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Motivation and Inspiration, Part Four: Positive Dance Habits

Raise your hand if you've ever set a resolution you didn't keep. What, you didn't? YOU'RE A LIAR.

Okay, what stopped you? Usually we get all fired up at the start of a new project, but over time, that positive energy, what I'm calling the 'honeymoon effect', wears off. And that's when we quit, because suddenly it stopped being fun, and became work instead.

That's why most people don't become the dancers they want to be. Of sure, they have plenty of reasons why it was a good idea to stop now, but ultimately, they rode the emotional high, and when it crashed, they crashed.

Of course, there are many who manage to keep that spark burning. These people pick a dance goal, and consistently work towards it until it's theirs. They may not like stepping outside of their comfort zone, but they've developed a determination to not give in to the excuses and self-sabotage.

This is what I'd like to talk to you about today: How to get out of your own way, so you can persistently apply yourself to ballroom dancing until you're the dancer you've always wanted to be. Continue reading "Motivation and Inspiration, Part Four: Positive Dance Habits"

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Motivation and Inspiration, Part Three: Self-Sabotage

"You are not what you think you are, but what you think, you are." - Anonymous

We carry around a belief system that informs us on the world; what it's like, and what we can expect from it. It also informs us on what we can expect from ourselves. And very often, when we try to defy those expectations, it draws us unconsciously back to our comfort zone.

Today I partnered up with life coach Ellen Smith, while we tackled the problem of self-sabotage - what it is, what causes it, and how we can gradually remove it from our life. We had some great insights, which we'll share below.

(By the way, very sorry for the poor audio quality in this video. We were rained out of our expected interview place and had to do it in Ellen's lobby. I've included the transcript below in case you missed anything.) Continue reading "Motivation and Inspiration, Part Three: Self-Sabotage"

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Motivation and Inspiration, Part Two: Loving the Process

You, and everyone around you, have be trained since children to be unhappy. You've been taught it by your well-meaning parents, encouraged by your peers, had it presented in structured format by your schools.

They didn't mean to. They were simply trying to instil a desire to reach for bigger and better things. They taught us: This what success looks like, what wealth and abundance look like. This is what pleasure and happiness look like.

The problem is, they tied all those awesome feelings to some future ideal... And left none of it for the present. And now we live in a society caught in a rat-race, determined to be rich and successful, with a Mr./Ms. Right on one arm and the keys to a mansion in the other. Because everything before that point feels like failure.

What does this have to do with ballroom dancing? Let me explain: Continue reading "Motivation and Inspiration, Part Two: Loving the Process"

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Motivation and Inspiration, Part One: The Right Mindset

Have you ever noticed how some people always seem to get things done? Achieving success is simple and straightforward for them, and mastering ballroom dancing is no exception - once they decide where they want to go, they stop at nothing to get there.

Then there are others who go in with good intentions, but never seem to reach the dance goals they set for themselves. They hit a patch where the learning becomes frustrating, their motivation goes down, and before long, they decide ballroom dance just isn't for them.

This isn't about blame or fault - In my experience, a certain mindset is needed to become the dancer you've always wanted to be. Let me explain: Continue reading "Motivation and Inspiration, Part One: The Right Mindset"

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Dancing for Life, Part Five: Recovering from Injury

Sprained ankles, twisted hips, accidental elbow to the face (seriously, it happens)... When you learn to move your body in a new way, the occasional injury is inevitable. What's far more important however, is how you treat the injuries that occur.

In university, I had many friends who loved sports - soccer, hockey, running, etc. - but had been told by their doctor they could never play again. We're talking 20-year olds here. And why? Because they'd ignored the injuries they sustained while playing, until it became too serious for them to continue.

On the other hand, we've all seen those videos on Youtube - incredible dancers that know how to move it well into their nineties... or later. How do they do it?

We've covered most of those reasons already, but the one, may the MOST important thing, is that they know how to take care of their bodies when they get injured.

Like I said, injuries are going to happen - but taking control of the recovery process helps ensure our body stays healthy and strong, well into our senior years. And what better way to test your knowledge... Than with a little game? Continue reading "Dancing for Life, Part Five: Recovering from Injury"

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Dancing for Life, Part Four: Sustainable Dancing

One of my favourite things about ballroom dancing is that the better you understand it, the easier and more effortless it gets. And since effort - or at least uncontrolled, forced effort - can be damaging to our bodies, there's some serious health pluses as well.

I've talked a lot about keeping ourselves healthy, but not yet about how dancing BETTER means dancing LONGER into life. Let's explore how to improve our dancing and our body health - at the same time. Continue reading "Dancing for Life, Part Four: Sustainable Dancing"

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Dancing for Life, Part Three: Stretchin’ Away the Pain

Injuries are a super-bummer for anyone - and for a dancer, it could limit how long they can enjoy dancing. Since most dance-related injuries occur from a tight area being over-extended, we need to stretch these areas to improve our 'range of motion'.

From our conversation with Noel Miller, we learned that stretching is the best thing we can do as individuals to protect ourselves, and developing our body awareness helps us identify where we need it the most. But the journey doesn't end there.

In today's video, we cover the various kinds of stretches out there, so you can choose the best ones for you. We also look at some general tips you may not have thought of, which help improve your stretching enormously.

CAVEAT: I'm talking about stretching areas which are tight and at risk of injury. I'm NOT talking about areas that are already injured - stretching these areas could aggravate the problem. Consult a health professional for any chronic or acute pain. Continue reading "Dancing for Life, Part Three: Stretchin’ Away the Pain"

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Dancing for Life, Part One: Body Awareness

Most people, especially dancers, tend to treat their bodies like they can just trade them in for a newer model when they get older. We never learned, or simply forget to pay attention to what's happening in our bodies, and so miss warning signs that could prevent a serious injury.

Today I invited Noel Miller, a fitness expert who takes a more holistic approach to body health, to talk about how developing our body awareness can keep us dancing pain free - whether we're 18 or 80. Continue reading "Dancing for Life, Part One: Body Awareness"