that girl is a singin,
dancin fool

As a bellydancer who works a 7:30 to 5 web design job each day, it is understandable that there isn't always enough time to practice, take class and perform as much as I want to. During the holidays, this is especially difficult and for me, usually results in a hiatus from dance for a while.

In the weeks before Christmas we are busily occupied with shopping, planning, wrapping, baking and in my case, singing at many Christmas services at Mile Hi Church.
These activities keep me occupied enough that I stop caring as much about nutrition, exercise and the physical activities that give me the energy I need.

I'm not a fan of running or gyms and machines in terms of fitness. I like yoga, fast walking, hiking and dance. As anyone in Colorado knows, getting outside in the winter can be challenging unless it's a ski trip (which requires considerable money, time, etc. Or snow-shoeing if one happens to have snow shoes).

I have a wide variety of dance and fitness DVDs that I like but again having the time and discipline during the holidays is a challenge for me.

I enjoy the holidays in that it means everyone in my family sets aside a few days from their busy lives to come together to eat (a LOT), play games and spend time together. This is a heightened, wonderful time - hard to continue in every day life.

Then comes the week after Christmas. Left in the after-math of the hustle of the holidays, it's a strange feeling for me not quite knowing what to do with myself. I feel a bit lost... It's been so many weeks since I had consistent exercise, my body is drained, listless and I find it challenging to even get out of bed. This drastic change in daily living triggers a depression in my bi-polar brain and suddenly the drastic downward spiral is in effect before I even realize its happening.

What's the point of this blog post? (you might be asking yourself...)
When I finally dragged my sorry butt out of bed, I did some basic, gentle yoga. Things got a little better. The muscles said, 'we're ready to work a little more,' so I did some dance conditioning drills and exercises. The body said, 'oooh I need this but I'm not quite having fun yet.'

At the encouragement of the lovely Rafi'ah Ruyah (thank you!) I signed up for her bellydance class in Littleton... and suddenly - WHOOSH, it's a total transformation. The muscle memory takes over and the joy of dance makes exercise effortless, expressive and empowering (hmm nice alliteration). And I realized why this is.

While it is a fun, feminine, fitness activity which creates a bond between you and other women, bellydance is a practice in mastering your body and doing it with grace.
We learn to isolate all the muscles, move them in sharp or sinuous ways at varying speeds. We can even move our feet in one pattern and rhythm while our arms and hips are doing something totally different.

The joy and practice of bellydance (for me) offers so much more than just exercise and community; it's a powerful mode of mind and body transformation challenging us to cultivate our self-image and unique womanly strength.

Thank you to all my shimmy sisters out there :)
In gratitude of the dance,
Nielle