Do you feel shock, panic, anger, anxiety and frustration from recent lay-offs, firings or re-orgs?

Are you stressed and overwhelmed from too much work?

Are you feeling isolated and lonely from lack of family or friends?

Are you experiencing boredom, apathy and listlessness from lack of purpose?

Do you feel trapped and helpless from financial debt, toxic relationships or health issues?

Are you feeling confused, guilty and conflicted from a cultural identity crisis?

Are you feeling a sense of grief, sadness and depression from a separation, divorce or death of a loved one?

Would you like to get some instant relief from your emotional distress and get to your happy, centered place quickly?

The quick fixes outlined below are what I use to provide me with relief when the emotional pain is so intense it prevents me from thinking clearly. I am always able to return to my happy centered place quickly. Just by releasing the negative emotions, it clears my mind. This allows my creativity to kick in and I would find the solution to the problem or the solution will present itself. Just by the simple fact of changing my actions, it changes my energy and as a result, I attracted a different outcome and it has always been for the better. This often leads to a chain reaction of good things – directing me down a path I would never have thought of exploring. This has happened so many times that when I run into obstacles now, there is always a little part of me that goes “Ooh, I wonder what great adventure is around the corner?”.

So, the first thing you need to do to overcome your obstacle is to release all these negative emotions and find your happy centered place. Even though you may not feel like doing any of these quick-fixes, you need to override those feelings and force yourself to take action. It’s only in taking action that you can change your results. Apply “MYA” – Move Your Ass. There were times I did not feel like getting out of the house or even out of bed – but by using any of the quick-fixes on myself; I will always feel a thousand times better.

Although the quick-fixes below are based around my passions and interests – you will apply these general ideas around your own passions and interests and develop your own 10 quick-fixes to help you find your happy centered place quickly. If you do not have any passions or interests, then by trying these quick-fixes, you will find your own passions or interest. Do not limit yourself to what is just on my list, brain-storm and come up with your own ideas. Please use the worksheet at the end (Appendix A) to write your own Quick-fixes.

Start now – 10 Quick-fixes

These are not in any order – you can do any combinations of these several times a day or at minimum, once a day. Continue this everyday and vary the activities so that it does not become a routine and you won’t get bored.

1. Playing good music loudly

This just makes me want to freestyle dance, always brings a smile to my face and leaves me feeling carefree and light. Disco and Abba is great for me. Also samba. Anything with a great African based rhythm. I stay away from death metal – that gives me a headache. I also like classical music – it’s peaceful and lyrical and puts me in a calm, serene state.

Choose songs that immediately make you smile, move or calms you down. Pandora.com is a free radio station on the internet – enter one of your favorite songs and it will find you songs of a similar type. Make several compilations: happy dance songs, peaceful calming songs etc.

If music is not your thing, move on to the next action.

2. Do your favorite exercises that make you sweat and your heart pumping for at least 20 mins to 1 hr. The important part is the sweating and the heart pumping. The natural endorphins your body releases will make you feel better. If you have a friend who is positive, exercise with them but don’t discuss the problem. You just need to release the negative energy. I recommend doing these at least 2-3 times per week. I exercise daily.

I go out dancing – salsa, hustle, ballroom, argentine tango, swing, freestyle, hip-hop, samba, belly-dancing. I always feel happy, excited and centered after dancing hard. The more stressed I am, the later I stay out dancing. In my corporate years, I would dance every night until 2-4am. I may be tired the next day, but I find I am in a better mood and when handling conflict, it brings about a better result when I am not emotionally attached to the problem. The other side benefits are that dancing has kept me healthy and fit and my dance technique has improved from all that practice. Now, I am a ballroom dance coach.

Other examples – horse-back riding, wind-surfing, surfing, running, walking briskly, cycling, kick-boxing, spinning, skiing, snow-boarding, aerobics, swimming, racquetball, water-polo, swimming etc.

If you do not have exercise in your life, you need to get started now. Not only will it help you with your current situation, the long term benefits to your health and mental well-being is enormous. If you continue to exercise regularly at least 2-3 times per week, this will help you in your path to enduring happiness and health.

3. Take a class in your area of passion or interest – learning will take your mind temporarily away from your problems, and get you out of your routine.

I love to learn so it puts me in a good mood. It has also solved many of my problems. I take business, marketing, sales, leadership, personal development, dance or art lessons. In the past, I’ve taken golfing, skiing, drumming, piano, surfing, wind-surfing, framing, yoga, pilates lessons. If you are on limited funds, there are plenty of free webinars/teleconferences on the internet. The other alternative is to learn from a book, CD or DVD which you can borrow from your local library. My personal library is filled with books on leadership, business, marketing, sales, success, personal development, framing, art, dance and biographies of interesting people.

