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The mind -body- spirit benefits of belly dance By Ishtar
Why you should belly dance
Bellydance is for women of all ages ,types, shapes and sizes. Bellydance is one of the few exersise forms that encompasses all dimensions of health and well being. Belly dance provides significant improvements in Cardio fitness and flexibility. Belly dance also provides artistic expression, cultural information, a social out let and for some even a spiritual connection. Recent research has shown movement such as belly dance is one of the best ways to relieve stress and depression. Any one who has tried belly dance will tell you, belly dance moves are very uplifting. These things together give individuals that practice belly dance an enhanced sense of mental ,physical and emotional wellness.
Belly dance is a form of artistic expression, which has benefits in its self. It is also a therapy, which deals specifically with the experience of being a woman. Dance is healing ,not just for the physical self but also for the personal dimensions of the female mind and soul. Moving to music appeals to our most primal instincts: dance has been a part of culture for as long as woman has walked the planet. It stimulates the senses - sight, sound and touch - it's great fun and it's good for our bodies and minds.
Belly dance was developed thousands of years ago as a birth dance and as a physical medium of transcendental worship. Belly dance was used as a prayer to the creator, as well as providing a form of social cohesion.
A birth dance
Belly dance was/is also used to facilitate easy childbirth and recovery. Dance anthropologist Morocco, describes how North African desert women use dance when women are in labour . She observed belly dance moves being performed by the birthing mother and the other women around her. These act to make the process of childbirth easier. Watching the other women dance seemed to have a hypnotic and relaxing effect on the experience of labour. The moves of belly dance are also good for pre and post pregnancy. The movements help to tighten up the pelvic floor as well as enhance confidence and fitness generally.
Historically
Historically, belly dance was used in the temples of the east; ( archeological evidence points to a stone age type of belly dance in Europe. ) Belly dance was an essential part in various rituals and celebrations. People used dance to mark festivals, harvests and also births. Dance was also connected to ancient astrology and priests/priestesses used dance to express the movement of the planets and to honour their deities. The role of dance and music in the everyday lives of the ancients was portrayed by artists on Papyri, pyramids and temple walls, leaving the modern world a historical record of the importance of dance to ancient cultures. Humans throughout time and in all cultures have expressed themselves through dance and it is no less important today. Even Jesus was said to dance at a wedding. It was probably belly dance !
Arab dance in the past was used as a form of Goddess worship. Anyone can reconnect with this archetypal experience to be put in touch with her own power. One does not even have to mention the Goddess to promote the ideas of female divinity as a metaphysical reality. This in no way has to compromise core spiritual beliefs. Women are not just bodies they are souls and minds. All dance forms are a combination of mind body and soul. Arab dance is form developed by women for women. Over thousands of years. If you connect with this energy you are this energy.The dance uses universal divine shapes of the spiral the circle and figure eights. Through the movements we are connected with life and death. Through the physical body we can transcend its limits.
Belly dance is good for your body
Belly dance has lots of health benefits. Belly dance tones up the pelvic floor. I have personally witnessed back problems disappear, skin conditions clear up and many other maladies eradicate or diminish. It could be the movements are physically curative; the stimulation of energy or perhaps it is the feeling good that is the great panacea. It is probably a synergetic mixture of the three.
Arabesque belly dance is an aerobic exercise with carefully considered stretches that energize the body internally /externally and promotes the life force. In belly dance we habitually raise the sternum. Realignment of the sternum produces an increase in the capacity of the lungs. So more oxygen means more energy. 
To help stay healthy, the Government recommends that everyone take part in 30 minutes of moderate intensity physical activity five times a week. And the good news is that dancing counts. Arabesque style involves breathing and energy building exercise. It involves stretches and moves virtually every part of the body. It is a physically holistic exercise. Belly dance is meditative and requires the mind to engage with the body, this gives the dancer a break from the nagging mind in the same way as yoga or tai chi does. In this state the spirit can flow through the body. Belly dancers often look younger than their years and can do athletic dancing when most women's bodies are stiffening with age. Belly dance not only makes women stay healthy and beautiful, it also helps women to stay younger for longer. Exercise such as belly dance has shown increases in the prevention and survival of breast cancer. (Stein Rob ‘Exercise can cut your risk of breast cancer’ Washington post 2005) Belly dance also helps elimination of waste and digestion. The lymph system needs exercise to flow correctly. Lymph flushes out toxins a belly dance class will flow 15 x faster so eliminating toxins. Better sleep- People who take regular exercise such as belly dance sleep better.
