Farewell to 2013!

 

As many of you know, I'm big into goal-setting. And if you've been reading the blog for a few years now, you know that at the end of each year, I take time out to process my year, digging into what went well, and what went not so well. Essentially tying a ribbon around the year, releasing it, and preparing to move into the new year with a bang. And today, on this eve of our new year, it seemed like the perfect time to reflect on all that transpired in 2013.

Back at the beginning of this year I wrote a post called Ignite, my theme for the year, outlining my big three for the year - getting married and honeymooning in Paris, writing a book, and competing in Belly Dancer USA. So how did it go?

Marriage? Yes, yes, and more yes! I am blessed to have married my best friend and love of my life. Feel free to peruse my wedding pictures and honeymoon pictures. Our wedding was intimate and romantic. I could not have been more pleased with the day. And France was simply divine. My new favorite foreign destination.

I did compete in Belly Dancer USA. I didn't place, and I won't lie; I wish I had.  But I still had a valuable learning experience, which I share all about in this post.

And I did write and publish a book. Not the book I was originally intending to write, but that was the way the creative winds took me. My book, designed to jump start your goal-setting and to be a practice companion and journal can be purchased on Lulu.com.  It will soon also be available on Amazon.com.

A few other highlights of the year that weren't part of my "Big Three", was going to an all-women's weekend surf camp in Oregon. The company I learned with was NW Women's Surf Camp, whom I highly recommend.  I also went to the Washington Midsummer Renaissance Faire for the first time and absolutely loved it. Not a far stretch that a belly dancer loved a festival based on costumes and history sprinkled with a good dose of fantasy, huh? And I also became the newest belly dance instructor through the University of Washington's Experimental College. Shameless self-promotion time: the new series of classes starts February 2nd and registration is now open.

As far as things that didn't go so well. I didn't do nearly as much performing this year as I have in previous years. Between my two major life events (getting married as previously discussed, plus I also changing my day job and leaving the industry I'd been in for eight years), my performance schedule got pushed to the side. Trying to fit in any additional dancing, was starting to feel like major burnout, rather than the joy that sharing a creative passion should be bringing. Thus, I'm hoping with recharged batteries, to pick it back up to full speed in the new year.

And that book I was originally intending to write? Definitely hoping to get it under way in the new year as well. The working title is CPA by Day, Belly Dancer by Night. And with that little reveal, I will say no more. Stay tuned!

How about you? What worked well for you? What are you ready to embrace for next year? And what are you ready to release? Now is the perfect time of year for reflection. So grab a glass of bubbly, a journal, and a pencil and buy out some time for yourself before the countdown to midnight begins.

Have a wonderful, festive, and safe New Year's Eve!  May your 2014 be filled with love, light, and laughter, mixed together with a glittering handful of magic. Blessings to you in the new year.

Performance Bag Essentials

 

Gigging can be nerve-wracking at the best of times. But it’s even worse if you don’t have certain essentials packed. In addition to the extremely obvious items of costume and music, here are some items that are always stashed in my gig bag.

1.   Safety pins: The dancer’s best friend. The emergency fixer of broken and loose clasps. There’s nothing more dreadful than feeling your costume sliding or worse, popping, out of place while you’re on stage, so be sure have safety pins with you to pin it all together before you start your set.

2.   Hand towel: Double-sets, summer time festivals, rooms without air conditioning. Throw on top of that long-hair and tight Lycra costumes and you have one outcome: sweat. Not so pretty, or great feeling for that matter, when you are exiting your gig or about to go out for round two. Thus I always keep a hand towel in my bag for dabbing off the glisten after performances.

3.   Baby wipes: Restaurant floors are pretty gross. I have one restaurant where the bottoms of my feet are literally black after I’m done with my performance. I don’t even want to think about what kind of bacteria are clinging onto the soles of my feet. Thus enter the baby wipe to clean it all off. Other types of cleansing, cosmetic, or antibacterial wipes can work as well.

4.   Water: I’m a regular and frequent water drinker as is, so performance time is no exception. If you’re at a gig that’s making you nervous, some sips of water beforehand can help combat dry mouth and stop your lips from feeling like their sticking to your teeth (by the way, so can a swipe of Vaseline). And especially after a long set, knowing I have water right within my reach when I get backstage is always a blessing.

5.   Mirror: Especially if you’re headed to a new venue, you never know what kind of backstage “changing room” you might end up in.  Hello closet! (Yes, the walk-in storage closet situation really does frequently happen.) Thus it’s always a good idea to have a hand held mirror with you for last minute makeup checks. Also great for festivals when the changing areas are jam-packed with dancers and trying to get a glimpse of the mirror would involve elbowing someone else out of the way.

6.   Makeup bag: Even if you did your makeup at home, lipstick and eyeliner has a tendency to stray. Make sure you’re able to do last minute touch-ups if needed.

7.   Bobby pins, hair spray and/or curling iron: Same concept as the makeup bag. Especially on rainy or humid days, you might leave your house with one hairstyle and arrive at your gig with another.  Make sure you have the tools you need to fix it.

