Some days it’s a struggle for me to get myself to a class, or just dance.
Obviously, I LOVE dance (and yoga).
Obviously, I know the tremendous benefits.
But I am an emotionally driven woman, to say the least. And I follow my heart, which sometimes has its own ideas about where I should be spending my time.
ME: I’m going to go to a dance class.
MY HEART: Oh no you’re not. We are going to sit down with some chocolate and kombucha and watch a netflix series.
ME: I really think dance would be good for me…
MY HEART: I’m not in the habit of repeating myself. SIT.
(The struggle is real…)
One day, following a very similar conversation with my heart, I went to a class anyway. My dear heart was trying to protect me. I didn’t have a very good day and I wasn’t quite feeling up for loud music and an overly smiley instructor, to be honest.
I went anyway.
I spent an hour stretching, breathing, bouncing and shaking my booty — and all the love for my inner self that I could feel poured into my experience.
By the end of the class, as we were laying in high-fiving each other, I was relaxed. I felt the stress and sadness leaving me, inside and out.
As the stress left my body, my muscles relaxed. I noticed all of the tension I had been holding.
My arms and shoulders relaxed.
My legs and hips relaxed.
My face muscles relaxed. My tongue, my forehead and my eyes relaxed.
And then I realized that my face naturally relaxed into a smile.
I didn’t have to find that smile. I just had to stop all of the noise and it was there, waiting for me.
Your calm, natural self is smiling.
You are grateful and joyful at your core.
Stop trying so hard. Just relax, and it will be there.
I hope you find your smile.
With all of my love,
Hemalayaa