The physical benefits of dance therapy as exercise are well documented. Studies have shown that physical activity is known to increase special neurotransmitter substances in the brain (endorphins), which create a state of well-being. And total body movement such as dance enhances the functions of other body systems, such as circulatory, respiratory, skeletal, and muscular systems. Regarding its unique connection to the field of medicine, many researches have been undertaken on the effects of dance/movement therapy in special settings with physical problems such as amputations, traumatic brain injury, and stroke, chronic illnesses such as anorexia, bulimia, cancer, Alzheimer's disease, cystic fibrosis, heart disease, diabetes, asthma, AIDS, and arthritis. Today dance/movement therapy is a well recognized form of complementary therapy used in hospitals as well as at the comprehensive clinical cancer centers.
Regular dancing will reduce the risk of cardiovascular disease, high blood pressure, type 2 diabetes and cancer. And you'll enjoy yourself so much you'll forget you're exercising!
Muscle tone.
Belly dance improves muscle tone in a low impact way. Belly dance provides an increase in core strength, which provides stability in your body and improves Posture.
Burns the calories
Regular dancing will also help keep you trim. Avoiding weight gain can become harder as we get older, because ageing is associated with a loss in muscle mass and an increase in body fat. But as you shimmy across the floor, you'll be burning calories: in a half-hour dance session, an average 60kg person will burn about 150 calories.
Good for your bones and joints
Dancing helps to reduce the risk of osteoporosis because the steps put a strain on your bones, helping them to stay strong and dense. 
The denser your bones are, the longer your bones will remain strong and less likely to fracture if you should fall. Also the dips, turns and side-to-side movements in belly dance make good use of your muscles and joints, helping to delay the progression of osteoarthritis.
Beautiful movement. 
Other skills you'll develop as you learn to dance ,- poise and grace - encourage coordination, balance and muscle strength. These are particularly important in later life as it helps to reduce the risk of falling.
Good for your mind.-
In studies exercise is almost as effective as anti depressants,in treating depression. In a Belly dance class we are in a group interacting in a positive and supportive way this can create feels of acceptance .Laughing is some thing that happens a lot in my belly dance classes. Laughing has been show in clinical tests to create big improvements in the body’s immune system. Belly dance Arabesque style, can keep your mind active as well as your body. Exercise improves circulation and helps prevent oxygen starvation to the brain, and remembering complex steps stimulates the working memory. In fact, research suggests that dancing reduces the risk of developing Alzheimer's disease or dementia.
Stress and anxiety.
Dance and movement are known to have physical and psychological benefits for those with mental illness. A Survey by the charity Mind found that 83% of people with mental health problems looked to exercise to help lift their mood or to reduce stress. Two-thirds said exercise helped to relieve the symptoms of depression and 
more than half said it helped to reduce symptons.
Not only can exercise slow mental decline, but it may actually enhance brain power. There is some evidence that listening to music while you exercise stimulates mental functioning more than silent activities. So regular dancing might even help you impress your chess mates ! Stress can cause a variety of problems, Belly dance is a brilliant stress reliever it is a potent stimulator of the bodies feel good hormones, - endorphins. Belly dance is a low impact high aerobic exercise.
A recent study by academic Sarah Cook, who has personal experience of mental health problems, shows dance is a powerful therapeutic tool. As a student, she ended up in hospital for several months after becoming suicidaly depressed. She discovered dance more than 10 years ago and has since used it as a way of dealing with grief, sorrow and other "stress-producing" emotions, quite literally dancing them out of her. She said: "I use dance as my personal strategy.”Dance is a way of dealing with feelings and releasing them, instead of locking them in and going to the doctor with depression and anxiety.