8.   Backup music: You put in the hours practicing and getting ready. Purchased a swanky, expensive costume. You step out onto the stage ready to wow and, and…..nothing.  Your CD is dead in the water. Yup, I’ve had it happen. More than once. So make sure you have a backup copy of your music. Most places these days can accommodate an MP3, which is my preference for backup music, as I find it more reliable than a burned CD.  In addition, I always tote around a small portable MP3 player as well.

9.    Cover-up: You don’t want to go spoiling your big costume reveal as you step onto stage, so make sure you have a cover-up to throw on before and after your set. Also good for keeping warm in the winter months, not to mention maintaining propriety and professionalism.

10. Business cards: You always want to be prepared to promote yourself. So make sure you have some business cards tucked into your bag in case someone asks for one, or there’s an opportunity to set some out on a table.

11. Hollywood Fashion Tape: These sticky little strips are essentially double-sided tape for the body. I always keep some in my bag as they are great for fixing any gaping areas in costumes, especially in the bra area.

12.  Veil and zills: Even if you don’t plan on using either of these items in your set, it’s always a good idea to have them in tow. Last minute, you may decide you’d like to make your entrance with the veil.  Or maybe use it as a cover-up.  Or the person hiring you puts in a special request. Same for zills.  Maybe your backup music also failed (see #8 above) and zills are now all you’ve got to create any type of music.  Murphy’s Law applies to dance, and it applies big time. Whatever can go wrong, will. So be prepared with backup options.

13.  Dance shoe: I’m a barefoot dancer, and I do everything in my power to avoid dancing in shoes, and especially in high heels. Never the less, I always keep a pair of ballet slippers stowed in my dance bag. Especially good for outdoor stages that have been baking for hours in the high summertime heat. Ouch for feet! Or if the indoor floors are looking like a level of yuck beyond baby wipes (see #3 above) and you decide preventative measures are necessary. Thus, I think it’s a good idea to have something you can slip on to protect yourself.

Those are the items that make my list. What else would you add?

Photo Credit: www.trendhunter.com

Practice Gratitude

 

To me, belly dance is part of a bigger picture. It's part of a lifestyle that I've purposely chosen and designed. A lifestyle that honors my passions and nurtures my soul. And that lifestyle includes a lot of other components, or as I like to think of them practices, as well - holistic eating, giving back to my community, caring for my loved ones, expanding my world through travel, making time for regular exercise, and many more. Some of these I do well, some not so well.  But all these practices weave together to create a life that is balanced. And one of the practices that has been on my mind lately is the practice of gratitude.

Of course, with the Thanksgiving holiday, when not overshadowed by turkey and gravy, the idea of gratitude is probably discussed more at this time of year than any other.  And it's such a remarkably simple practice. At it's most basic, all it involves is taking a moment of reflection on all the blessings that we have in life.  And why is taking this step back into gratitude so important? Numerous studies and scientists have researched the effect of gratitude on the human psyche and they consistently report a host of benefits:

• Stronger immune systems and lower blood pressure
• Higher levels of positive emotions
• More joy, optimism, and happiness
• Acting with more generosity and compassion
• Feeling less lonely and isolated

Despite it's simplicity and benefits, being grateful can be so easy to forget as well. When the pressures of daily life come crashing down, it's easy to focus on the ugly, the negative, and what we want to change. Our focus becomes targeted on the crack in the pottery, rather than appreciating the beauty of our lives as a whole. At least I know mine does if I don't remind myself to step back, see the bigger picture, and be present with what is.

But practicing gratitude goes beyond just being grateful for the shiny, sparkly portions of life. What about being grateful for the challenges? I think this is where the meat and potatoes of a gratitude practice lies. When challenges and trials come our way, it can be hard to not let them drag us down.  We become mired in the muck and stuck in a mode of suffering. But it's the hard, gritty parts of life that refine who we are. Our challenges shape us and define us. It's the Universe's way of honing and forging our authentic selves. Looking back at the most painful experiences I've had in my own life, they've turned out to be the most transformative. It was these experiences that pushed me to my breaking points, and that when I came out the other side, I was more than I was before. This is where our real opportunity lies to practice gratitude.

If you're feeling like me and want to step up your gratitude practice, here's a few ideas on ways to embrace gratitude in your own life:

1. Start a gratitude calendar. I simply love this idea, and starting January 1st I'm going to be setting one of these up. Just think, with less than a minute each day you can reset into the mindfulness of gratitude and after a few years, what a lovely record you'll have to reflect back on.

 

2. Watch Louie Schwartzberg's Ted Talk on gratitude.

3. Write a letter of gratitude to someone who has helped you in your past, maybe a teacher, spouse, mentor, or coach. Let them know what their help has meant to you.

4. Take a vow of gratitude for 1 day, 7 days, or a month. A vow of gratitude is like a vow of silence, only instead of saying nothing at all, you say only positive things. Don't complain, criticize, or gossip. And if you start thinking these things, gently remind yourself to return to a place of gratitude. See how this makes you feel. How much time and energy were you using on negativity?

5. Start a family practice of gratitude. It's fairly common on Thanksgiving to go around the table and have everyone say what they are thankful for. It's a beautiful moment. So why not do this everyday as your family sits down for dinner? Or even try it with your coworkers over lunch?

Blessings and Happy Thanksgiving!

Photo Credit (top): www.huffingtonpost.com