Zumba fool

On the topic of dance, a few posts back, I have to confess that I'm totally addicted to Zumba classes. In fact, I look forward to them all day long when I know I'll make it to the gym in time. If I need to cheer up, Zumba is one of the most sure-fire ways for me to make that happen. I can go to class with red puffy eyes (which I'm not saying I've done, but I may have done it recently) and leave with a lightness in my step and a smile of contentment on my face.

For those of you who have no clue what Zumba classes are, let me enlighten you. They're basically salsa, hip-hop, belly dancing, samba and other international dances combined in a cardio workout. If you're not naturally inclined to pick up dance moves on the fly, like me, you'll feel a bit foolish for awhile. But stick with it. Eventually you'll loosen up, stop caring that you don't know what exactly what the instructor is doing, relax and start having a ball.

While I'm zumba-ing, I feel so carefree. I think that's one of the most intoxicating things. Dance has that effect on a person. For an hour, everything you carried with you into class is set down, and you just dance, like a kid. I'm even to the point where I'm able to pick up the hip-hop moves, which is a feat of its own. I feel pretty good about it, and it makes me brave enough to stand in the very front of the class.

I can see now why dance therapy can be such a powerful approach to healing.