Continue reading »]]> “Spring Cleaning for Your Emotions”

Its spring in most of the world….Dallas just received some major storms and tornadoes that made national news.    For many, it is time to do some spring cleaning around the house, after a winter of being cooped up.

As I was catching up with a dear friend about these events, the conversation turned to a dream I have and my recent realization that the dream itself was a worthy desire.  However, I had become so attached to the idea of how that dream was supposed to happen, that I was regularly putting myself in front of the people that I thought were supposed involved and then feeling disappointed when it did not occur.

Then, the right people showed up with some incredible insight and perspective and suddenly, it all made sense….how could my dream come true when I kept holding on to the disappointments?  Sometimes, you have to let go of the very thing you are clinging to.  Then, and only then, can you clear your emotional house to make room for what you truly desire.

s

So what is it about emotional house cleaning?  How many people have you met that still stay in the same story, the same disappointment, the same misery?   Really….this cause emotional stress to build up in our system and then when we least expect it…..BAM!, it shows up and ruins our day with symptoms like:

• depression issues,
• digestive issues,
• sleep issues and
• brain activity issues

Circle of Balance

How do you know if you are engaged in life-balancing, meaningful actions that will help spring clean your emotional house?  The following activity from Dancing Away Stress will give you some insightful directions:

Activity: Dust off Your Emotions

Benefits: Gets out the cobwebs and makes room for life and purpose

Directions: Research is supporting what the soul inherently knows.  When your surroundings are clean and uncluttered so is your mind.  You have more room for positive, healthy and joyful dreams to come true.

 

Write a short letter to someone or something.

Kindly express your gratitude for what that person or experience has offered

Wish for great fortune to that person or experience.

Now when you are faced with emotional stress….choose the activities that will give your life meaning, joy and purpose and most critically, help you manage the stress that pulls life out of balance.

And as always….dance with your soul!  Dance is the hidden language of the soul….Martha Graham.

Continue reading »]]> “Idle minds are the Devils Workshop.”

I heard this proverb recently and it sparked some reflection.  Another version of the proverb uses idle hands, but the idea is the basically the same.  Typically it is referenced with the idea that the mind and hands will become sinful if not kept busy.  Don’t stop…or those thoughts will attack your mind.  To me, there’s a disconnect in this angle.

So what is it about idleness really?  How many people have you met that cannot sit still, must be always doing “something” or going “somewhere”?   From a stress management point of view, that kind of activity is multi-tasking without meaning, and leads to the same physiological responses as chronic stress:

• blood pressure issues,
• digestive issues,
• sleep issues,
• short term memory issues,
• brain activity issues and
• depression issues

What does the proverb really mean?   Multi-tasking without meaning seems more like running away from everything.  Juxtapose these other two quotes and let’s examine their slant.

However, a busy mind at work, at school or both will stay occupied and will go about life in a happy typical manner, NOT falsely imagining problems in their life.

Idleness means you have no particular goal in mind and thus you can be easily distracted.

Idleness” may be more about the lack of a goal, purpose or direction in life; not the amount of activity we have in that life.  Living life without meaning is merely existing as the Hildebrant’s Principle suggests:

“If you don’t know where you’re going, any road will get you there.”

The Circle of Balance model introduced in Dancing Away Stress, supports the concept that when you are engaged in purposeful, life-balancing activities aligned with your goals, values and passions, you are reducing stress.  So idleness is more than concern about being inactive, its more about the pursuit of activities that are not supporting your goals, passions and purpose in life.

Circle of Balance

How do you know if you are engaged in life-balancing, meaningful actions?  The following activity from Dancing Away Stress will give you some insightful directions:

Activity: Discover More of Your Passion

Benefits: Fills you with life and purpose, and gives you a really good reason to get out of bed every morning.

Directions: Research is supporting what the soul inherently knows.  When you have a purpose – a passion that is a cause or meaning outside and bigger than yourself; your life is more fulfilled.

Answer these questions to find more of your passions:

A. What activities give you energy and joy?

B. What activities make you feel complete?

C. What activities fill you with a sense of purposeful meaning?

Now when you are faced with idleness….choose the activities that will give your life meaning, joy and purpose and most critically, help you manage the stress that pulls life out of balance.

And as always….dance with your soul!  Dance is the hidden language of the soul….Martha Graham.

