Belly Dance As A Winter Sport:The Benefits of Movement
The season of cold and damp is upon us. While I love seeing the gold and red orange leaves, I don’t like feeling winter in my body. Maybe you don’t feel like going outside when it’s below 50°. There are few people playing pickle ball at the parks these days.
After an unusually late season of paddle boarding, I had to put my board away in mid October. Before cold wet weather arrived, I had already transitioned into a winter sport. Belly dance
I also train capoeira twice a week. Capoeira is a Brazilian martial arts that combines acrobatics and kicks.
Last July I was in Austin with my niece, Karen. She found a video on YouTube of various women demonstrating their capoeira skills. One woman was at the ledge of a canyon displaying her agility and power.
Karen looked over at me and saw I had tears on my face. “Why are you crying?” She asked with a hint of discomfort in her voice. I answered thoughtfully, “I’m crying because I feel sad that I’ll never be able to do any of the moves these women can. I wish I had started training capoeira 20 years ago. “
I’ve been training capoeira for 3 years. Belly dance for almost 2 months. It took me months to realize that dancing and training aren’t about reaching a level of proficiency that feeds my ego.
As movement forms both serve to condition my brain and body. I’m practicing integration. The integration of mind and body. Not only do I increase flexibility of my mind to learn new skills, I’m also practicing flexibility of my body.
I no longer feel sad about what I can’t do in terms of capoeira and belly dance. Instead, I feel joy when I move my body to music that speaks to me. I feel empowered by the many new movements I have learned to produce with the body I currently have.
While dancing and training capoeira, I return to my body. I forget about the daily grief that I hold…for a while.
Now is a great time to join a studio in your neighborhood! Check out classes your gym is offering during winter. This way you have an indoor option that interests and challenges you when you don’t want to be outside.