I signed up for Ballroom teacher training to help reduce the friction between my boyfriend and me when I was teaching him ballroom. My teachers hired me to teach their beginner Ballroom classes after my first semester and I graduated top of my class 16 months later. Now, I transform lives through coaching, ballroom dancing and art!

If you have insecurities about learning, don’t do this yet. Build up your confidence first.

4. Teach someone else your expertise/passion/interest

I cannot tell you the number of times my students have literally fallen through my door with gasps of “You cannot believe the day/week/month I’ve had” and left relaxed with a smile on their faces after 2 hours of painting. Or they leave rejuvenated and ready to conquer the world after one my of group or private dance lessons. In the case of first time beginners, the joy I see on their faces and the light in their eyes when they discover they can do something that they never thought they could. It is transformational for them. Or when clients call up overwhelmed and distraught and I am able to get them calm, happy, optimistic and armed with an action plan. Even when I’m having a rough day, helping my students and clients and receiving these positive emotions back always lifts me up and energizes me.

Even if you do not think you can teach, you should give it a try. I used to be afraid to ask questions in class and could not speak publicly until the age of 20. I suggest starting in a 1:1 situation if this is new to you. You can start with a family member or friend. Someone who is supportive and cares about you and needs your help. Then you can work your way to smaller groups. Who knows, this may lead to your next career. Working in the computer industry and in startups forced me speak regularly to large and small groups of people all over Asia Pacific, Europe and US. My art and dance technique has improved tremendously through teaching. Worst case, you are just going to get better in your area of expertise/passion/interest.

5. Read an inspirational book, an inspirational blog or watch an inspirational movie or biography show on TV.

I like reading autobiographies and biographies of real people and how they have risen above their circumstances or adversities. Some people find this depressing, I find it motivational. It’s like – “Well, if they can get over this, so can I”. Some of my favorite books are:

“Wild Swans: The three daughters of China” by Jung Chang,

“Such a long journey” by Rohinton Mistry,

“Stolen Lives” by Malika Oufkir and Michele Fitoussi,

“Daughter of Destiny – an autobiography” by Benazir Bhutto,

“The autobiography of Quincy Jones” by Quincy Jones,

“Jack: Straight from the Gut” by Jack Welch and John A Byrne

“The Power of One” by Bryce Courtenay – don’t see the movie, read the book. Even though it’s fiction, I really identified with the lonely little boy. And so many other books I could not bring with me as I’ve moved around so much.

I loved the movie “Seabiscuit”… I am “Seabiscuit” – I didn’t fit in, was once a cripple, do not look like everyone else and was expected to fail. The biography movies and shows on TV profiling successful business people, musicians, artists, athletes and world leaders have been eye-opening and inspiring – Warren Buffet, Oprah, Bill Gates, Sting, Jon Bon Jovi, Shania Twain, Jim Carrey, Christina Aguilera, Gandhi, Malcolm X, Ray Charles, Mohammed Ali, Tina Turner, Olga Korbut, Oksana Baiul etc.

I bought “The Millionaire Maker” book by Loral Langemeier to help solve my boyfriend’s problem; I ended up reading the book and signing up for their coaching services. My coaches recognized my vast personal experience in the arena of life transformations, my skills in teaching others and led me to my life purpose as a coach!

Your local library is a great free resource for books and some movies. Netflix.com is great for easy convenient access to movies. I buy my books from Amazon.com – there is a used section if you have limited funds.

6. Call up or visit a friend

Friends who have more problems than you – make him/her feel better.

I have a few friends in this category – I don’t tell them about what I’m going through. I just focus on them, make them laugh or tell them what a great mother/father/son/daughter/grandparent they are and how if they were my parents or siblings or grandparents, I would be so lucky. Then I proceed to tell them about how they are special. If they are in the midst of a crisis, I see what I can do to help. It’s surprising how quickly you can gain perspective on your problems when someone else you care about is facing life or death situations.

Friends who are wise happy souls who can put things in perspective.

My friends, students, staff, clients confide in me when they are having problems – I’m their wise happy soul. It makes me feel good and adds to my happiness when I’m able to bring a smile to their face or provide some relief for their emotional pain. I usually ask them in the big scheme of things, if they were to die tomorrow, how important is this pain/adversity compared to all the wonderful things they have going on in their lives?

I have one close friend who I call when I’m in the middle of a relationship crisis and she can reflect back and summarize my jumbled thoughts into something cohesive which I can take action on.

