Dance Benefits

Have you ever felt a little down at times, so you decided to put on your favorite song and move with that music? How did you feel following your “dance encounter”? Did you feel somewhat better? Well, there have been plenty of research to support the fact that dance has great benefits not only for your physical body but for your mind as well.

Dance is known to be one of the best forms of exercise and there are many cultures in the non-western world that promote and encourage dance in their daily lives for staying fit, stress free and happy. In addition, dance which includes stretching and cardio is considered by many to be most acceptable exercise for all age groups; young and old alike. Everyone has the ability to dance, it just takes confidence in your ability and when it relates to your health, your preoccupation with having the “right” moves should be of no concern.

The benefits of dance towards your health should be noted as well as celebrated. Following a good dance session, the body releases a large amount of endorphins. It has been found that “endorphins give you a certain ‘high’, almost 56 per cent higher than marijuana, with anti-ageing factors, which reduce the occurrence of wrinkles to almost 63 per cent”. Salla, Prerna (2004,06,30). Dance, the eternal stress reliever. Retrieved February 18, 2007, from buzzle.com Web site: http://www.buzzle.com/editorials/6-30-2004-56070.asp Dance is great for the skin, giving it a natural glow which can not be replicated by store moisturizers. In addition, dance paired with your favorite tune often increases the euphoric experience as you tend to smile more than you ordinarily would.

In London, I ran a stress-buster course which utilized Afro-Latin rhythms for relaxation. The course was a success being that I introduced a particular rhythm which other wise would not have been associated as a relaxant but more of a stimulant. Each participant was asked to state something which had been causing them stress and then rate that experience on a scale of 1 to 10 for example. They were guided through the dance experience by my voice and percussion and then encouraged to let each movement represent a release. Following the movement portion of the class, the students were asked to rate their stress level, and to their surprise, their level had decreased by remarkable numbers.

Dancing can be a great if not almost an exuberating sexual experience (of course this depends on how much you love to dance) which can be performed in the privacy of your own home at any time. You can create the moves without trepidation and fear; it is really all up to you. Just relax and enjoy the “ride”. In actuality, dancing of any sort is a great way to begin an active lifestyle and have fun in the process. Dancing is a superb outlet for a mundane everyday life.

Short Relaxation Activity

1. Take deep slow breaths (inhale/exhale)
Place complete concentration on your breathing and the moment.

2. Slow mental counts from 1 - 10
Continue to concentrate on your breathing as you take slow deep breaths in and out. Each breath (inhale/exhale) represents a count/number.

3. Find your safe place
Continue your breaths and find a place which is a place of relaxation and safety for you.

4. Think opposite (Contrast your negative thoughts)
Only concentrate on the things that you would like to be or feel. For example, if you are stressed, tell yourself that you are relaxed.

5. Returning
Once you have completed steps 1 – 4, it is time for you to return. Follow the same steps………

a) Tell yourself that you will feel (relaxed)

b) Tell yourself that you can always return to your safe place

c) Begin to count backwards from 10 – 1 very slowly with each breath coinciding with each number

d) Finish with your deep breaths (inhale/exhale)

The Power of Thoughts

We often arrive at times in our lives where we find that our ability to progress towards achievement, i.e. promotion, new career, health or happiness is at a stand still. We ponder our goals which are obtainable at arms length but there is something which holds us back…. ourselves.

The negative words spoken upon us during our lifetime in regards to our abilities are often given life, the power to manifest, through our own self-doubts. In actuality, one could say that our thoughts and beliefs in our abilities shape our realities and the results of these realities can be positive or negative.

In a recent article by Kathryn Yarborough, Know What You Do Want from the January/February 2007 edition of On Purpose Woman Magazine, she discusses the topic of manifestation, the process of transforming your desires into reality. She says that to manifest your desires, you must know what you want and then truly believe that you are experiencing what you want to be, to do, or have at this moment. Kathryn states that because of the Law of Attraction, the experience or thing you desire will manifest into physical form.

The following are 5 points which have been further simplified to understand the process of manifestation:

1. Know what you don’t want
2. Know what you do want
3. Set your goals and then believe that you will achieve them by clearing the obstacles that may be blocking your progress
4. Tell yourself that you can achieve your goal
5. Follow any guidance or intuition you receive to help facilitate your goal

These 5 points are provided only as a guide/example for how our thoughts can affect our ability to achieve our goals. It is also important that you take action immediately. By taking immediate action, you lower the risk of losing focus by pondering your thoughts for too long.

Although there are many factors which may hinder our progress in life such as doubt, low self-esteem, or even environmental factors but overall, we have the power to alter our realities through positive thoughts and actions.

