I was 13, standing on the back edge of the dance floor at Jen S’s Bat Mitzvah party. ‘Unbelievable’ by EMF came on from the DJ’s sweet flowing playlist. My body singed with excitement as I could feel the beat move through me from head to toe. I just stood there lightly shaking. I did not dance. I wanted to dance. I also didn’t want to feel judged and unworthy of the cool kids burning up the temporary hardwood square laid beneath our feet.

Good news. I eventually came out of my dancing shell as a teenager creating memorable moments and great jubilation 🎉. Though, I didn’t learn until much later in life that there are fantastic benefits of dancing across the board.

It goes beyond the basics of physiological improvements in cardiovascular, flexibility, and balance. We can improve cognition, reduce stress, support our immune system, and increase happiness.

My message to you is - just dance 💃! It doesn’t matter if you are good, it doesn’t matter the music, and as the saying goes, ‘dance like nobody is watching.’ No one actually needs to see you 😉.

Some fun and simple ways to get more boogying into your life:

• Combine some light dancing with another daily activity like showering, cooking, or even cleaning. Just add your preferred tunes 🔈.

• Make a groove-worthy playlist for yourself. I’ve been building this workout/dance playlist for about five years now - discovering new songs has never been easier with an entire world of music at our fingertips with the likes of Spotify, Pandora, and SoundCloud, to name a few.

• Add a partner or two if the mood strikes. We have a speaker set-up throughout our home, and we often try and get our wiggly worms 🐛 (Henry and Hawk) grooving with us for some family fun and connection.

• Start small. A head bob or shoulder shimmy counts. One song a day. You may be surprised at the desire to move more expressively and abundantly over time.

Go for it when the moment arises. There is nothing that lights me up more than letting my body freely move when I catch the ‘right’ tune for the moment. I typically close my eyes for a bit and just let instincts take over.

I look forward to the days ahead when we can all come together again for live music 🎶, but in the meantime, let it rip with those close to you at home 🏡.

Until tomorrow,

Brian