No Age Limit on Dance Therapy

Jennifer Blakeley Photography

Yesterday I caught myself smiling in the mirror. I was a little surprised at the face looking back at me to be quite honest. Realizing that I had observed my own joy I couldn't help myself. My smile spread like a runaway wildfire. It blossomed into a grin that finally moved into my lungs, down into my stomach and was exhaled again as a laugh. What an exhilarating body to soul connecting moment.

What brought this on you ask?

Zumba class!

The lovely local ladies in our little town love it.

What is Zumba you ask?

Zumba is one of the few avenues available to adult women who love to dance and don't necessarily have a willing partner to do it with. Zumba is about feeling comfortable in your own skin and moving your own way. It is a creative release and a welcome body to spirit reconnection at the end of a day that is often centered more on what you did instead of who you are. Zumba exercises more than the body, (it is a fantastic sweat producing workout) it cleanses the spirit and stretches the soul.

In technical terms, Zumba is a mixture of Latin, Hip- Hop, Jazz, Modern and Belly dance. It is composed of small simple and predictable combinations strung together loosely enough that every woman is encouraged to and discovers that she must dance her own dance.

I have been involved in formal dance training for years and have found great satisfaction in "getting in my own skin." I can't help but notice now that I'm in my 30's that what I do each week is somewhat of a rarity. Women my age don't dance much anymore. Every time I notice it I remember how lucky I am.

Why don't we dance more regularly than at an occasional wedding after a couple drinks?

Oh there are lots of reasons.

We're too busy. We don't have time to go out. We don't have anyone to dance with us. Our husbands don't dance. There are no dance classes available for adults.

What are the biggest reasons that people rarely say out loud?

I am embarrassed. I am not coordinated. I am not beautiful.

Beautiful people dance. That's just not me.

Yesterday I was smiling because a room full of women were in the process of celebrating how beautiful they were.

If you've lost touch with the girl that spun wild circles in the grass to music that didn't exist outside her own head, it's time to find a Zumba class near you.

Dancing with the body is good for the soul.