Continue reading »]]> Recently, I saw a friend that I hadn’t seen in a while – she is very accomplished stylist and in constant demand for her services.  To get an appointment, you have to call a few weeks out. She is so successful that she represents her company in national trade shows and training programs.  Every quarter she receives the highest award for productivity and customer satisfaction.

You would never guess that while she has so much going on for her, inside she was feeling the exact opposite.  Inside she is feeling completely drained, pulled in many directions, goes home and hibernates because she can not even begin to think about more interacting.  Since I like making analogies for stress management tips and dance, it’s like her life was twirling out of balance.

What she said really went right to my heart -

You give 100% to everybody – to work, to family, to friends, to significant others…..at the end of the day you don’t even have you.  You have given you away.

How many times have we felt like we’ve given ourselves completely away?  At the end of the day…what is left?

Is Your Life Twirling Out of Balance?

The sign you’ll see when your life is too stressed out is that you do feel like you are twirling round and round with no way to stop.  Here’s a few more signs:

• Forgetful, hard time remembering normal things
• Feeling like your thoughts are fragmented
• Feeling depleted, run down
• Experiencing the thoughts of having nothing more to give

You’ve experienced these feelings enough and now its time to help you resolve them.  So what can you do to bring back the real you and feel like your twirling more like a dancer instead of twirling out of balance like a top about to topple over?  Try at least one of these a day for the next few days and you’ll begin to feel more balanced:

• Acknowledge these feelings for what they are – symptoms of stress or being out of balance.  When stress reaches a certain level in the body, you get physical symptoms.  When you can see the reactions as merely symptoms, that changes your whole perspective.
• Write down your symptoms, reactions.  Seeing them on paper allows you to “let go” of them to a degree.
• Express yourself – let others know around you that you are feeling these symptoms of stress and request their support.
• Gather your thoughts and take ACTION -  turn on music and dance, walk, jump rope, scream out loud, get your body into physical activity.  Even have a “quickie” with your significant other.
• Sleep!!!  Sleep deprivation is the number one cause of all the symptoms!
• Make a list of your “to-do’s” and then pick only one to-do….when it’s done, it’s now a “ta-da!” And celebrate!

Be sure to take some time for YOU!  Really, if you do give away yourself….you won’t even be able to take care of you.   If you would like some more resources and the opportunity to really take control of stress symptoms….you’ll want to dash to this exciting challenge from my colleagues at How To Live On Purpose.

To Your Balanced Twirling,

Continue reading »]]> Each day we are given the gift of a new birth….a chance to start all over again with renewing goals.   Many people are using the concept of setting intentions, affirmations, writing goals.

Those are motivating and good, yet they need to be put into the action.  That’s where yoga poses: the core of inner strength comes in.

How do yoga poses get to the core of inner strength?

Here’s what works for me -  I take a few moments and start my day off with not only a goal or motivation, but also putting those into action with movement.

Motivation: I visualize having the inner strength to accomplish even the challenging goals and tasks. I will allow miraculous experiences to unfold so that I may learn wisdom.
Action: I sit in the V angle acknowledging and reminding myself of the importance of core strength.

Continue reading »]]> ACTIVATION -

Motivation: Today I am in action to feel the joy of completion – Completion creates greater mental clarity by releasing the baggage that clouds the mind.

Action: I stand like a warrior, every muscle engaged in the action of being focused on the mission of completion.

Get more Activations at DancingAwayStress.com

Continue reading »]]> So how did your New Year begin…really? Making those New Years resolutions….you sit down with your journal or your computer and wait for the inspirations to flow out…..but instead all you see is a blank page or screen.  Then perhaps you wonder what is the big deal with writing those silly things any way.  Do you really need to write a resolution?  How can you prepare yourself for such a daunting task?  What really is the best way to start the new year?

Ask yourself first what would be the best or most meaningful way to start the new year for you?

Now we are getting some where.  For me,  I’ve typically ignored those New Year’s Resolutions until I experienced two profound events.  Those events really changed how I view resolutions and how I interact with them.  Would you like to know?

First, on New Years Day, selecting a meaningful event that included movement (yoga poses) and reflection made the day feel more like a special tradition or ritual.  Going through an experience like that has the capacity to allow you to really get in touch with reflecting on where are you in your life and where you’d like to be.

Here’s how you can do this for yourself….