As I have always helped others, I didn’t get a lot of help myself until I signed up for my first coaching program which has been life changing.

Avoid calling friends who will just keep you in that negative loop. They enjoy hearing your tales of misery and have more tales of misery for you to confirm how much your life sucks. And even more evidence that the world is a cruel place so you may as well just slit your throat and end it now. Ok I’m exaggerating but you know what I’m talking about. These people do not offer solutions – they just like to wallow in doom and gloom.

If you do not have friends, this will need to be in your long term strategy for happiness and prosperity. You can volunteer at non-profits to help others less fortunate and hire a coach as your wise happy friend.

7. Go to a peaceful place – do this in your mind or in reality

I’m not good at meditating but this technique works for me. I am lucky to live in a peaceful place so I can just sit in my yard, look at the canyons and do these breathing exercises – I drop my head down to my chest and I breathe in deeply and when exhaling, I am imagining that I am pushing out the negative emotions that are causing the clutching in my chest or that knot in my stomach. I keep doing this until the intense feelings are reduced. Then I replace it with thoughts of good things like how lucky I am to have a home, to have my health, to have good people in my life, to have a sound mind etc. This is an adaptation of Larry Crane’s release technique. I discovered this in my 40s and it really made a difference. I got rid of a growth by doing this – when I went in for the procedure, the ob-gyn looked at me in shock and said it was gone! There were many other obstacles that just worked themselves out when I concentrated on releasing the negative emotions around those problems. For example: I hate driving and used to drive up to 3-5 hours round-trip at times for business. By releasing on these emotions, through an amazing series of events, the studio owner of a local ballroom studio offered me a teaching position at his studio, just 13 minutes from my home (this is close for Los Angeles area).

I do a modified breathing exercise with my art students – they really like it as it immediately disengages their mind from their problems and relaxes them. Some of my students have to battle Los Angeles traffic (always horrendous) to get to my art classes so they arrive rather stressed and rattled. I first start by getting them to take a deep breath – most of them jump up from their chairs at this point and stretch their arms up in the air while they are breathing in. Then when they breathe out, I encourage them to shake, rotate or stretch out their tense muscles, usually in their heads, necks, shoulders, arms, etc. Then we take another deep breath and when breathing out, I instruct them to push out the negative thoughts and anxieties that are inside their heads, or the clutching in their chest or stomach. Then on the final deep breath, I thank them for being there with me, I remind them how they are all beautiful people and how lucky we are to be painting with each other.

Drive out to the ocean and listen to the surf – that always centers me, brings a feeling of calmness and makes me feel strong and powerful again. When my relationship was falling apart, when my uncle passed away, when I was burned out – just a few hours by the ocean got me going again.

Go for a walk in nature. Try to get away from cars, technology and people. I find that very healing.

If you have funds, get a massage. If only the leaders of the world would regularly get good massages. Perhaps there will be less fighting and more love. I only discovered this when I was in my late 30s – boy did that help me with my stress.

If you love animals, getting a pet can help you. Just stroking your cat or dog is very calming and peaceful.

8. Create something

I usually paint – I get out my watercolors and start playing around with the colors. After a while, some inspiration will come and this process of creation always makes me feel better.

Or I cook – it’s even better when I can cook and feed someone else. The sounds of someone appreciating my cooking always make me smile. Don’t do this if you have weight issues – you will just get more depressed.

When I injured my knee and could not walk upstairs, I started sewing as that activity involved sitting in one place or cutting from the floor. I taught myself how to sew and made ball-gowns to hide my bent leg when I was dancing. Yes, I still went dancing even though I spent most of the time sitting down. It distracted me from my painful knee and now I have 10+ new outfits to wear dancing!

Start a journal – write down 3 good things that happened to you today. Do this every day. It can be as simple as a friend calling you on the phone. Or the sun coming out. Those are good things. Or write down everything you are feeling every day. It does not have to make sense, just dump it out. Who knows, this may lead to your next career – writing. That’s how I started writing. I have lots of little unfinished stories scattered around in my computer and in several journals. All produced during times of great stress, anxiety, grief or shock.

If you have never done anything creative before but have a general interest, go with that. If you do not know how to get started, buy a how-to book or signup for a class in wood carving, pottery, art, glass-blowing, cooking, writing, piano, violin, bass, dance etc. That’s how I got started in painting – I woke up one day with this strong compulsion to paint with the Chinese brush in 2001. I went on the internet and found a Chinese brush painting class in San Francisco and on that Saturday painted for the first time. Boy did that change my life forever!

9. Express love and gratitude to your loved ones. If you have a spouse, children, family or friends who love you – reach out to them and tell them how much you love them and how much they mean to you. Give them a hug or a kiss.

