Zumba for the Soul

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Five Angels Dancing
Giovanni di Paolo

[Public domain], via Wikimedia Commons

Several months ago, my doctor suggested I try doing Zumba at home. (Zumba is a form of cardio-vascular exercise that incorporates Latin dance moves and other forms of aerobic exercise done to the beat of music.) He suggested it because I was having trouble exercising enough to lose weight that I had gained over the winter. I love to dance, so I thought, why not!

I got the DVD's for Baby Boomers...these are not as intense as the regular Zumba dances. The minute the music started I was hooked.  The music is upbeat and happy. I don't see how anyone can help but move when you listen to the Latin and African Rhythms. 

I have lost weight...but not all of it is body weight. My time doing Zumba also helped me spiritually. Dancing released the weight of stress that built up with my mind and soul. As that decreased, I was more open to filling with Spirit. At first, dancing was a chore of remembering steps and staying in time with the music. But, then I began simply enjoying the dance. My mind filled with the sound of the instruments and my body just moved with that sound. 

Music is a very contemplative tool. One that I often take for granted. Music is said to soothe the savage beast. One could also say it is balm for the troubled soul.

Music triggers synapses in our brains that release anti-stress hormones, strengthen the immune system and enhance our ability to think. For me, this means I am more in balance, more able to connect to the Divine and listen.

Music of any kind can be Zumba for the Soul. Let it fill you with sound. Let it take you away from the stresses of this world. Let it open you to possibility and hope.

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