I love to dance and move about - for me it is how I 'free up' - my spirit loves it ...and I love the natural high I get from immersing myself into the music.
At last week's ICF (International Coach Federation) conference I had the opportunity to attend one of the sandbox sessions that used the tango as a tool to deepen our knowledge as coaches. It was an interesting experience for me. I love watching the tango, the interchange between the dancers and find it quite beautiful, sexy even.
Now, you may find yourself asking what does the tango have to do with coaching. You may not, but I did ...and to make sure that I did not miss it, I volunteered to be a room host at the session.
I walked into the room to see that it had been transformed into a ball room with a very large dance floor resting on top of the wall to wall carpet. I don't really know what I was expecting - but actually learning to dance the tango was not it. Yes, I love to dance - but I'm not that good in partner dancing, especially when I am being lead.
My natural tendency is to lead and / or create my own steps. I find that when I follow, I tend to trip over my own feet as well as that of my partner's as I try to anticipate their next moves - which doesn't create a pretty picture. So when tasked with finding a partner, I immediately chose one of the tallest men in the room who looked like he knew what he was doing. I had already observed that he was a very good dancer and figured that if I was going to have to follow anyone, it would have to be someone who knew what they were doing! As it happens, one of the first things out of his mouth post introductions was that he grew up ballroom dancing. :-)
Our first go round was OK ... the ease of moving around en masse was hampered by my inner struggle with being led. It was not until the instructor issued fresh instructions requiring all those that were in the shoes of the follower to close our eyes and those in the shoes of the leader were not allowed to use verbal cues as we moved around the room.
I will admit that the thought of closing my eyes and allowing a complete stranger lead me around the room was not appealing. I saw a few people quickly make haste to the door and while there was a little part of me that wanted to join them - I had committed to being there and asked myself . . . "What's the worst thing that can happen?" . . . It's one of my favorite questions to ask myself and a client when faced with the prospect of doing something new. My answer was that I could learn something new - I shrugged off the fear, closed my eyes and as I opened myself up to the accept the gift of being in the moment.
The result, something magical happened . . . the earlier clumsiness disappeared and I found the experience to be quite relaxing. When the instructor announced it was time to switch places - I felt a little tense as I assumed responsibility for maneuvering my partner around the room with his eyes shut. I found that as I relaxed into the role, the more grounded I became the more we flowed across the floor. When we provided feedback to each other at the end of the round, my partner reported that he could sense the change in me as I relaxed into the role and that the more I did, the easier it was for me to relax and to be lead.
Over the course of the two hour session, we switched partners several times. I was eager to try this new sensation out on a variety of different people and selected all sorts of physical shapes and sizes as well as demeanour's. I discovered that the experience, whether I was being lead or being the leader was equally powerful. The gift in opening myself up to the possibility of being in the moment gave way to success.
At the end of the session, some of us elected to remain and continue the dance. The only difference was that now we were doing it with our eyes open and and were free to move without instruction. My original partner came up to me and suggested that we put our new found skills to the test ...and ...much to my chagrin, ego stepped in and I was right back where I began ...wanting to take the lead. He suggested that i close my eyes ... I wanted to ...but my ego wanted to keep up with the more experienced tango dancers.
So rather than continue ... I thanked him and went to the side for a few minutes. Another friend came up and suggested that we give it a go. This time, I made the decision that my ego was going to have to sit on the sidelines ...and ...well ...to my delight (any my partner's) we soon found ourselves gliding across the dance floor.
Getting the dance in the body is so very important for me - I also know that continuous practice will lead to mastery ....as Richard Strozzi Heckler says "It takes 3,000 repetitions to change a pattern and 10,000 repetitions to embody it." It is helpful for me to remember that mastery doesn't happen over night - and while I'm not keeping count ...I am confident that the more I practice the easier it will get.
Come join the dance with me ....
Lots of love,
Norma
PS - I ran into my first dance partner several times during the conference and on the last day he gave me copy of his book "Less Stress, More Success!" with a beautiful inscription inside.
Friday, December 11, 2009
Tuesday, December 1, 2009
The Blindside
Yesterday was a good day...I started off with a bit of Sanjana, then went exploring as it was a free day for me here in Orlando.
Along the way - I happened upon this Greek restaurant and had the most delicious hummus ever ...I've never had it so fresh where they literally mash the chick peas, olive oil, garlic and a bit of salt in this wooden mortar and pestle set at the table! It was scrumptious!! It is definitely something that I will do at home -as I'm afraid that pre-packaged stuff won't measure up.
