Dance Though Your Day

What if you thought of your day as a dance? Sounds a little odd at first, but consider this: Isn't that a better perspective than thinking of your day as a chore? Taking a dancing approach toward your day can give both your body and mind a lift.

Think Like a Dancer

As you begin each activity of your day, imagine yourself as a dancer performing for an audience. Let each movement be graceful, as if you were contributing to an exquisite ballet.

Pay attention to how each part of your body is moving. Rather than rushing from one thing to another, give attention to the shift in your action, noticing how your arm reaches to pick up the phone or how your knees bend as you put on your shoes or ascend the stairs. Let each action be a kind of meditative movement. Even when you must move quickly, let the movement be intentional and filled with life. Be consciously in the body as you go through your day.

Be in Step With Your Body

Tune in to your body as you move from one thing to another throughout your day. Before making a decision or starting a new activity, check in to gauge your body's reaction. Your step may feel lighter or heavier depending on whether you're doing things that are in your best interest. Your head and shoulders may lift or sag. How can you move in sync with your intention for the day? How can you move forward in a way that will give you energy? What will make your next action feel like a tango, a waltz, or a ballet pirouette?

Walk With Grace

Often our daily activity can be geared toward rushing. Try instead to notice how you're walking across the parking lot or through a building. Walking can be a kind of dance. Pay attention to how each foot lands on the floor. Are your hips and shoulders all moving in sync with your feet? Are your head and chest lifted? Is your walk rhythmic and graceful?

If you're not sure, try slowing down for one minute to feel the weight of your foot and its movement through the air as you take one step after the other. Enjoy the sway of your hips from side to side as you place one foot down, then the other. Feel how this slow-motion walking affects your breathing.

Enjoy your body by giving it mindful attention. Enjoy the dance of life. Let each experience be filled with grace and watch your stress dissolve.