Builds friendships
There's another good reason why belly dance benefits the brain - social life. Of course there is nothing to stop you turning up the volume and shimmying round your living room whenever the fancy takes you. Belly dancing tends to be a shared pursuit. Spending time with good friends can stimulate the mind and protect against mental decline. Being part of a group, team or community is one of the keys to a happy life, bringing emotional support and a sense of purpose. Arab dance involves women interacting as a group, sharing and intermingling the roles of audience and entertainer.
Lifts your mood
Belly dance can let your mind wander as you dance away your cares. You can embark on a stimulating voyage into new musical realms . The sense of achievement you'll feel as you master the most complex of moves is some thing that feels amazing - finding something you enjoy, and that you can see and feel your improvement at with practice, can give your confidence an enormous boost.
Improve body language
The body is frequently the vehicle that stores emotional pain. When a woman has bad body language which give victim signals she is more likely to suffer abuse. If Arab dance is taught with this in mind and combined with psychological and feminist concepts, Powerful positive Postural changes can be the result. The effect of this is that it promotes positive feed back from others. People respond to confident assertive body language by none verbally communicating the affirmation that that person is powerful and worthy of respect. This feed back can only enhance self esteem. Much research suggests that the way we view our selves is affected by others perception s of us.
Dance shows and performances.
Performance is fun, builds team spirit, forges friendships and boosts self esteem. Any show girls will have a chance to perform at my classes. At great venues.!
Belly dance classes
Belly dance classes are all one hour long. They consist of technique, flexibility exercise, and choreography, and trance dance, floor work, dancing with props (Zills, veil and canes). Occasionally, there is meditation and visualization. There is a really warm, inclusive, non-judgmental and friendly atmosphere in the classes.I believe people learn better in an encouraging and friendly environment. As I am also a psychology teacher, I understand how to use relevant teaching methods to create maximum absorption and retention of dance information. With twelve years experience as a professional belly dancer, I can help students to attain a very professional level.
Good for your bones and joints
The denser your bones are, the longer your bones will remain strong and less likely to fracture if you should fall. Also the dips, turns and side-to-side movements in belly dance make good use of your muscles and joints, helping to delay the progression of osteoarthritis.Good for your mind.-
more than half said it helped to reduce symptons. Not only can exercise slow mental decline, but it may actually enhance brain power. There is some evidence that listening to music while you exercise stimulates mental functioning more than silent activities. So regular dancing might even help you impress your chess mates ! Stress can cause a variety of problems, Belly dance is a brilliant stress reliever it is a potent stimulator of the bodies feel good hormones, - endorphins. Belly dance is a low impact high aerobic exercise.
Belly dance can let your mind wander as you dance away your cares. You can embark on a stimulating voyage into new musical realms . The sense of achievement you'll feel as you master the most complex of moves is some thing that feels amazing - finding something you enjoy, and that you can see and feel your improvement at with practice, can give your confidence an enormous boost.
The body is frequently the vehicle that stores emotional pain. When a woman has bad body language which give victim signals she is more likely to suffer abuse. If Arab dance is taught with this in mind and combined with psychological and feminist concepts, Powerful positive Postural changes can be the result. The effect of this is that it promotes positive feed back from others. People respond to confident assertive body language by none verbally communicating the affirmation that that person is powerful and worthy of respect. This feed back can only enhance self esteem. Much research suggests that the way we view our selves is affected by others perception s of us.
Self-esteem is essentially a holistic concept. Mind body and soul are interrelated and affect how the individual regards herself, the environment and other people. All ages and body shapes can and do take up the art of Belly Dance. People find that through these creative movements, they can express their own individuality and personalities . The dance frees the spirit and nourishes body and soul .Not only is Belly Dancing a fun way of gaining physical fitness, but it has ability to,heal, balance and strengthen both the emotional and physical selves.
Belly dance Classes/workshops/holidays
Classes are held in Merseyside and all run in high quality venues. They are both dance and fitness based. Groups are very friendly and are of varied ability. Belly dance Arabesque style as. Is a total mind body spirit approach that is inclusive and caring .For details of classes workshops-