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By Diane Dupuis
Dancing can transport you as you get lost in the music and lyrics, simply connecting with the beat, and potentially learning how truly magnificent our bodies are. We are all born to dance. Look at children. They dance in their seats long before they can walk. They don’t even need music. Unfortunately, as we grow, we learn to be self-conscious or feel “not good enough.”
Many people stop dancing when the joy is gone, and all they feel is pressure. Added to that is the pressure of having the “perfect” form and the “perfect” dancer body.
Some dance classes can add the stress of competition or feeling the need to fit in.
Many studies have highlighted the amazing health benefits of dancing. Not only is it good for your heart and lungs, but it helps build your endurance and flexibility.
As we age, we need to find ways to improve our strength and balance. Dancing helps reduce joint pain and stiffness. The mental benefits of dance keep depression and dementia at bay.
Imagine always looking forward to exercising. We know how important it is to move our bodies and how wonderful those yummy endorphins feel afterwards. But many times inertia or our belief of not being a good dancer will stop us from getting up and trying. I have thankfully found GROOVE dance to be an amazing outlet for my energy and worries, allowing myself to get lost for an hour in the joy of dancing.
I am a single mother of an amazing son. Being an administrative assistant is what has paid the bills all these years, but dance is what pays my soul. I started dancing when I was three years old, but took a very long sabbatical from the age of six until my mid 40’s.
I wasn’t very happy with my life and went on a journey to find more things to bring joy. Every minute of every day is a choice. I decided to choose JOY and HAPPINESS!
In 2011 I found a local flash mob that was happening soon, so I signed up and went to classes to learn the steps. Just like that I was hooked on dancing again. When I reconnected with dance I realized how an hour can pass so very quickly when doing something I love. The leader of the flash mob happened to be the Master Trainer in Montreal of a movement called The World GROOVE Movement – which is a very simple dance exercise class with super easy steps that you get to do your own way. No more feeling like a dummy, like when I couldn’t keep up in other aerobics dance classes. I was quickly hooked and two years later became a facilitator, the day before my 50th birthday, allowing me to lead GROOVE dance classes in my hometown of Montreal.
The World GROOVE movement has five GROOVE truths which tend to spill over in our everyday lives:
- Nobody cares what you look like (and if they do – it’s their problem not yours).
- Your way is the right way. Another great lesson to take into your life. If the type of dancing feels good to you – then it’s the right way.
- No one can do it for you. You have to decide you want to do something and you are the only one who can do it (i.e. move your body). The intensity of a dance workout is completely up to you … you decide how much you want to put in (or get out) of each dance session.
- You should look different! We are all so beautifully unique and special. Dance it your way and just make it feel super delicious in your body.
- You don’t understand something until you apply it.
I truly believe that EVERYbody can dance – making EVERYbody the perfect dancer.
I have dealt with several health issues over the years, including melanoma, migraines, arthritis, and fibromyalgia. Being able to move my body in a way that feels just right has been a life saver. Many exercise modalities believe in “no pain, no gain” but GROOVE is the opposite. Always respecting and listening to your body and allowing it to move in a way that feels best to you has been life changing.
I like to encourage self-love in my classes. I play lots of songs about love and encourage everyone to sing it to themselves first and foremost.
We are in the longest relationship of our lives with our bodies – let’s stop taking our body for granted and let’s show it love every single day!
Excerpted from “The Write Spot: Writing as Path to Healing,” available from your local bookseller, and as a paperback and ebook from Amazon.
