I want to ask you for a dance: A dance for your health – for your body, your mind, your spirit, your sensuality and your happiness. Dancing can be like a drug for wellness. It energizes and lifts up. It is for your health that I want to encourage you to move and swing once in a while to a good beat (the one, where you can just not sit still) and let the sound and the rhythm of the music merge and unify with your body and your soul.

I am very happy to see how dancing here at Lake Side becomes more popular every year. There are many restaurants with live or disco music where you can dance with or without a partner: Latin, Country, Rock, Blues, Line, and Tango, whatever you feel like. If you don’t want to go out or you feel embarrassed because you don’t know how to dance, then just dance in your kitchen where nobody can see you. Or make it part of your daily exercise routine. Private dance lessons (for them you often don’t need a partner) or in a class are other possibilities.

What was for a long time as entertainment to young people now becomes popular worldwide. Dancing gatherings sweep through Japan, Russia, China and Europe – people meet at central places or on the shores of rivers (Wolga, Seine) and just dance. It is a mixture of young and old, of slim and obese, of people from all jobs and nations. It is not important to know certain steps, just moving the body to the rhythm of the music. The enthusiasm of the participants is contagious, there is a lot of laughing, you feel one with the dancer next to you, and you feel freedom and liberation in the mutual enjoyment.

Senior Dancing groups are formed now in almost every city. And, by the way – studies have shown that marriages are happier when a couple goes regularly out to dance. Improvement of sexual function in both women and men is also reported.

Dad Dancing is the new stylish name when you dance for yourself – like a Dad not knowing any formal steps, just jumping and swinging as you would do with your little child. In the States there are now many groups of practicing this.

The negative notion of dancing for many people comes from the stress they feel of not being good enough, embarrassed when they don’t “get it”, fear of stepping on other’s feet. So in these cases there is more stress than benefit or fun. For all these people, I suggest, just do the Dad or the “kitchen” dance which is absolutely free of stress.

As you know, learning something new helps to prevent dementia and improves the brain function by keeping the brain “flexible” (neuroplasticity). It is also proven in studies that dancing has a positive effect on depression. The interaction with others certainly helps to avoid isolation and loneliness, which is a big problem in our societies and the underlying cause of many health problems

There are countless forms and ways to practice dancing. My experience is that a lot of women just love to dance but they have a “no dancing” partner and therefore restrict themselves. So my dear women just get out of your armchairs and swing your hips to salsa, rock and waltz. Never think you are too old, not flexible enough, or not sexy enough. All these negative thoughts keep you from doing something that can be so beneficial for your well being.

Just remember how you feel when listening to a great song! Automatically you move your body, you tap with your feet the rhythm, you sing along and you just feel happiness! Exactly – that’s it.

Barbara Rotthaler, German certified Health Practitioner and Naturopath can be reached at 01-376 766 1987 or email: barbararotthaler@gmail.com www.ChapalaHealth.com