A huge theme for this coming year is this idea of embodiment and how we can live our lives in ways that honor our bodies and their physical and emotional needs. As the year comes to an end, here are a few questions we can reflect on, to help us set the stage for living more embodied lives in 2022:
The answers to these questions will vary from day to day and from moment to moment, and there is no wrong answer. What’s true for you right now? Whether the experience of being in your body is a very pleasant one in this moment (maybe you are enjoying a delicious meal, or smelling a scented candle or you just finished a really fulfilling movement session) or a very unpleasant one (maybe you are sick or injured and in a lot of physical pain, maybe you are suffering from depression or another type of emotional pain), making the time to simply take note of how you feel can be so helpful and important.
Again, there is no blanket right or wrong answer here, but these questions can help you explore the right answers for you. If there is a form of movement that your body is craving, how can you make that into a regular practice? If there is a type of food that makes you feel good from the inside out, how can you integrate that into your diet? What are the activities that make you happy, that make your heart sing? How can you carve out more time to do them more regularly? Is there anything that doesn’t make you feel good, that you can do away with in your life, or make less time for? Have you been getting enough rest on a weekly basis, or does something need to change so that you can get the rest you need? We have a lot more control over the experiences within our bodies than we think. But rarely are we taught to tune into the body, to learn and understand its language, to listen and to give it what it needs. More often than not, we are taught that our bodies are dirty, we are taught to feel guilty for seeking pleasure, we are taught to neglect our body’s needs and to treat it like a machine that can be pushed around to yield the same level (if not ever-increasing levels) of output and productivity every day no matter what. In fact, most of us treat our bodies even worse than machines, because even machines need maintenance from time to time... yet how many of us take the time to give our bodies the maintenance they need? Now, if thinking about these questions brings up anxiety, resistance, or resentment for you, notice that too. Again, there is no wrong answer. What’s coming up for you? How do these questions make you feel, and why? No matter what is coming up for you, your feelings are valid and deserving of further exploration. I am wishing you a fruitful time of reflection as the year comes to an end. May you make new discoveries that will help you step into a better, happier, and more embodied phase of your life! Was This Post Helpful?Did you find this post helpful? Would you like to see more like it? If so, comment below letting us know!
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Not sure what to wear to your first belly dance class? You're not alone! This is one of the most common questions I get from brand new belly dance students, so I decided to make a video and blog post to address it. There is a misconception that you have to show your belly or wear a fancy costume just to go to class... but this is simply not the case. In reality, what you need to wear is anything that makes you happy, that you feel comfortable and confident in, and that allows you to move freely. You don't have to show your belly unless that makes you happy and you are comfortable with it. It does help to wear clothes that aren't too loose just so your teacher can see your movements, but you don't have to show skin or wear anything super tight if you are not comfortable with that. It's also nice to bring a hip scarf or any fabric to tie around your hips to emphasize your movements, but that is not required. As for footwear, typically we dance barefoot, but if you are uncomfortable dancing on bare feet, you can wear dance slippers, jazz shoes or foot undeez instead. If you normally wear orthotics, it's acceptable for you to wear whatever shoes and orthotic inserts you normally wear, but you'll need to check with your teacher about their policy for wearing "street shoes" inside the studio. It's possible that they might ask you to have designated shoes just for dancing if street shoes are not allowed on the studio floors. And that's it, so plain and simple! Wear anything comfortable that allows you to move and allows for your movements to be seen, and have fun! Was This Post Helpful?Did you find this post helpful? Would you like to see more like it? If so, comment below letting us know!
You can also visit our blog map to find more of our articles, or subscribe to our newsletter or Facebook page to be the first to find out about our next post. And you'd like to learn belly dance online, check out our available classes here. |
AuthorYamê is a Brazilian-American View Posts By CategoryIf you'd like to read more articles by Yamê or SharqiDance's guest authors, please view our blog map here.
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