I don’t have family but I write emails to my close friends at odd times. It’s usually too late to call. I will tell them I’m thinking of them and hope they are doing well. I thank them for their friendship, and tell them how special they are. When you tell people they are special, it means more to them if you spell out what it is they are good at or identify a specific event which highlights their talents eg: great listeners, patient, creative problem solvers, great sense of humor etc.

I tell my boyfriend all the time how much I love him, what his specials talents are. I reach out and ask for a hug when I need it. That always makes me feel better.

10. Take a trip to somewhere completely opposite to what you are going through – if you were burned by people, then go to a third world country like Brazil or Cuba where there are still happy people who care about each other even though they are really poor. If you are coming out of a completely frazzled situation – go somewhere remote and peaceful without a lot of people – the more unknown the better.

When I left Oracle for a startup which went bankrupt 6 months later, those 6 months were so intense it left me drained, numb and tired of bad people.

Instead of doing what I would normally do in that situation – update my resume and job search, I flew out to Cancun, met with a dance friend and exploring pyramids, wells, caves and beautiful beaches. We found a little place in Tulum, 2 hours south of Cancun and stayed in a little hut on the beach. There was no electricity; the floor of the hut was sand. It cost almost nothing. That was on of the most rejuvenating times for me. We then flew to Miami for the largest Salsa festival in the US – Calle Ocho and danced our butt off for 1 week with 2 other dance friends. I came back to San Francisco with a tan, lost about 10 pounds, a smile on my face and found a voice-mail from the President of a new startup inviting me in for an interview. He hired me on the spot as Director of Marketing. How cool was that!

There was a time when I was really burned out from dealing with unethical people and people who took advantage of my kind helpful nature. I began to lose my faith in the human race. I found myself in a deep depression, not wanting to eat, not able to sleep, not wanting to interact with anyone. I signed up for a dance program to Cuba and the 2 weeks there was life changing. Cuba was just coming out of their famine and the people there were so poor – food was hard to come by, even if you had money, there was nothing to buy in the stores. But I have never happier people in my life. They were filled with joy, laughter and love. Their abundance spilled out to all of us -foreigners – all broken in our many ways. What was clear to me then was because there was no money or material things to buy, their time was not spent in pursuit of money. Their time was spent with each other, laughing, singing, dancing, talking, hugging, playing music or doing other things together. There are no lonely people in Cuba. When I was with our group of local Cuban dancers, if I wandered off on my own, they would always call out, “Come walk with us, don’t walk alone”. Their children are their national treasure – children can wander everywhere and they are held, loved, taken care of and fed by their neighbors and total strangers. Someone will always bring the kids home to their parents at the end of the day. How amazing is that?

Other places I’ve been to which are great for recovering your spirits – Koh Chang in Thailand, Pulau Langkawi or Pulau Tioman in Malaysia, Morro de Sao Paolo in Brazil. These places are all inexpensive, remote and peaceful. I had an ocean-front beach hut for $9/night in Thailand and daily massages for $10/hr. I stay away from the hectic expensive resorts. I only went to hectic expensive resorts when it was funded by my work. When I’m funding it, then it could also be expensive resorts but peaceful ones – like the Kea Lani in Maui and the Grand Wailea in Maui (only for the incredible spa – the rest of the resort is too chaotic).

Not all of these are long term strategies for enduring happiness but they will help get you out of your state of shock, despair, numbness, depression, paralysis, anxiety or frustration etc. The release of the negative emotions that are tying you up in knots will allow your objectivity and creativity to kick in. Often, the obstacle/adversity is not going to be as insurmountable as it first appears and the solution will present itself once your head is clear. Just by the simple fact of taking some action, you be changing your results… you are no longer beating up on yourself or repeated asking your mind for a solution when it clearly does not have enough information to make a decision. Changing your actions, bypasses your current negative thoughts and feelings and that changes the result. The change in your energy will allow you to attract a different result. And often one good thing will lead to another to another.

Appendix A: Your “10 Quick-fixes to Happiness and Prosperity”

Use this worksheet to develop your own “10 Quick-fixes”. Develop them around your own interests and passions. If you do not have any passions or interests, then by trying the quick-fixes, you will find your own passions or interest. Do not limit yourself to what is just on my list, brain-storm and come up with your own ideas. Send them to me and I will compile them into a “Best of Quick-fixes”.

