excellent for beginners so please don’t feel offended if I suggest you use really big hoop, probably MUCH bigger than what you’ve ever seen before.  A larger hoop will spin more slowly around the body, making it easier to control.  Remember how fast those lightweight, small toy hoops would spin? That’s why you had trouble with them. 

You can expect NOT to use weighted hoops. With hooping being so popular you may have been tempted to buy hoops that weigh anywhere from 3-15lbs. While that might not sound like much, all that weight (plus the additional force of the spin) pulling against your spine can actually cause injury to the lumbar area and bruising on the hips. Our hoops weight less than 2 lbs. and people love them! So we also ask that you don’t bring your weighted hoops to class as we really don’t want you to injure yourself. We provide hoops and you can also purchase them at the studio.

There are a million reasons why I love hula hooping and why I think you will too. Here are a few:

• According to American Council on Exercise, waist hooping burns 400-600 calories per hour

• Hooping strengthens your core and back

• Hand-hooping will give you amazingly toned arms
• It improves your balance and coordination

• Here’s the best part: It reduces stress!  

• Always wanted to try meditation but couldn’t do it? Hooping is literally a moving meditation!

What else can you expect in Hula Hoop class? You can expect lots of individual attention since we keep this particular class size small (max of 6) due to space requirements. It’s like a semi-private lesson every time! You can expect me to cheer you on like crazy because I really REALLY want everyone to walk out of class feeling accomplished!  Expect a variety of ages, sizes, and backgrounds which means, you guessed, you will fit right in!

When you come to class please wear:

• Cotton everything! The hoop will slide on anything shiny or synthetic.

• Fitted tops (or at least nothing baggy). The hoop will get tangled in loose-fitting shirts. Bottoms can generally be as loose fitting as you feel comfy with.  Yoga pants are great for hooping too.

•  Footwear? You can go barefoot or wear an aerobics shoe or a Zumba shoe if you have them.   Running shoes are nice too because they’re lightweight.  

Here’s the last thing you can expect: You can expect to become addicted to hula hooping! 

I hope to hoop with you soon! 

  

Getting Girls Hooked on Fitness

I haven't always been active.  In fact, if you'd told me in my twenties that I'd be making a living as a dance and fitness instructor I'd have laughed (and that would have been my workout for the day).  In my teens my activity was limited to whatever they had me doing in gym.  In my youth I did the requisite dance classes, and spent a fair number of years taking skating lessons, but I was never active outside of these organized classes.  What were the adults in my life doing?  A lot of sitting and driving. Even the teachers of the active classes I took did more directing than demonstrating.  Did this set me up for being a sedentary, unhealthily overweight adult?  Maybe...

One of the things that pushed me to open the studio was the desire to have a space where women could bring their girls to share workouts and dance classes.  Let girls stand, dance, and sweat next to women of all ages, shapes, and sizes to encourage an active lifestyle and positive self-esteem.

We have to do something to change how the next generation looks at fitness.

How many of us struggle with keeping our own health and wellness at the top of our to-do lists each week?  I have to believe that giving our daughters regular practice working out - in the company of our generation - will carry over into adulthood.  Think of it: if going to workout is a treat you get after completing that day's homework, how does that change your relationship with fitness?  How about the benefits of being able to get your workout in while spending quality time with your daughter?  This is a win-win scenario that has the power to change the world!

Will it work?  I think it already is...

Feeling...beautiful

A few days ago my daughter shared this Dove video on my timeline.  You've probably already seen it since it's making the rounds on the internet this week.  I watched it, I liked it, and I've been thinking about it ever since.

Today, after having seen it posted by friends and friends-of-friends since Monday, I started seeing links to blog posts like this one, speaking out against the video.  I couldn't quite see what people saw in the video that made them so upset (I hadn't read the anti-posts, just saw that they were linked).

