Well, it’s been two days since I was up and around, mostly I have slept in-between, and now I realise why; my last writing mentions the marshmallow feeling and I know with this symptom, I need good rest, and yet did I heed my own advice? neh, of course not, I continued with my planned routine, stretch class followed by cardio dance. in my defence the stretch class is all lying down and is very relaxing, so I was right to do that, just I should’ve stopped there.
Cardio dance is a little like dancing in your bedroom with friends when you were little, half an hour of warm up routines then 30 mins of a choreographed sequence, yes a whole hour, this is my maximum time limit, it is quite wonderful and very life affirming, it has taken me time to get up to doing this whole class and regularly, but it has become a part of my routine and I love it!
This week I was hopeless, it was a lovely flowing piece, I cannot remember the song, though it was new to me at the time, with the moves really complimenting the rhythm, yet my limbs would not compute, it doesn’t matter, nobody cares, it is the place where you can make a fool of yourself, and people will applaud you for it. I usually experience a surge of energy and happiness following the class, but a painful broken night’s sleep followed this one; and after first getting up yesterday, I found myself drawn back to bed until this morning.
Note to self, listen to own advice! Note to readers, if you can’t take your own advice, take mine, listen to your body and act accordingly.
With that in mind, I am rethinking my plan to attend, my dance class today, Contemporary Moves, is a gentler, gliding class with smaller routines put together, I am in two minds, I have a distinctive pull to the left today and sickness lies just under the surface. I may opt to go and see, I can stop and sit out or leave whenever I need, being with people is so good and I think I need that, it’s a lonely life.
Dancing has become my new love, I have the shoes and even a wraparound skirt, the boost that it gives me far outweighs any over exertion. I have worked up from one class, to two regularly and two intermittently, I am not a ballet dancer, I have a solid stature and yet now I take part in Ballet classes too. the classes amaze me, they lift me up beyond myself and I never want to give up this feeling. So many of the moves are good for the brain, learning and repeating is good in itself but certain gestures pinpoint areas of the brain that we need to target and keep working. The dance school provide classes for dementia specifically, but most are for general love and wellbeing. I am lucky to have a dance school as part of the gym, its council led and very affordable.
My body and soul has changed since I started dancing, I have opened up physically and emotionally and have a confidence I have never known before.
With this love comes the opportunity for disappointment, dancing is hard and at times I feel I am pushing myself, is it better to push n feel alive in that moment or to compromise? It’s a bit of both, in truth, and it depends on how I am feeling. If I have a clear time, with no activity planned to follow it, I will usually go for it and rest long into the next morning, If the next day I have demands on my energy I will probably avoid it, or if I am not sure I will go and see and if I need to, I will take time out, or just go slow and make less effort. Such decisions are an ongoing minefield.
Do what you love.
Chris. xx
Living With ME 