Are you aware that Belly Dance is unbeatable for overall well being and weight management!
Our new Motto:
Belly Dance your belly Flat !
No more strict diet’s!?
Harmony food for Body & Soul is needed .
And remember: a healthy digestive system can handle any diet !
No kidding, I lost 4 inches in 3 weeks around my waistline !
But the most important fact is , I feel great in my Body and confident to dance in public again !
Authentic Belly dance works on so many levels and our natural, energetic and celebratory style provides a holistic approach towards well being, integrating all the spiritual and physical aspects.
Forget about the Society pressures by way of images of narrow stereotypes of perfection has created a culture of both bodily self dislike and fanatical extremes in terms of diets and mind numbing exercise regimes. (It is rumored that Britney Spears does a thousand crunches a day). But we are developing a new style of Belly Dance that is energetic and Celebratory in character that can instantly turn "works outs" into "pleasure outs."
We can prove to you that you can excel no matter what your size, age, experience may be.
We believe that our style of Belly Dance is more "Traditional" in the respect that it is based on nothing more than the sort of celebratory things that people would have done at any gathering ever since time immemorial.
Feel young and vital again , swing your hip to the music and feel free .
Jump up and down for Joy! So we get together and dance and dance a lot.
You will be surprised how much you can work out and you will sweat .
Wondering why you don’t want to stop …. Because you love it !Your Body loves it too. That is why you will working out sequences with effective and productive moves..
Jamaica is a subculture of fun and joy! So we bypass all the society crap and have to much fun by dancing to the best World Music anyways.
But now the new trend goes around the world and we are of course up to date to offer with some very talented instructors, in different venues for your convenience Bellly dance classes with lot’s of fun..
Are you aware that the human body is meant to move to be alive !.
I just say it one more time : if you rest to much , your will rust to fast !
Dancing is a simply movement to music and anyone can do it.
The energizing and uplifting qualities of our style means that everyone - no matter what their experience, age, size or whatever simply is welcomed into the party. The capability of the body to rise to the tough challenges we put forward we have proved again and again - no matter at what point this starts –
whether from inexperience or experience, large or small, old or young. And we have found that the differences between these factors isn't as great as Society would have you believe!
Belly Dance is good for overall body toning
A regrettable aspect of modern life is that we don't use our bodies enough.
Computers and cars mean we sit and stay inactive so much and we can't do anything about that. But we can find something energetic and fun to do outside those times! Muscles that don't get used much become "flabby" looking. Conversely well toned muscles look shapely. With our style of energetic and celebratory belly dance your legs, bum and arms will become more shapely and your waist will pull in as the obliques (diagonal muscles from the ribs to the hip)
tone up. particularly with our style of belly dance. Kylie Minogue swears that her shape, particularly her bum comes from dancing.
Our style of belly dance uses all the muscles in the body in a really enjoyable way.
What is of particular significance is the way all the smaller underlying muscles get used. The problem with conventional muscle training regimes is that they tend to focus on only the large really obvious muscle groups and there can then be a tendency to develop a "hard" muscular look.
The belly dance we do tends to use all the muscles more evenly so you tend to develop a nice overall tone as the pictures of Zehara show. Yet Zehara has never done any physical training other than her dancing.
(Other than an odd bit of stretching here and there).
Our classes are upbeat and rely on generating a celebratory and uplifting atmosphere created by charismatic and expert belly dance teachers, good sound systems and using the best World Music around.
of Belly Dance is good for overall fitness
This is to do with general fitness and is completely separate to having a "well toned body." It is to do with with the heart, lungs and circulation system. So there are no visible signs of this.
Being fit means being able to do continuous physical activity in an aerobic way which is sustainable. An activity that is completely "aerobic" is rather like that "second wind" you get once the heart gets really going. Up to that point muscles use local energy reserves of which the lactate system creates lactic acid as a waste product and hence the aching that most of us get when we sustain a moderate level of activity.
Low levels of fitness means having poor energy levels, being more prone to illnesses, getting tired easily and having a low metabolic rate which means that to maintain an even weight one would have to eat very little. Not all types of dance help fitness much, but we try and bring in the aerobic element in as much as possible by having long non stop runs of energetic routines at the classes.
The body releases natural endorphins during aerobic activity so this one reason for the "high" and why some people get addicted to exercise.
