BELLY DANCE - FITNESS & REJUVINATION
A fun workout for mind & body!

In eastern societies, women develop strong bonds with each other and teach and learn from each other the skills they need in their lives. Dance is one of those skills and is used to instill a sense of fun into their lives and be a release from the daily grind. It frees them temporarily from the restrictions of their lives and accentuates their individuality. It also strengthens the bonds with ‘Mother Earth’ and was used in many tribal rituals. It is a great communicator which crosses all language barriers.

Belly dance is very graceful and feminine art form, you don’t need to be thin, young or naturally coordinated to try this form of dance, anyone, any age, any dress size. Belly dance comes with great music, exciting moves, noisy coin belts and its own special dress code. It is a fun, friendly addictive way to exercise your mind and body and one thing is certain belly dance classes are never boring!
You don’t need any previous dance experience of any kind to enjoy belly dance classes, you just need to start! The great thing about belly dance is that it is body friendly as unlike a lot of other forms of dance and exercise it doesn’t require leaping, hyper extension of joints, or abrupt movements.
Emphasis is placed on good posture and body alignment combined with natural fluid and percussive movements. Basically, just doing what comes naturally!

Belly dance can promote good health in the following ways:

Posture & Balance: In belly dance emphasis is placed on correct posture and body alignment which means you will stand and walk more gracefully. Correct posture helps joints and limbs work properly and stops pain particularly in the lower back. You will learn how to transfer your weight correctly and quickly improving balance, agility and coordination.

Better Circulation: When you exercise your body needs more oxygen, and your circulatory system works to bring it to them. That’s why your heart beats faster and you start to pant. The increased blood flow throughout your body cleanses the cells of toxins, delivers
life-giving oxygen to your cells, speeds up your metabolism promoting healthy weight loss.

Reduced Blood Pressure: Studies have shown that exercise is a useful treatment for high blood pressure. Exercise also reduces stress, which is one of the causes of high blood pressure.

Joint Health: Exercise encourages your joints to remain mobile and feeds them with the natural lubrications of your body. When you sit still all day at work and then sit in front of the television at night, your body is no longer promoting this natural process and you can start to lose your flexibility. The concept is similar to that of a machine that can seize up if it is left standing still for a long time. This can lead to pain and a feeling of stiffness. Belly dancing encourages fluid movement throughout your body in ways that other forms of exercise don’t.

Muscle Tone: The unique movements of belly dance, used in repetitive form help to give definition and tone muscles. The moves that create muscular definition are snake arms, undulations, belly rolls, shoulder rolls, hip circles, figure eight’s and slow traveling steps.
To tone biceps repetitive arm movements, to tone thigh muscles use powering accents, shimmies and hip movements, which are helped by the grounded nature of belly dance.

Improved Digestion and Weight Loss: With regular abdominal work in your belly dance, the digestive system is activated and strengthened through wave-like contractions of the muscles which offer a kind of ‘internal massage’. Shimmies also activate and stimulate the digestive process. With regular fast dancing, circulation improves, therefore so does digestion. The entire body’s cells are better nourished and the blood supply is increased, resulting in an overall sense of well-being and increased energy levels. Belly dance exercises that massage the pancreas are, the abdominal exercises including the hip circles, pelvic rolls and undulations or camels. Raising the arms actually helps lymph nodes under the armpit clear excess toxic waste from the body. Did you know that orchestra conductors usually outlive the band? Its true! Lifting your arms is healthy and detoxifies. Rolling the belly and hips regulates the sex hormones produced by the gonads, which in Chinese medicine rule the entire endocrine system.

Glowing Skin: Belly dance workouts can improve circulation and hence improve skin tone and radiance. Shimmies reduce cellulite around the bottom by breaking up the adipose tissue and freeing brown fat that creates the cellulite ‘pockets’. So shimmy regularly!
NB: Aerobic belly dance 3 times a week will improve skin tone and especially the ‘glow’ of your face by bringing oxygen to it. This makes the skin smoother, healthier and younger-looking. It balances hormone levels, improves the skin’s texture and makes you feel good.

Emotional Re-balancing through Belly dance: Dance is an expressive, dynamic form of kin aesthetic art that requires a special kind of mastery that relies on awareness, movement, balance and spatial geometry. Although dance presents itself as a physical art it brings out emotive response through the body’s articulation of the music. On an emotional level it is liberating, uplifting and helps the dancer experience instinctive rhythmic patterns and feelings. Since its days as an ancient fertility rite, belly dancing directly supports the sensual function of a woman’s body. It improves all aspects of her life - fitness and hormone re-balancing - confidence and communication - sensual expression and dynamic living.
To watch women after only a few months, spread their wings and become beautiful butterflies, that’s the wonderful power of belly dance.

In our fast paced lives it is essential that we take some ‘me’ time for ourselves and use it to
re-group and recharge our batteries, forget our daily grind and enjoy the company of like minded people who share the love of life and dancing. The exercise is a bonus!

Belly dance will take you away to a special place full of music, fun and laughter - what better way to keep fit!!

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