In Western society, including in Australia, many people feel alienated from their own bodies. Corporations sell us products by telling us that our bodies are unacceptable and suggesting that we can only improve them by spending money. We're taught that sex is dirty and shameful. We believe that dancing or performing any type of athletic activity with a visibly less than perfect body is laughable. Men are taught that moving to music is feminine, difficult and a sure route to humiliation. Many people are trapped in uncomfortable immobility and awkward, repetitive patterns of movement.
This messes us up! We can experience so much pleasure, grace and sensuality through our bodies, but sometimes it feels as if we've forgotten how. Is it any wonder that so many people feel stuck in their heads and cut off from their natural physicality?
Belly Dancing Frees Your Body
Imagine your hips moving freely and smoothly, your shoulders unstuck and your feet light and buoyant. Imagine happily working the soreness and fatigue out of your neck, back and legs while moving passionately to the beat. The drum urges you on. You know how to move instinctually, and every motion feels like a drink of water on a hot day.
Belly dancing isn't just a performance style. It's a way of moving that can help keep your body strong, flexible, mobile and pain-free. It will release the strain that comes from sitting for long periods of time and from repetitive types of work or exercise.
Belly Dancing Reawakens Your Sensuality
Belly dancing is a family-friendly art form, and there is nothing about it that is inherently sexual. However, everyone with a pair of eyes knows that it is a sensuous and seductive style of dance. That's because of the way dance uses the whole body, isolating muscle groups and joints, showcasing full rotations and ranges of motion. It reminds us of what our bodies are capable of.
If you're feeling out of touch with your body and your sensuality, then belly dance can help you to reconnect. It doesn't matter what you look like. Whether you're big or small, young or old, a man or a woman - even if you have a disability - you can explore your body through belly dance. No matter what you look like and how you feel about your appearance, you'll find that your body can move in ways that look and feel beautiful.
Be Centred in Your Body
We are our bodies. They're not just houses for our minds or cages for our souls. We are physical creatures, and our bodies and minds are connected. Freeing our potential for creative movement can help make us happier, healthier and better balanced. Dance, particularly dance, can help us reintegrate with our bodies and their potential.
Taking belly dance lessons can do so much more than provide a workout or an opportunity to learn something new. Not only is belly dance a beautiful art form, pleasurable both to perform and to watch, it's a healthy way to free our bodies, and with them our hearts and minds.
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