Do any combinations of these several times a day or at minimum, once a day. Continue this everyday, vary the activities so that it does not get boring.
1. Play good music loudly Start date:_________
Write down the songs that make you smile and dance or make you feel calm and peaceful. Make a compilation. Use Pandora.com to find more similar songs
________________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________
2. Exercise 30 mins – 1 hr, sweat-heart pumping! Start date:_________
Name your exercise(s): _____________________________________________
3. Take a Class around your interest or passion Start date:_________
List your interest/passion(s): ________________________________________
________________________________________________________________
4. Teach someone your expertise/passion/interest Start date: ____________
What can you teach? ______________________________________________
Who will you teach this to? _________________________________________
5. Read inspirational books/ blogs/movies Start date: ____________
_______________________________________________________________

6. Call up a friend – Start date: ____________
Name of friend(s) who has more problems than you _____________________
________________________________________________________________
Name of friend(s) who is a wise happy soul _____________________________
________________________________________________________________
7. Go to a peaceful place Start date: ____________
________________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________
8. Create something Start date: ____________
What have you created in the past, go as far back as when you were a kid that always put a smile on your face or peace in your soul? What are the 10 things in your life you are grateful for?
________________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________
9. Express love and gratitude to your loved ones Start date: ____________
List their special qualities: ___________________________________________
________________________________________________________________
10. Take a trip Start date: ____________
I use my credit card for my purchases to accumulate frequent flyer miles so I can take a trip anywhere. Make sure you pay the full amount off every month!
________________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________

Despite the play on words, the title of this post has a lot of truth to it. We get so caught up in the day-to-day activities of our lives that our passions often get trampled, buried deep down inside ourselves and in distant past memories. Instead of dancing gracefully through life, we end up stumbling clumsily, disconnected. What does the dance of your life look like? Is it a fiery salsa or more like the funky chicken dance?

I think Ellen DeGeneres does something really brilliant. She brings dance into her show every day with her audience and something shifts in their energy. They’re having fun. You can’t help but smile while watching them all groove to the latest hits. So lets do it ourselves – take a minute to put on your favorite song and do a little dance before reading on….seriously, I mean it.

Recently I had the opportunity to watch Vanessa Martinez, a talented dancer and choreographer, perform in Madrid, Spain. As I sat watching from the audience I was mesmerized by the way she connected with her body, the music, the stage, and the spectators in order to deliver a stunning performance. Vanessa’s passion for what she was doing was so evident – pouring out her heart and soul on the stage.

After the performance I was able to speak with Vanessa and she shared many parallels between dance and life. Things like having creative vision, discipline, focus, staying healthy and knowing your body, setting and accomplishing goals. It was at this point that something occurred to me. Passion is not just about an activity that you DO, such as sing, dance, paint, write, travel, etc. It is also a way of BEING. Living with passion is much different than just doing something you’re passionate about. Discovering things you’re passionate about is just one piece of the dance of life. Capturing the feeling and living with this passion is a choice we can all make each day.

What would your life look like if you approached every task with this sense of passion? Doing laundry, grocery shopping, and paying bills may feel a little different!

Use the following to help tap into your passions:

o Think back to when you were a child. What did you spend hours doing (on your own free will) that brought you the most joy?
o Fast forward to when you’re retired – what will you be spending your days doing?
o If you were going to plan your ideal vacation, where would you go and what activities would you be doing?
o Remember all those fun elective courses listed in the course guide in college, but you didn’t have time to fit them in your schedule? Imagine going back and only being able to take those – which ones would you choose?
o When you reflect on the things in your life right now, what are you doing when a smile comes to your face or you do your “happy dance” inside?

Keeping it Real:

Pick one or two of the questions above that worked best for you. These questions help lead to the things and activities that may be your passions. After writing your responses ask yourself the following:

o What does it feel like when I’m doing these things?
o Who am I being while I am engaging in these activities? How is it different than how I usually am?
o What’s happening in my body when I do these things?

Now use all of this information to choreograph the dance of your life! Use it as a guide to help you realize what your passions are and start to live from that place all the time. Happy Dancing!!

I used to be a serious person-until yesterday. Yesterday. I am 58 years old and finally, I recognized that even when I was in joy, I was still serious with self-imposed limits. Even my baby pictures show a very serious child! 

Hmm. I thought that being goofy and silly was something other people did-but not me. I thought I would lose my credibility as a successful person, as a psychotherapist, as a Specialized Kinesiologist and now as an author and teacher. 

Oh my goodness! I was wrong. Yesterday I called two of my good friends-my happy free–flowing friends. If you want to learn how to do something you find an expert and do what they do, right? I am a fast learner and I chose experts. 

I told my friends I wanted to do a Happy Dance-and put it up on YouTube! You see, when I jump into something I take a giant leap going full out! Yes, show my Happy Dance to the world on YouTube. And I did it. And I had a super fantastic time! 