Now that I've read one of the posts I'm left with the feeling of confusion.  Why can't we take a "you're beautiful" message at face value?  Yes, I know it's an advertising campaign and that their goal is to sell more of their products.  Yes, I know that the company in question owns another company that has horrible ads that are not meant to make me feel all strong and powerful as a woman.

But, see, I *do* feel all strong and powerful as a woman, and soaps and such aren't going to take that away from me.  What I see when I watch that video is a reminder to cut myself some slack.  I see cause for a celebration if even one of the women highlighted in the video walked away from that experience feeling better about herself than when she walked in.  I see the start of discussions on self-esteem potentially happening in houses across the nation, hopefully many of them with young girls involved.

Speaking of girls, also on my wall this week have been several posts from A Mighty Girl, a recent discovery of mine.  Following this page on Facebook has led to several great discoveries and, in general, a very positive girl-power vibe emanating from my news feed each day.  I know we need to help girls see their self-worth and power in things that have nothing to do with their looks.  I know that we are, as women, so very much more than pretty faces or butts or breasts or whatever the focus might be at any given moment.  I know that we have a serious problem with the decline of girls self-esteem (did you know that self-esteem PEAKS at 9 years of age? ) and feel that the negativity of the adult women they encounter is a significant factor.

It is for all these reasons that I like what this ad campaign is bringing to the table.  We need people and the media to, even for a moment...even riddled with ulterior motives, tell us all that we're beautiful.  I was not bothered by the fact that the majority of the women featured were white (didn't even occur to me).  I didn't pick up on the subtleties implied by the descriptors being used (thin apparently appeared over and over).  I saw women discovering how hard and negative they were towards themselves, and seeing themselves through another's eyes.  I heard them say they were beautiful.

You Are Beautiful.  I Am Beautiful.  YOU ARE BEAUTIFUL.

Expectations - Bellydance BaseFusion

We are a cautious people.  We like to read reviews before buying an item or trying out  a recipe.  We like to choose our practitioners based on referrals from friends and family.  We like to see pictures and video of people and places before we meet them or plan a visit.  Having an idea of what is going to happen before it happens seems to make it easier to take that leap into the unknown.

So what can you expect at Hip Circle Studio classes?  I'm going to do my best to give you a peek into the different classes we offer through a series of "Expectations" posts.  Of course, seeing is believing, so I hope this is just enough information to help you give a class a try.  Nothing is a replacement for the live experience.

Bellydance BaseFusion

The Description - Discover the fun inherent in the basics of bellydance in this beginning level class. Each week will include a variety of moves to expose you to the basics of how the body moves in bellydance and the fusion styles used by Malik and Zahara Fusion. Regular practice in using combinations will prepare you for taking on Intermediate Bellydance. You’ll also work your way up to being comfortable with improvisational dancing thanks to the strong foundation presented in this class. Students can be as young as 8 and as old as the sun. Students under 12 must attend with their parent.  

Translation - the focus is on fun, this is a beginning level class (no experience necessary), you'll learn all sorts of moves, you'll practice free dancing, young  girls/teens are welcome, and there's another level class to aim for.

But, what's going  to happen when you walk in for your first class, right?

• You'll encounter women/girls who are different.  Honestly, I don't think we have 2 students that look enough alike to be confused for each other!
• You'll take off your shoes and socks.
• You'll get to choose a coin belt to borrow (unless you bring your own).
• You'll be greeted warmly by me and the other students.
• You'll move!  We do a gentle warm up to prep your heart, muscles, and joints, then get into the content for the week.  Each class ends with a 3-5 minute free dance time before we cool down and stretch.
• You'll chat! We're a friendly bunch and we while away our drills (yay, shimmies!) with light conversation.
• You'll laugh! Nothing is taken too seriously in this level - we're here to have a good time and get to know (maybe even love?) our bodies.  Critiques and such are saved for the intermediate level classes.
• You'll hear a variety of music, from all over the world, while dancing in class.

