This is part of a new series of blog posts about travelling....today will be a very short post about a relaxing stretch program that can be done from a private room.
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Now...back to STRETCHING
After a day of travelling, or when waking up in a room away from home, it's nice to have a familiar routine for stretching. I thought it might be nice for this series of blog posts to share a program I actually use. I find it's very helpful for relaxing in a sensuous, feminine way, and for limbering up the spine for other physical activities.
Lots of people enjoy being physically active. I imagine many of my neighbors grew up in families that encouraged playing competitive sports. We have bike riders, golfers, tennis players, swimmers and who knows what else. For some people, vigorous, strenuous and continual movement is second nature.
When I was a kid, Dad provided personal lessons in how to swing a British cricket bat and the best ways to throw a punch while wearing boxing gloves. Swimming and ballet classes were supported by Mom, who was a dance instructor in her youth. My parents both encouraged competition in the arts and getting good grades in school.
When I was in college, I gravitated toward noncompetitive fitness like dance classes and weight training. After graduation, it was easy to work out in health clubs, with aerobic dance classes, weights and equipment. The ambiance of being a member of a group of exercisers is energizing, and I like the idea of being fit.
Movement is part of nature and community, and I often prefer to take a slower pace than some of the more athletic types. Whether it's walking the dogs, or enjoying a pleasant day as a sort of nature meditation.
Sometimes, too, I like to exercise in private. It's more convenient for me, and healthier for the environment than sitting in a car and driving to a fitness club. Fortunately, online video workouts and social networking groups make it easy to exercise in private while being part of a group too.
>With so many exercise programs available on the internet, sometimes it's hard to choose. Many fitness "gurus" have tons of free videos to try out before getting a paid program. I have worked with several different fitness-from-home programs, and each has its own strong points.
Earlier this year I got bored with yoga poses and repetitive motion exercise. I missed the artistry, and intellectual challenge that comes from learning new dance movements, but I don't have the kind of dedication that ballet/jazz/modern dance classes require. I decided to check out belly dance videos.
And then I found Coco Berlin. Like most contemporary fitness instructors, she has a lot of free videos available. She also has an extensive free course in belly dance, with a paid upgrade option. Social networking is available for Coco's updates, and for students to connect with ourselves.
Coco's style of teaching is friendly and patient. She favors comfortable ways to learn movement. Her voice is gently touched with a German accent, in a pleasant way that sounds almost musical to the ears. Her personal style is genuine and honest, sensual and sexy at the same time.
Despite wanting to learn belly dance quickly, it soon became clear that it would require more confidence. Although some movements are easier than they look, many are not. I wasn't sure I was ready to invest in the belly dance course right away.
Fortunately, Coco Berlin offers a sensuous dance workout, which is a less expensive option for beginners. After a few weeks of doing the exercises I felt my confidence increasing. As it turned out, Coco's sensuous dance workout was a really nice introduction the sensual aspects of exercise, and to some of the supporting muscles for belly dance.
The sensuous dance course does not require an internet connection, except for the initial download. It may be ordered as a cd set, as a set of digital downloads, or both cds and downloads. I opted for both versions, so I could share the cd with Mom, and work with the digital downloads on my laptop.
The program package includes videos, audio versions of the workout videos, and pdf handouts about anatomy specifics featured for the workout. Coco includes a five-minute workout, a longer dance workout, sensuous tips and instructions, and a helpful wake-up-and-get-out-of bed stretch routine to start my day.
Coco Berlin, an acclaimed belly dancer and instructor who travels, appears to have thought of everything I need to stretch, limber up, get ready for my day, and wind down afterwards while travelling.
Highly recommended.
To be continued...