I had no clue how much fun being just plain goofy can be. We went to a fantastic playground-did not even know all the great stuff they had there (talk about manifesting what you want-instantly). And we played and played. 

Oh but we did not just play-we wore flower faces, blew bubbles and danced all over the place. We yelled and screamed and laughed and laughed and laughed. In fact, we laughed so much we decided to record our own laughing and make it the sound track of our video. 

Here is the thing-I used to be so quiet and shy that when I talked no one heard me. And when I laughed-I did not make noise. Hard to believe when you watch the Happy Dance. 

But hey, that was who I used to be not who I am now. And the best part of breaking free of my self-imposed limitations is now I feel I can be comfortable any time, any place with anyone. Like riding a bike-I got it and I will never lose it. 

You know what? None of my readers left me because of the Happy Dance video. In fact one person commented that my Happy Dance made her day! 

When you’re happy and you know it clap your hands! When your happy and your know it clap your hands! When your happy and you know it, than your face should surely show it! When your happy and your know it clap your hands!”

When I began to give some serious thought to The Art of the Happy Dance, this child hood ditty immediately came to mind. It might sound like a bit of an oxymoron to be thinking seriously about a Happy Dance, but let’s give it a shot.

So what in the heck is a Happy Dance? Oh come on, everyone’s does it. You know, it’s that mini dance routine that occurs when something really great happens. It’s the celebration sensation that bubbles up and spills over, affecting you from the inside to the out and ends up as a shake, shimmy, two step and a hop with some smiles sprinkled on top!

I profoundly believe that acknowledging moments of joy and happiness with a little ritualistic shimmy or two step in honor of whatever has given me so much pleasure helps grow my positivity reserves and thus, makes my life much happier and healthier.

There’s lots of great research out there that has shown that a positive outlook can profoundly affect our health, finances, and our relationships. And the Happy Dance is another way we can reflect our positive vibe. A good Happy Dance is spontaneous. Born from the moment. It’s a kinetic occurrence that jolts you from the inside and than transfers its energy to an outer manifestation. Your soul bearing witness that you are capable, you are worthy and you are here. The happy dance provokes thoughts of more productivity, a more positive outlook, and just feelin’ good. A Woo Hoo! kind of moment.

One of the most visible examples of the ‘Happy Dance’ can be found in the world of football. Over time, those end zone dances have gotten to be quite an elaborate celebration. Unfortunately, end zone antics have been curtailed if not outright banned. What a shame that the officials would shut down the exuberant energy and transformative power that doing a happy dance can elicit. When those players celebrated their touch down it always made me want to get up and join them. Made me want to shrug my shoulders in unison; as if some of their confidence, talent, and good fortune could be transferred to me. Well actually, that powerful transformative energy is transferred. We’re always affected by the energy we witness.

The true power that lies at the core of the Happy Dance is all about agreement. Agreeing with the Universe that you should be affirmed. Agreeing that you are entitled to come up with a great idea, deserve to win a prize, or that your hard work should be validated is incredibly life affirming.

Witnessing someone in the midst of engaging in and experiencing this life affirming celebration and agreement can affect you, transferring its power to you, leaving you, the witness, feeling uplifted and empowered in both discernible and indiscernible ways. At bear minimum, witnessing a Happy Dance makes you smile.

There isn’t really an ‘art’ to the Happy Dance, not in any kind of artsy high-brow way, but in my opinion, the real art is to simply allow yourself to let go of the social conditioning and negative thoughts that can make us believe the Happy Dance is just so much tom-foolery, and separates us from being free.

So the next time you have a great idea, or get a promotion, or even something as simple as finding something that you’d lost, go ahead, do a little or even a great big Happy Dance. Agree with the Universe: celebrate, validate, and affirm you.

There is growing evidence that being a member of a social ballroom dancing group can significantly reduce the risk of health conditions that are commonly spoken about in the media. This highlights the importance of belonging to a range of social dancing groups, of hanging onto social dance groups and of building new social dance groups in dealing with life changes.

There have been studies that show evens one’s increased affluence will have no impact in the pursuit of increased happiness or good health. It has been said that most people in the developed world were no happier than people were in the 1950′s when money was scarce and affluence was hard to obtain. Today a typical twenty five year old is between three to ten times more likely to suffer major psychological problems compared to the 1950′s when they were less affluent. Also comsumerism and the pressure to succeed is creating an epidemic of unhappiness for people who are incapable of realising that certain desirable things in life are unattainable, and the inability to disengage from important but unreachable life goals maybe more common in our modern society. This explains the fundamental disappointment of modern life, the discovery that satisfaction of our desires for comfort, safety and material well-being do not reliably lead to personal well-being.