1. Attend a class or create your own grouping of movements.

2. Journal about the events that occurred and people you were positively impacted by this past year that were meaningful for you

3. Journal about the events that occurred that provided challenges or growth for you this past year.

4. Now review those two items and see if there is a common theme that you would like to focus on for this year.

5. Select a theme for the year and let that be your “resolution”.  Now, everything that occurs will be a result of your theme.

So, to help you on your journey for motivation to start your new year in the best way, I’ve started what I call “Activations“.

Activations are motivations accompanied with an action (movement) that cements the motivation in place and grounds you for the day.  Grab the rss feed above or sign in for your gift of Activations.

Here’s an example -

ACTIVATION= motivation + action

My “MOTIVATION” for today is to allow my highest creativity to flow easily and decisively. Creativity enhances my productivity to accomplish my tasks with joy.
I ACTIVATE my motivation by standing tall in my best and most pure posture to allow better reception and by pursuing the food that enhances creative flow.

Tocreating your wonderful new year;

Continue reading »]]> Will stretching exercises really help manage stress?

That’s a great question!  One that my students ask all the time.  Want to know the answer?  Good, you’ll be glad that you asked.

But first, let’s find out why.  Dancers go to technique classes to train their bodies to move with style and graceful strength.  Gymnasts also work to train their bodies to move with explosive power and strength. Yoga practicioners also push their bodies into massive stretches.

These performers push themselves far beyond the limits of normal activity and as a result need to ensure that their muscles will support this massive activity.   Can you imagine the idea of jumping on the dance floor or mat and going full out on a routine without doing any stretching exercise?  Ouch!

Talk about sore, ripped, stressed muscles!  Not to mention a poor performance!  What, you ask…dancers are not born that way?  Although it might seem so, dancers and gymnasts spend literally YEARS stretching and practicing and stretching and training and yes, more stretching.  Yoga practicioners also spend hours involved in stretching exercises.  And for what purpose?  To protect their muscles and bodies.

Ready for the answer?  Does stretching exercises really help manage stress?

Ask any dancer or yoga enthusiast how they feel after their practice – at least 90% will tell you they are so much LESS STRESSED!

Here are the top reasons why stretching and/or yoga poses will help manage stress:

• allows for elasticity in the muscles.  This elasticity will also provide a safety net against accidents.
• massages lactic acid build up in the muscles.  Lactic acid can create sore, clogged muscles
• breathing associated with stretching also invigorates the lungs and oxygenates the brain
• stretching helps the body re-align in better posture – which allows for better communication throughout the nervous system
• muscles that have gained more elacticity will support the skeletal system, eliminating the stress of poor posture

Now, you might be wondering …..which stretching exercises are the best for calming stress and tension?  Here are a few stretches that you can do from your chair, standing, on the floor that research has shown will improve your management of your stress:

• Standing and reaching arms toward ceiling.  Add a big yawn for fun
• Sitting or standing and reaching your hands toward your feet (yawning is good here too).  See how far you can reach- knees, ankles, toes….
• Curl up on the floor (or chair) facing the floor with your arms wrapped around your knees/legs.  Feel the joy of being childlike.

One word of caution…stretching exercise or yoga poses are NOT about having a contest with anyone else for how much and how deep you can stretch.  Each exercise has a purpose and intention to benefit only you and each day your body’s ability is unique in terms of its abilities and stress levels.

Let each day be a journey of purposeful intention.  Adding a short phrase of how you want your day to go or an affirmation will also powerfully impact how you react to your stresses.  For some examples of phrases or affirmations just click here to sign up with your best email.

To your de-stressed joy,

To Your Balanced Twirling,

Continue reading »]]> How do you get past feeling Mentally Stressed Out?

It’s 6:59pm, the project deadline is in 3 hours, the kids still need to get to bed, the research still needs to be done, more tasks need to be done to even ready to sit down and write the report.

Time is running out, and the only thing you can think about is that the deadline won’t be complete, and how that will look to the others in the group.  So you sit down to attempt to begin the writing portion of the project and look at the computer screen and draw a complete blank – You’re in total mental block!

Argh!  It’s like you just hit the mental wall.  This deadline has to be met and you can’t even begin.  What’s going on, your mind usually functions a lot better than this?  You’ve got to get this done but you’re drawing a complete blank.  You ask yourself:

“Why do I get these stressed out mental blocks at the critical moment and what can I do about it?”

