A species that suits you
Are you one of the many, perhaps dancing, people who have at some point in their lives considered which form of exercise is right for them and whether to take up a hobby that is “right” for them?
Have you tried all sorts of different sports only to discover later that it wasn’t “your thing”?
Have you agonised about the difficulty of finding a sport out loud, and perhaps heard from across the board that sports professionals advise you to find a sport that “suits you”, so that you don’t even notice you are “moving” or doing sport.
That it just sort of takes you along and the calories burn off by themselves?
Does the whole thing seem a bit absurd to you?
DANCE
Have you tried dancing?
The kind where you move your body to the rhythm of the music?
Are you thinking now that yes, I have, I’ve thought about it and I’m sure it would be wonderful, but I can’t start dancing because I don’t have a partner?
Did you know that not having a partner is not a problem?
Over the years, dance schools have developed different variations of dance classes to ensure that everyone can dance.
And I can say from my own experience that it really works!
Best of all, the progress is much much smoother when you get to dance
with a wide variety of different people compared to always dancing with your own partner.
Is this your next thought: “Well yeah, but I don’t bother going to dance classes alone.
I get anxious just thinking about going dancing with
uppity guys, because I don’t even know how to dance.
Out of the question”?
My story
Let me tell you my own story.
I know the feeling, I used to think the same way, which is why my dance career was delayed by several years.
I almost don’t dare to think out loud, but maybe even by more than ten years?!
In hindsight it’s a bit annoying, but better late than never, I think.
I have also thought a lot about the fact that without stopping for a few years, taking up dance could have
also remained an eternal dream.
For years I had dreamed of taking up dancing, but because my partner at the time was not as enthusiastic about it, I felt that it would just have to be forgotten.
You can’t go dancing on your own now, for God’s sake!
Then with the divorce this inner fire reared its head again, and I decided that damn, now is the time. Without any delay and without thinking about it either, I signed up for a couple’s dance camp, which repeatedly had facebookin fiidissä visual field ujututunutääni.
I had read in the camp description that you don’t need a partner, so I decided to pass.
I went off on a new adventure all by myself, and as a poker, I stumbled into my first dance class of my life, which I guess wasn’t even a beginner’s class (I’d been introduced to flat photography beforehand, but maybe I had missed something :D).
However, I was happy to go along with the first lesson, and the following lessons during the weekend were much easier, as I
slowly began to internalize etiquette, dance culture and other things about how to live and behave in classes and dances 😀
I also bravely participated in the side program and in the spa outside the dance lessons I got to know the other campers better, some
of which have continued to this day.
When I returned from the camp I immediately enrolled (something I hadn’t dared to do before either) in Jari Aaltonen’s weekly dance classes, and surely it is thanks to Sari and Jari that this wonderful dance adventure has now been going on for just over five years!
I have thought a lot afterwards that if my first course experiences had been with my own partner, I might never have dared to join the
partner exchange link.
With this experience, I already know that it would have been a real shame, because now I know that the joy and power of dance is largely built on encounters with other, more different and more wonderful people.
Dancing with your own partner is of course also wonderful, but the biggest insights have happened in the partner change ring, where you have to adapt to the new partner’s way of leading every few seconds at best.
You also often end up in the deep end of the discomfort zone where we all
know the biggest developments are going to happen.
Isn’t that science?
😉
Also, those “feedback discussions” that I’m sure all couples know about in the middle of class have become much less frequent as perspective and experience of doing from a wider field is gained.
😉
Mental recovery
My personal experience is that dance greatly strengthens a person’s resilience (in psychology, this means psychological resilience).
Dance has a significant effect on maintaining psychological balance both during the dance and for several hours afterwards.
I can feel the positive effects of dance in my body long after the next day.
Experiences of joy, togetherness, success,
self-excellence and, for example, daring, improve self-esteem and leave you feeling good for a very long time.
Even until the next dance lesson.
It is also important to remember that dance is a versatile and effective form of exercise.
This brings us to the point where we were talking about the sport that suits you and doesn’t feel like exercise.
Dance improves your basic fitness without you noticing, and develops your body control in a holistic way.
You can see in an instant how your balance, mobility or coordination has improved since you started dancing.
Of course, dance is not for everyone, that’s understandable, but don’t build obstacles to your happiness like I did.
Although dance is probably one of the most physically demanding sports, it’s a hobby that anyone can enjoy, regardless of fitness level, dance background, gender or age!
Are you one of those people who dreams of taking up dancing but hasn’t yet dared to make that first move to start?
Feel free to join a dance class and give it a go!
I dare to promise you that that investment in the rest of your dancing life will be worth it any day!
If you’re really nervous about joining, give me a call or send me a message and we can lower the participation threshold together.
We can go through the basics of how to work in the course and what you need to know beforehand.
I can also act as a walking stick for the first class if needed (I could have used one of these myself)!
😀
From there it just takes off (believe me), and there’s no beating that feeling of self-will! <3
The next dance camps will take place in 23.-25.2.2024 in Ranua and 26.-28.4.2024 in Ruka!
Feel free to join our happy team! <3
Marre
Marika Sarajärvi
The author is an entrepreneur at Lappi Action Oy and the parent of an entrepreneurial family in the IT sector, read more >here>
