Tag Archives: dance

heatherfromthegrove’s New Year’s Revelation No 7 of 7: Celebrate Life

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“Life is full of beauty. Notice it. Notice the bumblebee, the small child, and the smiling faces. Smell the rain, and feel the wind. Live your life to the fullest potential, and fight for your dreams.”

– Ashley Smith

As we reach the end of the first week of January, I wanted to finish off my 7 New Year’s Revelations on a jazzy note. Despite all of the ups and downs, dramas and drollery…. life is precious and meant to be celebrated.  Gain wisdom and strength from the difficult times and focus on the beauty of  everything – from the simple to the sublime.

Take the time to eat dinner by candlelight and talk with those you love – without glancing at your smartphone! In fact, put the damned smartphone on the charger and turn it off for rest of the night! Communicate with actual spoken words, rather than texts. Put your favorite music on … nice and loud…. and dance around the house! Kiss that special person in your life… long and slow.  Don’t rush through a meal… savour the taste of  good food and libation. Don’t guzzle a drink… sip it slowly.  You’re not going to turn into a pumpkin at the stroke of midnight… so take your time.

And, remember….. the best is yet to come.

“Live with intention. Walk to the edge. Listen hard. Practice wellness. Play with abandon. Laugh. Choose with no regret. Appreciate your friends. Continue to learn. Do what you love. Live as if this is all there is.”

– Mary Ann Radmacher

Some Book Recommendations:

Rites of Passage: Celebrating Life’s Changes – by Kathleen Wall & Gary Ferguson

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Life, Love, Laughter: Celebrating Your Existence  – by Osho

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Loving Life After Sixty: Celebrating the Autumn of Your Life – by Tom Paugh

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Photo via flickr.com

 

Dance like nothing matters

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“You’ve gotta dance like there’s nobody watching,
Love like you’ll never be hurt,
Sing like there’s nobody listening,
And live like it’s heaven on earth.” 
― William W. Purkey

 

When it feels like the walls are closing in on you and the stress is threatening to take you down…. stop.  Press the pause button.  You need  to take a moment, an hour, maybe even a whole  afternoon – to do something that will make you smile, grin… or even throw your head back  with uninhibited laughter.

My recommendation: Dance.

Why not?

Dance by yourself (don’t feel self-conscious, nobody is watching!) or grab a partner and twirl around, waltz, or – if you know how – tango!

Here, in steamy South Florida, we enjoy daily (afternoon) tropical downpours and I love to go out and dance about  the yard. Lifting my face up to the sky, I welcome the rain as it washes away all the stresses and annoyances that had been niggling away at me.  I feel rejuvenated, refreshed and ready to take on any challenge that may cross my path. I look up at the window and there is my husband and black Lab, both staring at me as if I had just escaped an insane asylum.  I wave at them to join me, but my dog ducks away from the window as soon as the first loud peal of thunder shakes our rooftop.  My husband makes a crazy sign gesture, directed at me, and disappears from sight.  I shrug and continue my rain dance, choosing not to pay attention to the fluttering of curtains in several neighbors’ windows.  Completely soaked through, I finally pad my way up the stairs and go inside to dry up.  My dog greets me with a sniff and a lick. My husband stands beside him, a bath towel in his hand. He wraps it around me, and gives me a hug. 

All is right with the world.

Image via sheranescloset.com.

New Year’s Revelation No.5 of 7: Align Mind, Body and Spirit

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“Health is a state of complete harmony of the body, mind and spirit. When one is free from physical disabilities and mental distractions, the gates of the soul open.” ~ B.K.S. Iyengar

As enlightened individuals, we all comprehend – in theory – that in order to maintain a healthy body, a sound mind and a serene-yet-vibrant spirit … we must align these three entities, so that we can truly be whole.  However, in practice, this can be quite a tall order to fill. Our lives are hectic, complicated, often stressful, and – every so often –  tragedy strikes.  The more balanced we are, the more armed we will be to cope with whatever trials and tribulations come our way.  Stress is a predator.  If we’re not careful, it can eat away health, destroy the mind, and deflate the spirit. 

We are each masters of our own mind, body, and spirit.  If we blame other people, circumstances or events for our lack of balance, we are deluding ourselves.  Each person is ultimately responsible for herself/himself (the exception to this is, of course, someone who is completely physically or mentally incapacitated).  So, once we own up to our responsibility, it will then be time to take the next step —  Alignment. 

There are so many “alignment” methods to choose from and we’re not necessarily limited to only one.  Choose whatever combination of activities work with your lifestyle.

Personally, I have decided to incorporate yoga into my daily routine.  I am guilty of letting my mind, body, and spirit  get completely out of whack. I could stand to lose a few (!!) pounds.  I often let stress get the better of me, which results in elevated blood pressure levels.  And I am prone to bouts of melancholia (I am a Writer, so this is sometimes inevitable).  I have never taken yoga before. Nevertheless, I feel that I must make this part of my daily (not weekly) ritual.  I need balance. My life depends on it.  I am starting with video instruction, and then in March, I will go actual to yoga classes. Here, in the eclectic and bohemian village of Coconut Grove, we have a Hare Krishna Temple and I am considering attending classes there. 

Also, I love to dance. By myself. With my husband. On a dance floor with a bunch of total strangers. But, dance I shall.  It lifts the spirit.

So, here are a few (the list is not exhaustive) activities that will help you find discipline, harmony and serenity:

Make 2012 the year that you harmonize your mind, body, and spirit. Make good nutrition a priority. Try to eat organic food, whenever possible. 

Oh, and get some sleep.  If you are sleep-deprived, you will compromise your  overall health and you will have no energy left … to dance. 

“Dance is the hidden language of the soul.”  ~ Martha Graham

Images via blogs.orlandosentineal.com (top) and absoluteconfidence.com (bottom).