If you have not seen Blindside - I would highly recommend it. For me, it helped me to remember that everyone has their own unique style and learning preference. Here was a kid that many were blind to his talents and strengths - and for those that did see the potential - the question was how to tap into it.
As often happens in movies or books, I find that I associate with many of the characters in the story. I can be the villain, the good guy, the ingénue ...all of them. Like the central character in The Blindside....I am physically a large person with a gentle spirit. There are many that may look at me and make assumptions about what I can or cannot do as a result of my size. There are times when I am with the naysayers 100% - and then something will happen that serves as a reminder that I am graceful and that I possess fluidity when I move that is special.
Sometimes when I first start to move, I can feel the heaviness in my body that has settled in from being inactive - and as I start to shimmy or rumble or shake the hips ...I can feel it loosening up ...the more I shake, rattle and roll the brighter my inner light shines. I saw the same happen with the young man in the movie and was thankful for the reminder.
As it happens.... the timing of the movie was sychronistic - in that I have had a series of conversations over the past few days and heard myself remind those I love that when one door closes another door opens. I listened to their concern and saw their desire to want to make it all better for someone else.
As a mother, daughter, sister, aunt and friend there are many times when I want to wave my magic wand and make it all better for everyone in my life. I know that this is not possible and that in truth, I can't do it for anyone ...only for myself. While I cannot do it for others, I am discovering that by learning to embrace and love myself, I can help shine the light for others.
Thanks for being in my life!
Lots of love,
Norma
PS ... Is there an area in your life that you've turned a blind eye too? :-)
PPS ... Mom ...take a break from the cards ...and shake your bootie :-)
Along the way - I happened upon this Greek restaurant and had the most delicious hummus ever ...I've never had it so fresh where they literally mash the chick peas, olive oil, garlic and a bit of salt in this wooden mortar and pestle set at the table! It was scrumptious!! It is definitely something that I will do at home -as I'm afraid that pre-packaged stuff won't measure up.
If you have not seen Blindside - I would highly recommend it. For me, it helped me to remember that everyone has their own unique style and learning preference. Here was a kid that many were blind to his talents and strengths - and for those that did see the potential - the question was how to tap into it.
As often happens in movies or books, I find that I associate with many of the characters in the story. I can be the villain, the good guy, the ingénue ...all of them. Like the central character in The Blindside....I am physically a large person with a gentle spirit. There are many that may look at me and make assumptions about what I can or cannot do as a result of my size. There are times when I am with the naysayers 100% - and then something will happen that serves as a reminder that I am graceful and that I possess fluidity when I move that is special.
Sometimes when I first start to move, I can feel the heaviness in my body that has settled in from being inactive - and as I start to shimmy or rumble or shake the hips ...I can feel it loosening up ...the more I shake, rattle and roll the brighter my inner light shines. I saw the same happen with the young man in the movie and was thankful for the reminder.
As it happens.... the timing of the movie was sychronistic - in that I have had a series of conversations over the past few days and heard myself remind those I love that when one door closes another door opens. I listened to their concern and saw their desire to want to make it all better for someone else.
As a mother, daughter, sister, aunt and friend there are many times when I want to wave my magic wand and make it all better for everyone in my life. I know that this is not possible and that in truth, I can't do it for anyone ...only for myself. While I cannot do it for others, I am discovering that by learning to embrace and love myself, I can help shine the light for others.
Thanks for being in my life!
Lots of love,
Norma
PS ... Is there an area in your life that you've turned a blind eye too? :-)
PPS ... Mom ...take a break from the cards ...and shake your bootie :-)
Monday, November 30, 2009
Week one ...completed :-)
It is said that once you learn how to do something you never truly loose it. Although I have been moving more this year than I did in my final years at XL ... I was surprised to find my muscles stiffening up as the week progressed. A true indication that I have not been putting as much effort into moving my entire body daily.
To ease through the stiffness, I reached out to yoga (I'm trying to make it a friend) and with the aid of DvD's worked my way through poses that focus on lower back and hips.
I received the following notice at the beginning of the week:
"My Dearest Friends~
Come Dance and Celebrate the Beauty of who you are!!
With gentle guidance discover the incredible ways in which you can move and be moved!
Friday Night 8:15pm-10:00pm
Little Church House
(right on the corner of Chapel and Middle Roads, in Paget)
$20.00 /class
Wear something comfy Bring water
This is an ongoing, Friday night, Dance Experience! Whether you are new to movement, or you are a pro, you will be brought to your own edge, and get to dive into the expanse of your own unfolding beauty.
