Belly dancing

Belly dancing is a sensual form of dancing. Does the word sensual conjure negative visions in your mind? Sensual is feeling alive. We are in sensual sensations every minute of the day and night.

Sensual is using your senses of seeing, hearing, smelling, tasting, and touching. The sensations which we receive from these senses keeps us alive.

This dance requires that you hear the music, and feel the soul and vibrations of the music. The body moves to the rhythms with physical movements of discipline and the nerves respond to the emotional feelings of the music. Our active being (mental, physical, and emotional) is at one with the music.

The sensual delights which are experienced when dancing rewards us with pleasure, relaxation, and enthusiasm for living. We are spiritually enlightened, physical energized, and mentally attuned, We are ready to meet our daily responsibilities and any new challenges.

The most popular question which students ask, "Is it difficult to learn this dance?" I have always found this question to be difficult to answer as it has much to do with the desire and discipline of an individual.

A better question would be, "Will I need to dedicate time to practice?" This is not a dance activity to be done in the classroom. You can, but with passage of time you will see your classmates advancing and think yourself incapable of learning this dance. The majority of the students do take the time to practice. Many benefits will be gained from this art form with practice.

Becoming comfortable with your body as you do the movements builds up confidence of self. The results of losing weight, losing unwanted body fat, looking attractive in your clothing, and standing tall all help a person to feel better about themselves.

The difficulty lies in knowing that the female body is sensual and to mentally and psychologically become comfortable with the senses of this anatomy makes some women feel awkward. The challenge for these women is overcoming negative, off-hand verbal remarks, and negative experiences in public or privately which have been embarrassing or abusive just because they are females.

This dance is very understanding of these frailties and it helps every woman on a pathway to self-improvement and comfort with their female bodies. Belly dancing historically originated with women dancing for self or with other women for family gatherings.