So glad you asked.  That was also me in the middle of a crisis years ago.  And that is when it all really clicked!    When your stress levels reach a certain level in the body, the body goes into survival mode and the ability to focus decreases to non-existent.  How can you give your best effort when you are so stressed that you feel like you are about to EXPLODE!

I knew my body needed to move…before my mind exploded….and my PhD research really backed it up that concept!  After completing the following list and then sitting down to write that report, it became my best work in that entire project up to that point.  Here are the steps that I went through and continue to use to this day when the absolute best work is required.

• Admit and acknowledge feeling stressed out mentally – albeit rather reluctantly.  (grin and bear it)
• Start focusing on breathing (slow and deep)
• Drink some water (at least a glass, ideally with some lemon or apple cider vinegar)
• Add some yoga poses to invigorate your mind!  (That’s where the moving really makes a difference)

After finishing those yoga poses and then sitting down to really write that report.  WOW!  The words just flowed like never before and it was like experiencing a “zen” moment of thought – no more mental block, no more stressed out feelings.  Yippee!

Ok, so you are new to stretching or yoga or you are not sure which ones make a HUGE difference on increasing brain function, here’s some great examples:

• Downward dog – that’s the one that looks a dog when it just wakes up and starts pushing its paws pushing forward.
• Cobra – just like it sounds – lying down on your stomach and lift your head like a cobra snake
• More…..

Ok – join try this …. Breathe.  Now stretch.  Notice how your stressed out energy has just melted and now your body can return to to its normal intelligent function.

Notice the difference?  So, now that you can think again, ha ha …..click on over to the resource page to get even more research-based poses ….

Woo Hoo, off to yet another wonderful project because now we feel so empowered to be able to overcome those mental blocks.

To Your Balanced Mental Health,

DancingAwayStress.com

Continue reading »]]> http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LdSA-mrBGmI

It’s Time to Re-Think Stress, by Choreographing Your Life with Creativity!

Dictionary.com defines a Choreographer as the person “To plan out or oversee the movement, development, or details of; orchestrate”

A Choreographer navigates through a variety of options, people or situations to create a successful end result by choosing from a unique collection of options or steps.  The outcome?  A magical work of art.  Just like the choreographer, we can take certain steps that turn our own life and business into a creative art.  It just takes the right set of tools and skills.  In business and personal interactions how we present ourselves to others has long been a key factor in successful communication.  Especially in this world of savvy buyers, lightning internet information and challenging economics, we must make sure that we are “in charge” or choroegraphing our actions.

All you really need to know about life, you learned on the Dance floor!

“Life is a moving experience” – doesn’t it make sense that living should be as well? We learn best through activities, and meaningful stories.  Using stories, humor and movement will allow us to better embody life’s wisdom. Learning dances from around the world teaches us that they are truly a reflection of life.  Each dance has a story that relates to some aspect of tradition, culture, health and education.

Social dancing is the rhythmic activities that people use in social settings.  They could be games, group dances, partner dances, line dances, songs, and stories.  These activities and dances serve to bring people together, create bonding and solidarity within that group or community.  In short, they are a major part of the rituals we use to reserve tradition. When we focus on having “intention” in our daily rituals, we really come alive!

To Your Balanced Living,

Continue reading »]]>

Great! You’re in the right place.

During that journey of healing the most amazing ”aha” took place.  Like a choreographer, I too many options for my life’s dance. During that journey, I conquered that disease, completed my Ph.D. and even managed to gracefully experience several other life-changing events including my mother losing the battle against cancer. Throughout this journey I experienced first hand the power of dance and yoga to:

• inspire health,
• healing,
• joy,
• fitness,
• creativity
• and most of all … balance.

That Super Hero mindset is much tamer and I have discovered the secrets to maintaining balance on and off the dance floor.  I am passionate about sharing those secrets with everyone I can to make my world a better place – one step at a time.

Using the joy and power of social dancing as her tool, Dr Wendy helps people “choreograph” or manage their life to enhance performance skills, including health, confidence, communication and academic skills.

Invite Dr Wendy to speak or emcee at your next event to get your groove on! Discover the Four Most Essential Skills In Building successful Business & Personal Relationships. Take part in a live event hosted by Dr Wendy or conveniently in an online webinar. Dancing Away Stress Coming Soon – watch for updates and excerpts!

To Your Balanced Living,