Any Shape, any size, AnyBody is Welcome.
If you have a body, you can dance! This is a Safe, Loving, Fun environment where, with gentle guidance and a spirit of openness, we come to move with ease and grace
and honesty. Life is a Dance!
"...follow your courageous spirit... jump in!"
Well...you know that this is right up my alley - and the fact that it's an evening class was even better! Ironically, the venue is one that a friend in the US suggested that I use to teach NIA ... so I was very curious to experience what was being offered and made plans to attend on Friday evening.
So, instead of vegging on the couch flipping through tv channels or playing games on the computer screen - I ventured out, eager to move in the presence of others. It was a small group of women - they were all friendly and welcoming. As she described what was to unfold - I found myself wondering if this was based on Gabrielle Roth's 5 Rythms (Flowing, Staccato, Chaos, Lyrical and Stillness) ....after the introduction of the second wave - I was compelled to ask - and the teacher confirmed that it was. I enjoyed moving around - and incorporated some of NIA's 5 Stages into the last number as my body was craving the support of the floor. It felt good to play around in the embryonic stage, using the floor for support.
At the end of the class we came into a circle - and collectively we created a poem - as each person around the circle said something that reflected where they were at that moment ... that when spun together resulted in a lovely poem.
I discovered at the end of the class that the other particpants knew each other as they were all members of the Ba'hai community. They got very excited when I said my maiden name ...and wanted to know if I was related to Randy & Oonagh - they all wanted to know when you were next coming to Bermuda and have sent hugs to you both as well as the boys.
I didn't do much physically on Sunday as I spent most of the day in transit from Bermuda to Orlando, FL. Walking between gates as well up and down the terminal is not quite enough. I did manage to meet up with a friend who was in transit to Paris - so we had lunch together at JFK. We went to Bobby Van's restaurant at JFK - if you find yourself hungry and you're hanging about in Terminal 8 I would highly recommend it. We shared a calamari starter ...with an interesting twist (lightly seasoned and coated in sweet thai chili sauce with a peanut sauce)...I will admit that I was a little dubious -but my friend said that it was really good ...and after one bite ...I had to agree ...it was scrumptious!
This morning I woke up and listened to Sanjana - Mel and I are both working to learn the routine - and have committed to learn 3 of the songs this week. It is important that I fully embody the routine -as I will need to be ready to lead a class when I do my green belt in March. It's also nice to be doing it with Mel. Katrine is hoping to do her White Belt in 2010 - and by that time she's have two great mentor's!
It's time for me to get physical!
Have a great day! Thanks for all of your support.
Lots of love,
Norma
To ease through the stiffness, I reached out to yoga (I'm trying to make it a friend) and with the aid of DvD's worked my way through poses that focus on lower back and hips.
I received the following notice at the beginning of the week:
"My Dearest Friends~
Come Dance and Celebrate the Beauty of who you are!!
With gentle guidance discover the incredible ways in which you can move and be moved!
Friday Night 8:15pm-10:00pm
Little Church House
(right on the corner of Chapel and Middle Roads, in Paget)
$20.00 /class
Wear something comfy Bring water
This is an ongoing, Friday night, Dance Experience! Whether you are new to movement, or you are a pro, you will be brought to your own edge, and get to dive into the expanse of your own unfolding beauty.
Any Shape, any size, AnyBody is Welcome.
If you have a body, you can dance! This is a Safe, Loving, Fun environment where, with gentle guidance and a spirit of openness, we come to move with ease and grace
and honesty. Life is a Dance!
"...follow your courageous spirit... jump in!"
Well...you know that this is right up my alley - and the fact that it's an evening class was even better! Ironically, the venue is one that a friend in the US suggested that I use to teach NIA ... so I was very curious to experience what was being offered and made plans to attend on Friday evening.
So, instead of vegging on the couch flipping through tv channels or playing games on the computer screen - I ventured out, eager to move in the presence of others. It was a small group of women - they were all friendly and welcoming. As she described what was to unfold - I found myself wondering if this was based on Gabrielle Roth's 5 Rythms (Flowing, Staccato, Chaos, Lyrical and Stillness) ....after the introduction of the second wave - I was compelled to ask - and the teacher confirmed that it was. I enjoyed moving around - and incorporated some of NIA's 5 Stages into the last number as my body was craving the support of the floor. It felt good to play around in the embryonic stage, using the floor for support.