4 Points of the Benefits of Exercise

Exercise is a natural part of life i.e. walking, although these days we have to consciously include it in our daily routine. If you are beginning a new exercise program or maybe you are a veteran in fitness, you may already be aware of the great benefits of what a few minutes of exercise a week can do not only for your body but also your mind.

Here are 4 points of the benefits of exercise:

1. Exercise can help combat stress and potential illness. When someone is under stress, adrenaline pours into the blood stream as part of our “fight or flight” response and muscles throughout the body tense in anticipation of a challenge. Immediate effects can range from a short temper to difficulty sleeping; long-term effects can be even more dangerous.

“Regular physical activity can help counter the potentially damaging effects of stress on the body and may help prevent stress-related illnesses.” “These activities provide a natural way to release tension in the body and will often lead to an automatic state of relaxation that naturally follows a good workout.” http://www.mamashealth.com/exercise/mindbody.asp

2. A recent study has found that women who walk remember.
When the cognitive abilities of elderly women were compared, those who walked regularly were less likely to experience age-related memory loss and other declines in mental function.

"In the higher-energy groups, we saw much less cognitive decline," said neurologist Kristine Yaffe, MD. Of the women who walked the least (a half-mile per week), 24% had significant declines in their test scores, compared to only 17% of the most active women (17 miles per week).

It wasn't a matter of all or nothing. "We also found that for every extra mile walked per week there was a 13% less chance of cognitive decline," said Yaffe, who is Chief of Geriatric Psychiatry at the San Francisco Veterans Administration Medical Center. "So you don't need to be running marathons. The exciting thing is there was a 'dose' relationship which showed that even a little is good but more is better."

"In the higher-energy groups, we saw much less cognitive decline" – a protective effect amounting to as much as 40% – according to Yaffe. "This is an important intervention that all of us can do and it could have huge implications in preventing cognitive decline." http://www.fi.edu/brain/exercise.htm#physicalexercise

3. Walking is especially good for your brain, because it increases blood circulation and the oxygen and glucose that reach your brain.Walking is not strenuous, so your leg muscles don't take up extra oxygen and glucose like they do during other forms of exercise. As you walk, you effectively oxygenate your brain. Maybe this is why walking can "clear your head" and help you to think better. http://www.fi.edu/brain/exercise.htm#physicalexercise

4. Research has shown that regular exercise delivers a mental and emotional boost. It improves your mood, bolsters your self-esteem and gives you the confidence to handle whatever comes your way. Some studies hint that it also enhances the functioning of your brain. http://health.yahoo.com/topic/fitness/getstarted/article/islco/Fitness_fit_Stay_Happy


Exercise is a normal part of our lives which appears to have been taken for granted. Our modern world with all its luxuries seems to have blinded us from the benefits of a simple walk. Perhaps if we could devote a few minutes to our daily routine to walk the stairs instead of taking the elevator or even better tried walking from a parking place which was a little further from your favorite shop at the mall, you would see and feel the results in the long run . Remember that when you are trying to begin an exercise program but may feel overwhelmed at times, you can make bigger progress with smaller steps.

The Media and Body Image

Women are often bombarded by fictitious media images about their lives and bodies. We often find ourselves subscribing to a lifestyle which only relates to a small minority. We are aware of these impossibilities yet we continue to strive to be 5’10”, legs to there, and a size 4.

In the book, The Body Wise Woman, co-authored by Judy Mahle Lutter and Lynn Jaffee, brilliant examples of how society has shaped our body image are described. For example, in some societies, a robust woman is viewed as being fertile and therefore admired. In the North American culture, however there exists an obsession to be thin and fit. “Thinness is associated with high social class, with success, and with the ability to attract a man. The standard of white female beauty has become more narrowly defined and restrictive, making it nearly impossible to be thin enough, fit enough, or young enough.” Society sets such high and unrealistic standards that no one can really fit the mold of the ideal beauty.

I find this text excerpt interesting being that the majority of women on the covers of high fashion magazines are white, but still the average white North American woman yet alone women of other American cultures, can never truly attain this “ideal” image of beauty without anguish, frustration, and/or disappointment. These “media standards of beauty” are rarely obtained and should continue to receive criticism of how they are manipulating body image for many women who probably are already experiencing transitions and changes to their lifestyles for various reasons.

Women come in various shapes and sizes; this should be celebrated. By maintaining a healthy lifestyle with fitness, exercise and a good diet, you not only help protect yourself against diseases and increase your quality of life but it will also make you feel good about yourself.