Zehara herself has had her fitness level tested last year (03)and she has a VO2 level of 59ml/kg/min. A national level female middle distance runner has an average VO2 of 51 and (strangely enough) UK female ballet dancers average at around a mere 39.
This has happened purely through her dancing and therefore shows that fitness can reach high levels through the right sort of dance. It means of course that Zehara can be an eating machine and still stay slim.
This aspect is so important nowadays with health and weight issues being now in the forefront. The brilliant news is that this aspect of health is not significantly age related in terms of ability to improve. (Which is why you get so many people of pensionable age doing the marathon runs)
Belly Dance is good for the joints and bones!
This may not sound very sexy but what is certainly not sexy is being riddled with pain, stiff nesses and joint trouble as the years advance on. Loads of people are plagued with lower back trouble, knee and ankle problems and osteoporosis is a major national problem along with obesity.
Joints and bones are meant to be naturally stressed during their working life. If they are not then crippling conditions creep in relentlessly.
Where belly dance is really brilliant is the way that the body weight is constantly focused on one leg and then the other leg.
This naturally increases the loading on the hip joint, knees and ankles in a safe way and thus strengthening them. A lot of people take to belly
dance later in life with lots of chronic back problems and they have been advised to take up some physical activity. Belly dance with caution can be absolutely marvelous here! Our style of dance with large movements and the emphasis on the lower back and hip area is second to none here.
We can report numerous cases of people in our classes being really helped in these distressing conditions.
Testimonials:
Even people who started developing arthritis earlier have instantly improved after they started dancing . It simply halted the symptoms and in combination with an alkaline ( green ) diet there will be no more tender joins left!
Back aches :
Many people come to classes with lower back trouble so here is an extra page that may be of help.
Back pain is one of the most common ailments of mankind. Ever since human beings stood upright they have been having trouble with their backs. In fact, experts estimate that roughly 80 percent of people will experience back pain at some point in their lives, and slightly more men suffer from it than women.
Never less don’t forget the fact :
Mind over matter !
So there are always emotional blockages responsible in the first place for the back bone problems! If you like to consult with a specialist in emotional release therapies call your H.H.P. 876 796 5080 for more information.
Most backache is "muscular." This may not sound particularly terrible but it really feels terrible! Most of the time it happens through a sort of "runaway" situation occurring. The muscles serve a support role, they are like the guy ropes to the masts of a ship. Thus their role is really crucial as it is vital that the integrity of the spine is maintained. This is because through the spinal column passes effectively a cable of nerves from the brain and branching out all over the body.
They branch out forming a total of 31 branches that pass to all parts of the body. Most backache happens when the muscles go into a "spasm" in order to protect the back. They tense up making the vertebrae immovable. Although this does protect the back, the muscles themselves become inflamed, thus creating more pain and thus more muscles tense up. It is rather like a cramp and once this condition happens there is simply no easy way out. Periods or rest with gentle movement, laying on the back with knees raised and gently rolling from side to side, painkillers, deep hot baths and gently moving, gentle traction by way of holding onto something like a firm surface like a table and then letting the lower body semi dangle, the same sort of idea can be done by gripping onto 2 stair handrails and then dangling the lower body momentarily, the Cat Stretch, these are the sorts of things to help ease the cramp in the lower back. If it is severe it will take at least several days to go away.
It is most important that the source of the backache is determined and this is where professional advice and a medical examination may be needed. Generally though the muscles will go into the kind of spasm mentioned above through a combination of the following 2 reasons.
a) Response to an earlier back injury
If there has been a "slipped disc" or some other injury to the ligaments or muscles, there will be a tendency for the muscles in the vicinity to "lock up" in order to prevent further injury.
I will talk about the different types of back injuries later in this article. Vertebrae fractures are a more severe injury that can happen through an accident. So this is why a person who has backache needs to be aware of any injuries they may have been sustained maybe years earlier and have the extent of these injuries thoroughly investigated.
b) General overwork, stress, exhaustion, worry and so on.
The lower back muscles are prone to tense up through "bad stress." Also poor posture and sitting for long periods of time and concentrating. (Like reading this article!) Although decent chairs and correct height of surfaces help, it must be borne in mind that it is completely unnatural to be charged up ready for action, alert and mentally ready, but with no bodily movement. This is the state that most people would be at their computers at work. The human body upon a stimulus for action is designed to MOVE, not sit still.
