belly dancing

So today I attended my first belly dancing class. It's taught by my yoga teacher Dolian. I've been debating for the longest time about taking this class, so for shits and giggles I decided to just go. Besides, someone at Bally's messed up with the scheduling and this class was completely empty (only four of us were there and three of us were first timers). Yea.

Today I learned the beauty of aging. I learned that despite unreasonable standards of beauty which emphasize uber-thin bodies, that there is indeed a place for a woman with flesh. Finally, I learned that when it comes to appreciating my own body, I have a long way to go. (But I'm learning. I swear, I'm learning.)

During class, Dolian lifted her shirt to expose her belly. This is so we get a better sense of how to move and what the belly should look like when we dance. That simple gesture - of Dolian unabashedly showing her belly was so new to me. I think it's because Dolian is in the same generation of my mother. No woman I know from that generation (e.g. aunts, my mom, etc.) would ever do that because they're overly concerned about appearances. But it was amazing because she had no reservations about doing it. She wasn't hard-bodied or chiseled. Her belly was like every other person's belly. Soft. Marked. Normal. I didn't realize that I had never really looked at a normal woman's belly. Let alone, I've never really given my own body a long, hard look. I think it's because I still have trouble finding value in the way my body looks. Naturally, I try to avoid paying attention to the contours of my body. In belly dancing, you don't have that choice. You have to look at your body and understand how it moves. You have to know its contours and complexities. Even when you don't want to, you have to. I both loved and hated this experience.

After Dolian did that, other women in the class followed suit - lifting their shirts, paying close attention to the richness of their bellies. It's amazing what a simple gesture could do. Granted, I didn't take the liberty of lifting my shirt, but I at least took notice of what was under it. I figure that's a good step for now.

So long story short. I took a belly dancing class for shits and giggles. It's amazing what you can learn from shits and giggles.