What don't you have to worry about in our BaseFusion class?

• Baring your belly.  You can be as dressed as you'd like in this class, though it is easiest for me to help you master the moves if you have form-fitting (think yoga style) clothing.  Feel better in a huge t-shirt and baggy sweats?  Go for it.
• Your two left feet.  Heck, bring three if you have them!  Perfection is not the goal in this class and we're not packed in like sardines so there's room for "interpretation" of directions.  Honest - if you've had bad experiences before that have left you with the notion that you "can't dance" this class can help you turn that around.  Everybody can bellydance.
• Competition.  There is no "winning" in our classes (at any level), so there's no need to compete.  I am beyond thrilled with the community of women we've gathered at the studio and how their first instinct is to help and welcome new folks.
• Fat/Skinny/Young/Old bashing.  ALL WOMEN ARE WELCOME!  Let me say that again...ALL WOMEN ARE WELCOME!  However you are, whoever you are, you can walk into the studio and know you'll be accepted.  Every.Body.CAN.Bellydance.

Now it's your turn.  Comment with your experiences from coming to Bellydance BaseFusion.  If you haven't been yet, come give it a try and then add your comments into the mix.  

Determination VS Distraction

While studying with Rachel Brice in Portland we all participated in a ritual she called “One-Word Check-in” where we went around the circle and were asked to sum up how we were feeling at the start of that day in one word.  Harder than you’d think, honestly!  Give it a try now – what one word would you use to sum up today?  I found the practice an interesting one in that the first word that came to mind was rarely the one I shared with the circle.  This was not because the first thought was wrong, exactly, but that when given some time (there were about 35 of us in the circle) other words floated up to the surface and presented themselves as a more correct summation of my feelings.  At any given moment I imagine I’m feeling quite a bit of different things, though it’s not too often that I take the time to identify them all.

Some of us from Initiation have continued this practice in a Facebook group created by Andrea to facilitate our continued dance practice away from the magic of that circle.  Here’s what I posted today:

Today I feel determined...I squeezed in 45 minutes of practice time even though I had to give up my "scheduled" (with myself on my calendar) time earlier in the day...I did a short DD-Hips followed by 18 minutes of drills (18 simple moves, 1 minute each)...I took the first step towards tackling my nemesis the choo choo shimmy...I forced myself to improv and made a breakthrough...and had a productive work day to-boot. Now I'm recharging before teaching this evening by nibbling on hummus and pea pods.

The thing is, when I was thinking about this blog post this morning I thought my word for today was going to be Distracted.  Distracted is true for today, too.  I’ve done about 2 million things, many of them before 10 am, and felt myself pulled in direction after direction, not feeling like I was being terribly successful at completing things along the way.  Due to my distraction I gave up my morning dance practice as scheduled, putting out several work-fires instead, but Determined wins.  Why?  When I looked back at my day in preparation for making my check in, my successes rose to the top despite the distracted environment I lived in today. 

In the end, isn’t it what floats to the top that matters the most?

Creativity

I've been in a rut.  I didn't realize it before but it's clear as the day is long from where I sit right now.  If I had to put a date on it, I'd say the rut began forming about 8 months ago.  Wow.

What happens on the other side of a rut?  HUGE WAVES OF CREATIVITY!  I had the honor of spending the last week away from home, immersed in bellydance at the hands of Rachel Brice - a dancer who I have long admired for her technique but now have her wonderful personality and integrity to admire as well.  In her 8 Elements: Initiation we were pushed to tap into our creative selves on a daily basis, exploring what our brains and bodies had to offer as well as collaborating with the other dancers in the room.  The result was amazing on so many levels - so very many levels - but one very important outcome for me was that the work pushed me out of my rut.  Look at how happy I am with her!


I've been choreographing combos as I walk around my house.  I've been thinking up new songs to use in a variety of classes.  Even scheduling is benefiting from this shift (stay tuned, ladies, the next few weeks should be a HOOT at the studio), all from this boost of creative brain usage.