The lower back muscles tense up ready for action. But if no physical action takes place they are predisposed towards runaway tension and therefore back pain. If Microsoft really cared for the welfare of the human race they would set up their Windows operating system so that the computer would shut down every 20 mins for 10 seconds with a command that you get up from your chair and jump around the office. Common sense says that most of the things in modern life will predispose us towards back pain and there is no simple solution.
My boyfriend is tall and tends to be very prone to backache. He says that going round "like a monkey" helps a lot. This means using your hands to grip onto any available surface, to grab the chance to ease the lower back. Have no inhibitions on going on all 4's on the ground and rolling on the carpet on your back with raised knees several times a day even at your business conference. You can still talk to each other. Leaning on your elbows on a firm desk and then elongating and straightening the back he says it really helps. Keep changing chairs and location frequently.
Moreover the following 2 conditions increase the likelihood of the muscles going into spasm.
1) General body weaknesses
Generally the weaker the muscles are, particularly the "core support" muscles the more prone they would be to going into spasm. They don't have the strength or stamina and so give in easier.
The same applies to overall cardiovascular fitness. Poor levels of this means that the overall circulation is poorer and therefore "stress hormones" build up. So therefore any sort of physical exercise will greatly benefit. In bad cases swimming can be really good as the body is supported horizontally. Cycling can also be good as the hands on the handlebars take some of the body weight. Jogging should be approached with caution owing to the jarring effects, soft ground would be more better.
Belly Dance would be fantastic as the lower back is gently worked constantly, but caution should be exercised during the earlier lessons with "sit down" breaks taken as necessary. This is because the back is being worked the whole time and if the person has come to belly dancing after a period of relative inactivity the sudden change can be perhaps too sudden. Obvious as it may sound, anyone with a weak back should ease into belly dancing gradually, to allow the back to build up stamina and strength. But after having said that Belly Dance would be the most ideal thing for them.
2) Particular abnormalities
Overweight and especially if the excess weight is on the internal organs thereby creating an enlarged stomach, will cause problems as the centre of gravity is further forward putting a great deal of additional strain on the lower back. The tendency to put on weight in this fashion tends to be more common with men (i.e. the beer gut).
Excess curvature in the lower back can also create more strain, this condition is called Lordosis (lôr do"sis). Overweight and pregnancy can make this condition worse. There is no simple cure, just the awareness of this condition will mean that the person would have to take additional steps, and once these are in place and they are stopping the backache then let this condition continue! Obviously anything slanted at posture and body alignment such as Pilates and Yoga will especially benefit, but not if the person is unlikely to enjoy or otherwise sustain these activities.
Specific Back Injuries and conditions
- Slipped Disc.
This is where a tear or rupture takes place within the discs that are the cushioning elements between the vertebrae. When this happens a section of the misplaced disc will intrude into the spinal canal and thus irritating the spinal nerves which usually affect the legs and feet. This produces a sharp, severe pain down the entire leg and into the foot.
The compression and subsequent inflammation is directly responsible for the pain one feels down the leg, and is termed "sciatica." This pain often is described as sharp, electric shock-like, severe with standing, walking or sitting. The pain is frequently relieved by lying down or utilizing a lumbar support chair or insert.
Awful as this may sound 90% of those who suffer from slipped discs only require "conservative" treatment (i.e. not surgery) and these involve various types of physical treatments such as ultrasound, traction and manipulation. The reason is that most of the pain comes from the back muscles in spasm so the treatment is to relax the muscles which are in spasm and secondarily inflamed from the compressed spinal nerve
The whole idea is to relax the back muscles surrounding the affected area and to gradually strengthen them. Rest and heat and general physiotherapy will relax them and then a series of back exercises gradually increasing in intensity will help to support the damaged anatomy and allow it to recover.
Medically prescribed medication can range form simple analgesics such as aspirin or paracetamol, through to the non-steroid anti-inflammatory preparations.
Finally, a local injection of cortisone together with a local anesthetic might be required in the case of persistent acute pain.
As part of this programme belly dancing with the cautions mentioned above will be excellent. But it must be remembered that over repetitive use of the back may well enflame or irritate the damaged area. So it is important that the teacher is aware if any of her pupils have suffered slipped discs. It is important to realize that the belly dance will improve immensely the overall condition of the back muscles by way of coordination particularly and strength and endurance as well.