At the end of the class we came into a circle - and collectively we created a poem - as each person around the circle said something that reflected where they were at that moment ... that when spun together resulted in a lovely poem.
I discovered at the end of the class that the other particpants knew each other as they were all members of the Ba'hai community. They got very excited when I said my maiden name ...and wanted to know if I was related to Randy & Oonagh - they all wanted to know when you were next coming to Bermuda and have sent hugs to you both as well as the boys.
I didn't do much physically on Sunday as I spent most of the day in transit from Bermuda to Orlando, FL. Walking between gates as well up and down the terminal is not quite enough. I did manage to meet up with a friend who was in transit to Paris - so we had lunch together at JFK. We went to Bobby Van's restaurant at JFK - if you find yourself hungry and you're hanging about in Terminal 8 I would highly recommend it. We shared a calamari starter ...with an interesting twist (lightly seasoned and coated in sweet thai chili sauce with a peanut sauce)...I will admit that I was a little dubious -but my friend said that it was really good ...and after one bite ...I had to agree ...it was scrumptious!
This morning I woke up and listened to Sanjana - Mel and I are both working to learn the routine - and have committed to learn 3 of the songs this week. It is important that I fully embody the routine -as I will need to be ready to lead a class when I do my green belt in March. It's also nice to be doing it with Mel. Katrine is hoping to do her White Belt in 2010 - and by that time she's have two great mentor's!
It's time for me to get physical!
Have a great day! Thanks for all of your support.
Lots of love,
Norma
Wednesday, November 25, 2009
Time
It's amazing how fast time can seem to pass at times ...and yet at other times - - - it can seem like time does nothing but stand still!
Here I am 11 months into 2009 and as often as I crafted things in my head to write - I never managed to actually transcribe my thoughts into words. In many respects, this reflects my state of being this past year. As excited as I was to reach my goal of donating 50 lbs to Structure House ... I soon discovered that there was a very big part of me - that really was not ready to let go of the excess.
I'm pleased to report that I did not reclaim the entire donation .... I did manage to claw back a few pounds and now after 11 months find that I'm recouped 15 lbs from my initial donation. (Not good!)
When I first started this journey, I decided to create the blog as I was looking for something that would help me to keep on track and as a tool to be accountable. As a coach, I know that being accountable for the steps that I take to achieve my goal usually leads to a successful outcome.
I've slightly revised my goal this time ....instead of donating weight ...I've decided that I will simply focus on dancing my dance - this means a daily commitment to move, shake, and celebrate the joy of movement!
For incentive, I've signed up for additional NIA trainings in 2010 - the first will be 5 Stages of Healing in Portland Oregon with Debbie Rosas in February and at the end of March I will head to Cambridge MA to do my NIA Green Belt with Carlos Rosas.
I started the week with NIA Unplugged ...I love that the entire routine is done to the sound of drums ...the beat is electrifying. Today, I did Opal ...it's one of my favorite routines ...although I will admit that I did get a bit stuck with the yoga moves at the end. I do know that with practice it will get easier.
It's been a while yes ...but it feels good to be back.
Lots of love,
Norma
Here I am 11 months into 2009 and as often as I crafted things in my head to write - I never managed to actually transcribe my thoughts into words. In many respects, this reflects my state of being this past year. As excited as I was to reach my goal of donating 50 lbs to Structure House ... I soon discovered that there was a very big part of me - that really was not ready to let go of the excess.
I'm pleased to report that I did not reclaim the entire donation .... I did manage to claw back a few pounds and now after 11 months find that I'm recouped 15 lbs from my initial donation. (Not good!)
When I first started this journey, I decided to create the blog as I was looking for something that would help me to keep on track and as a tool to be accountable. As a coach, I know that being accountable for the steps that I take to achieve my goal usually leads to a successful outcome.
I've slightly revised my goal this time ....instead of donating weight ...I've decided that I will simply focus on dancing my dance - this means a daily commitment to move, shake, and celebrate the joy of movement!
For incentive, I've signed up for additional NIA trainings in 2010 - the first will be 5 Stages of Healing in Portland Oregon with Debbie Rosas in February and at the end of March I will head to Cambridge MA to do my NIA Green Belt with Carlos Rosas.
I started the week with NIA Unplugged ...I love that the entire routine is done to the sound of drums ...the beat is electrifying. Today, I did Opal ...it's one of my favorite routines ...although I will admit that I did get a bit stuck with the yoga moves at the end. I do know that with practice it will get easier.
It's been a while yes ...but it feels good to be back.
Lots of love,
Norma
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