I will start off by saying I am a firm believer in self-care. I was doing things that I enjoyed and liked and felt were good for me way before self-care became a household phrase and a highly discussed topic in psychology journals. Now, I have lots of evidence and fancy words to describe and back up my years of being me. Terms like “emotional well-being,” “being present,” and “setting limits” are a wonderful thing!
Exercise and nutrition have been at the top of my self-care list for as long as I can remember. I used to walk around my neighborhood when I was in grade school, and in high school became obsessed with the Flash Dance routines and attended the free aerobics classes offered at the library.
I was never into sports or athletics. I was a cheerleader at one point but that didn’t last long – I remember thinking this is way too hard for me. I was into moving my body because it made me feel good and kept me in shape, not necessarily because I wanted to be part of a team or challenge myself. Then as I got to college, I was introduced to weight training and I was hooked. Of course, I didn’t know this at the time but the endorphin release from getting hot and sweaty combined with the proprioceptive input from lifting weights was a win for feeling good.
Somewhere along my journey, I was introduced to Videosync dance. This is the epic combo of dancing your booty off and exercising. Not sure how many calories I ever burned, I just knew it made me feel good and was so fun! More importantly, others recognized that it made me feel good. My wonderful and supportive family has often gently and lovingly kicked me out of a neurotic fit by carefully suggesting I should go dancing ASAP. I have a vivid memory of my little Sarah saying “Mom, just go to dance class. You always come back so happy.” You all, if that is not a confirmation of how important self-care, genuine self-care, is, I don’t know what is.
Through the almost 20 years I have been a part of this class I have:
- Learned all the current music, lyrics, and super awesome dance moves
- Let go of anger (can you say emotional release?)
- Come out with a new perspective on a problem I thought I had
- Cried about my children going to preschool and aftercare because I had to work (weird but true)
- Cried about my children leaving for college (also weird but true)
- Often pretended I am 19, in Cancun on spring break dancing my booty off
- Been able to literally clear my brain and just think of the choreography (even though sometimes I just stop in the middle because I forget what comes next)
- Made amazing friends – I may not know your name but I know you from Videosync so we are almost related.
- Had pretend conversations that I wish I could or should have had
- Seen a legacy created: Jay Marcos, creator and founder of Videosync, recently passed away. He has some beautiful souls that have taken over and keep the Videosync family moving and grooving in a way he’ll never know.
So thank you to my booty class for all the self-care, and so much more.
As you read this, Mama, I hope you take one little thing and put it into practice. Self-care is not a luxury. It is a must if we are to turn up in the world as the best version of ourselves and avoid burnout… even if it’s in a booty dance class.
Interested in trying Videosync for yourself? Check out the class at Body and Soul Miami in the Coral Gables area.