So we have a situation that a careful balance must be struck. In belly dance the lower back is constantly being used but in a very gentle way. So really what is needed here are repeated short rests for anyone who may have back trouble. We make it so that at any class someone may "sit out" at any point without feeling self conscious, so don't hesitate to sit out a few times during the class if necessary. We have chairs with lower back supports and also ensure that there is a suitable area where a person may lay down and raise and hug their knees for a few moments or do the "cat stretch." The highly friendly and informal nature of the classes, low lighting and suitable areas to do these things means that you can do these things easily and as necessary. All health authorities stress the importance of building up the lower back muscles as it is these going into spasm that cause most backache.
Belly dance and especially our style really builds up the muscles of the lower back that are central to the function of stability of the components of the back but as stressed before repeated rests may be essential in the early stages. So it is "rest and use, rest and use" not "lie idle" is the advice here!
But some movements may also aggravate the injury. In an ideal sonario the person would have a medical advisor, preferably a back specialist and this person would be able to advise which belly dance moves to be more cautious with and over what length of time to bring in more and more moves.
Spondylitis, ankylosing (spon d* li"tis, ang k* lo"zing). Ankylosing spondylitis,
Also known as bamboo spine, is a condition in which the bones of the spine (vertebrae) fuse together. This causes stiffness, and the spine can become bowed. Early symptoms are backache and stiffness in the morning. Ankylosing spondylitis occurs more often in men than in women and usually starts early in adult life. The symptoms gradually worsen, but pain need not be continuous. The patient's eyes often become inflamed (iritis) and the joints can become swollen and tender (arthritis).
The cause of ankylosing spondylitis is not known.
We have several pupils with these conditions and they have all reported that the belly dancing really has been marvelous!
In fact one lady whose spine was more or less locked rigid has said that gentle persistence has completely loosened up the spine and completely reversed the effects of this debilitating condition.
The large number of gentle repetition of moving the spine which belly dancing is characteristic of belly dance so this is an ideal antidote to the spine seizing up in this way. In its varying forms this is quite a common condition and if left unchecked can have very severe consequences.
People with this condition will find any "wavy" motions with the trunk particularly difficult if not impossible. But these are the very moves that with persistence will slowly come. As there isn't a local injury as in the case with slipped discs the issue of great caution to avoid aggravating any part does not arise so it is largely a case with these people to be gently encouraging and sympathetic as lots of the moves they will find very hard at first.
Belly Dance and Pregnancy
Exercise physiologists point out that many women work vigorously up until the time of child birth, with little apparent effect on the infant. So pregnancy should not be viewed as medical condition but rather as a totally natural event and of course exercise will concur major benefits.
However a few things need to be kept in mind.
The following are the physiological changes during pregnancy that are relevant regarding movement and dance.
A hormone called relaxin is released which softens the ligaments to make the skeletal structures of the hips and pelvis extensible for carrying an infant. This increases the hypermobility of joints (effectively the person becomes more flexible). This would become an issue if certain drastic stretches were being done that could put undue strain on joints. The stretches that we do are all quite gentle and involve only large well used muscle groups. The pregnant person would need to be careful with large moves as the joints may be put under undue strain owing to the greater flexibility this hormone will create.
Increased breast size may lead to fibrous tissue breakdown which is irreversible. Therefore adequate breast support during movement is essential. (ie a decent bra)
During the later stages of pregnancy, the increased weight of the infant with fluid shifts the centre of gravity well forward putting a strain on the lower back. Also uterine ligaments are under a greater strain as the stomach enlarges. So jogging and jarring movements should be done with caution.
The pregnant women may require to rest the lower back and to this end a chair with lower back support and a mat so that she may lay on that, raise the knees and gently roll from side to side are items that the teacher can provide and encourage to be used in an add lib fashion during the class.
Extremely intensive aerobic activity may divert too much blood flow away from the infant in the later stages of pregnancy, so a heavily pregnant woman should not work on the pulse raising section to more than around 70% of Maximal heart rate, ie not greater than moderate panting or the heart going at a brisk pace.
I have never noticed people getting anywhere near that point in our classes.
There are a huge number of recommendations for Fitness Instructors and pregnant women but most of these points don't apply to belly dance. Thus it can be safely concluded that belly dance is the ideal form of pre natal form of exercise.
But do bear in mind that individual pregnancies do vary so much so the advise would be "Check with your doctor first and do come to belly dance classes as it is ideal pre natal exercise." The reason for checking with the doctor is to reveal any individual circumstances that may require attention.