The highest level of happiness comes when people can give a wider meaning to their empty lives. Helping others through groups like social dancing can help people realise that there is something bigger and more important than themselves.

Well-being or good health isn’t just the absence of illness, it is very much a positive state. The single most potent and richest source of happiness is our relationships, companionship and love between friends and family. Humans are naturally highly social and crave the comfort of knowing they are valued members of a group that share experiences and emotions. The important thing is depth, the building up of relationships with people you know or the place you know or the job you do. One of easiest ways of securing long term happiness is to take up an activity that involves making friends. Taking group class lessons in ballroom dancing is a great way of creating and securing friendships. In today’s world the fun of partner dancing in groups and the physical exercise combined create on of the most effective stress releases of any recreational activity.

Ballroom dancing clubs are the perfect environment to meet new friends and are warm and friendly places. Ballroom dancing provides an ideal social climate in which to meet new groups of people. Learning to ballroom dance is a skill that will stay with you for the rest of your life, the benefit of being able to continuously meet new groups of people will never disappear.

In today’s negative pressure cooker world we live in, exercise and the fun of social partner dancing together create the best stress releases for all ages. Social ballroom dancing provides a relaxed atmosphere for both men and women to gather together and develop friendships and sometimes relationships. Social ballroom and latin dancing is a way to help you dress up and have a great time. Going out dancing and taking group class dance lessons allows you to forget about work and other problems life throws at us and focus on fun and friendship at any age.

There is growing evidence that being a member of a social ballroom dancing group can significantly reduce the risk of health conditions that are commonly spoken about in the media. This highlights the importance of belonging to a range of social dancing groups, of hanging onto social dance groups and of building new social dance groups in dealing with life changes.

There have been studies that show evens one’s increased affluence will have no impact in the pursuit of increased happiness or good health. It has been said that most people in the developed world were no happier than people were in the 1950′s when money was scarce and affluence was hard to obtain. Today a typical twenty five year old is between three to ten times more likely to suffer major psychological problems compared to the 1950′s when they were less affluent. Also comsumerism and the pressure to succeed is creating an epidemic of unhappiness for people who are incapable of realising that certain desirable things in life are unattainable, and the inability to disengage from important but unreachable life goals maybe more common in our modern society. This explains the fundamental disappointment of modern life, the discovery that satisfaction of our desires for comfort, safety and material well-being do not reliably lead to personal well-being.

The highest level of happiness comes when people can give a wider meaning to their empty lives. Helping others through groups like social dancing can help people realise that there is something bigger and more important than themselves.

Well-being or good health isn’t just the absence of illness, it is very much a positive state. The single most potent and richest source of happiness is our relationships, companionship and love between friends and family. Humans are naturally highly social and crave the comfort of knowing they are valued members of a group that share experiences and emotions. The important thing is depth, the building up of relationships with people you know or the place you know or the job you do. One of easiest ways of securing long term happiness is to take up an activity that involves making friends. Taking group class lessons in ballroom dancing is a great way of creating and securing friendships. In today’s world the fun of partner dancing in groups and the physical exercise combined create on of the most effective stress releases of any recreational activity.

Ballroom dancing clubs are the perfect environment to meet new friends and are warm and friendly places. Ballroom dancing provides an ideal social climate in which to meet new groups of people. Learning to ballroom dance is a skill that will stay with you for the rest of your life, the benefit of being able to continuously meet new groups of people will never disappear.

In today’s negative pressure cooker world we live in, exercise and the fun of social partner dancing together create the best stress releases for all ages. Social ballroom dancing provides a relaxed atmosphere for both men and women to gather together and develop friendships and sometimes relationships. Social ballroom and latin dancing is a way to help you dress up and have a great time. Going out dancing and taking group class dance lessons allows you to forget about work and other problems life throws at us and focus on fun and friendship at any age.

Every week, children of all ages attend dance classes. They are filled with hopes and dreams of dancing like their favorite pop stars, rappers, ballerinas and celebrities. Girls and boys alike, energetically take the classes, while parents responsibly make sure they have transportation and the funds to attend.

Weekly classes provide technical training, body alignment, muscle control, rhythm, coordination and structure. The repetition of the training and the discipline of the techniques, create an amazing capability of movement and self-control of ones own body. These are such important elements in a child’s growth.

But what else is it about dance class that is so important to a child?

Structured dance programs give students confidence. When they learn to master a difficult step, technique or routine, it raises their self-esteem and allows them to be proud of something. It will give them the courage to show off the new accomplishment which helps them overcome shyness and feel a sense of appreciation for a job well done.