Ruts are dangerous.  Looking back at the last several months I can see that a lack of creativity has had a negative impact on several areas of my life well beyond the artistic parts of my world.  Our brains are powerful tools that need to be stretched and pushed and pulled and prodded to keep working at optimal levels, and it feels like mine was running on auto-pilot for a while there.

No more - creativity WILL be a part of my everyday from here on out.  How about yours?  How will you be creative tomorrow?

Bellydance

Bellydance

I had no idea how much a part of my life bellydance would become when I set out for my first class. I saw paint on a storefront window – the kind of paint you would use to write “for sale” on the front windshield of a used car – advertising a class. I don’t remember the exact wording now, but I do remember that it had “belly” and “mama” and “bellydance” included. I thought to myself…I have a belly, and I’m a mom, I’ll give bellydance a try. That was about 9 years ago and I haven’t stopped dancing.

I love this art form. It enables me to spend time in my body in true bliss. This is quite a feat given the years and years of body image and self esteem issues I’ve racked up! When I’m bellydancing I’m able to lose myself in the music and the movement – like I said, bliss.

As I’ve taken on teaching and choreographing over the years I’ve seen my relationship with bellydance change a bit. Being in front of a classroom keeps me grounded, and my focus isn’t on how the movements make me feel – it shifts to being about how to describe the movements and transfer the knowledge of how to make them happen. It becomes about helping other women find that bliss and that self-acceptance and love of the dance.

When this post publishes, I’ll be immersing myself in bellydance as a student, studying with the incomparable Rachel Brice. Her teaching style is a good fit for me, and I ADORE watching her dance – she is one of the few dancers who brings me to that bliss place from my seat in the audience. I’ve been looking forward to this trip since taking the plunge and registering back in July and it’s hard to believe the time has finally come.

I will post on the other side of the week of learning, but from where I sit right now I am 100% excited. I’ve left the stages of fear and nervousness behind and will head into the first day of Initiation with the open mind of a student ready to learn. I am ready for the hard work that will be required, and I’m looking forward to some bliss moments along the way.

Bellydance, how I do love thee!

Anemia

I am, for the most part, a very healthy person.  I get well over the recommended amount of physical activity in per week, I eat a balanced diet focusing on proteins and vegetables, I have healthy relationships with both family and friends.  I avoid processed foods and empty calories.  I read food labels and shop conscientiously. 

And, as I discovered this month, I am anemic.

After feeling run down and generally unwell I FINALLY went to the doctor.  Well, a student clinic (no health insurance here) at our somewhat local Naturapathic college.  The lovely student interns led by two wonderful docs have, so far, diagnosed me with iron-deficient anemia.  The full fun is yet to come as we try to figure out why I am anemic, but that will be a story for another day.

The result of my anemia is that it is a bit harder for me to make it through my active days unscathed.  Zumba takes more out of me than it should, and Moxie Boxing pushes me to my limit.  Sundays, when I teach from 8 am - 5 pm, require buckets of resolve.  It’s hard, but in some ways it feels good.

Yes – it feels good to struggle a bit.  To push past that little voice in my head that’s trying to tell me I can’t do a class…that feels good.  It reminds me of all the benefits I’m getting from that workout, of all the other things that seem hard but are awesome from the other side, and of the simple fact that I’m human.

We all have barriers that keep us from working out and taking care of ourselves.  For some it’s time, or all the other people we need to tend to first, or fear of being welcomed, or the weather, or work stress, or whatever.  Pushing past those barriers make us that much stronger on the other side of the workout, don’t you think?  It feels good to step away from that never-ending pile of to-dos to sweat and focus on ourselves for 30 – 75 minutes, both because of the benefits of the workout AND because we’ve overcome a barrier.

What’s getting in the way of your quest for wellness, and what are you going to do to push past that barrier this week?