Hello folks! Just a short thought today: I learn so much from teaching! I doubt that I would be as good at tango without spending time daily working on the basics with other people. I also have noticed it rubs off on the rest of my life.
Today, I ran six miles for the first time in fifteen years. I have been building up my running capacity for the past few months, hoping to get back to where I was before I gave birth almost fifteen years ago. What helped me get past five miles? I focused on the ideas I taught earlier today with one student, and the work I did the night before with another student!
Use your feet correctly!
Last night, I helped a student work on her walk, her running and her swimming at the same time! I pulled out Irene Dowd’s Taking Root to Fly (check out my summaries of her work on foot structure and breathing) and showed her Irene Dowd’s amazing drawings of movement. Then, we talked about how the body spirals for running and walking, and worked on incorporating that into her dance.
When I ran today, I thought about how the path of energy through the foot runs through the center heel, curves around the arch, and eventually rolls out the big toe. I could FEEL that path, and it helped me run further correctly.
Lift your pelvic floor and move from your midline
Today I taught a student who is getting back into shape after a forced break from core work. We worked on engaging the deep core muscles and lifting the body through the midline, in order to take pressure off the outside of the hip (where she was experiencing discomfort). Her dance looked much more elegant and slinky working through her center.
When I ran today, I consciously lifted around my midline, just above my hip joints and below my belly button, and it felt GREAT! As I got tired, it was harder to keep doing it, but I kept re-initiating it when I noticed I had slumped a bit.
The takeaway
You don’t need to practice tango to practice tango :-) If you are struggling to find time in your busy life to practice, you can double- or triple-dip to use your time wisely. You can walk, run, swim, do tai chi—whatever—and if you move consciously in your body, ALL of your movement forms will be enhanced!