The exercise element is also a huge factor as to why dance classes are important. In the age of video games, children discover a physical activity that they enjoy doing. Most children have so much happiness about learning and participating in dance class that they do not even realize the extraordinary benefits they are receiving; such as team work, independent thinking, creativity, pride, discipline and structure.

When children are regular participants in a dance program they learn respect. Respect for the instructor, the other children and mostly, themselves. When a child can feel good about themselves, they open their minds to accomplish so many other things that are important for their well-being and healthy mental and physical growth. If you have ever spoken to an adult that attended dance classes as a child, it will be hard to find someone who has a negative opinion about the experience. Most will tell you how much it helped them in certain areas.

There is something special about the environment within a dance studios walls. Over the years, children grow and develop into happy, well-rounded adults. The transformation is beautiful to watch and an even greater experience to be involved in. There is nothing greater in this world than to be part of a child’s healthy, happy growth and development. As a dance teacher, it is my greatest joy.

As a parent, I encourage you to enroll your child in a local dance program. Talk to other parents for referrals and other children for opinions. Its important that the studio be a good fit for your child. Researching will help you make the right choice for both you and your child.

You have enrolled your child and are wondering how you can help make their experience better. Here are a couple handy tips:

Class Placement Proper placement in class is very important. There are a lot of fundamentals and techniques that the dancer must learn and master before they can move to a higher level. You would not enroll a child in algebra if they did not know how to add and subtract. Requesting or demanding that they be placed above their dance level will only discourage them and prevent them from reaching their full potential. Dance technique is not something you can ‘pick up’ along the way. Its a repetitive, structured process that forms a solid foundation for the dancer. Without a good, firm foundation, a dancer is more inclined to be injured and discouraged. Let the professionals place your child.

Class Conduct Bad behavior by your child should not be tolerated. It is not cute or funny when your child is misbehaving. And I can tell you with great confidence that the other parents who are paying for their own children to be learning are not happy with your child’s disruptions. No one thinks it is cute but you. This could be a great learning experience for the child about good and bad behavior and reward and punishment.

Gossip and Criticism Nothing will deflate your child’s experiences more than gossip and criticism. Your child is having a great character-building experience. Don’t tarnish it by constantly talking bad about the other parents, children and especially the instructor. How do you expect your child to ever learn respect for others when you are constantly criticizing the people involved. Gossip and criticism come directly from jealousy and envy and are bad lessons to teach your children. If you are that unhappy with the studio you are free to go somewhere else. If your child is the one gossiping and talking badly, you need to find out what the real problem is and find a solution. Its a great time to teach them about problem solving and how negative thinking and words are not the answer.

Using your child’s experiences and accomplishments from dance are a perfect opportunity for bonding between you and your child. Allow them to enjoy the experience and encourage them to share it with you. You will witness your child transforming into a well-adjusted, respectful, grateful and confident adult. Even if they never pursue a career in dance, the lessons that they will learn will benefit them the rest of their lives.

Unless you are a really extrovert couple, the first dance always fills people with dread. Most couples are quite glad once it’s done and over with. But, why is the first dance with your beloved such an embarrassment?

The vows have been said, the meal enjoyed, the speeches laughed and cried at, and the happy couple are now man and wife. Of all the most nerve-racking parts of the wedding day, the first dance really has to be the hardest part. It’s such a shame really because it’s your very first dance as a married couple and it should be the epitome of romance and love. Instead, it feels a bit uncomfortable with all your family and friends standing around the dance floor watching you. That is not to say that it’s not fantastic to share your wedding day with all your nearest and dearest but there really is something quite difficult about everyone watching you sharing such a special moment. In a way, it was a bit like being on stage with an audience! No doubt, I speak for so many brides when I say that it was so nerve racking.

Why do you think so many couples have dance lessons before their big day? Everyone is quite literally petrified about looking like a complete lemon in front of everyone you know in the world! On the positive side though, it was so lovely to have a few minutes of uninterrupted time together on what was such a busy and eventful day. We had the opportunity to talk about the day so far, how lovely it was, how it had all turned out so well, how it was great it hadn’t rained, how great we both looked, how happy we were, how nice the meal was, how nice it was that Auntie had managed to come etc etc. All the things that we [or should I say 'I'] had been worrying about for so many months didn’t seem to matter anymore because it has all turned out so well.

It was months after the wedding day that I realised why the first dance was so important and such a vital part of the celebrations. We were attending the wedding of 2 close friends and their first dance was fast approaching. The lights were dimmed and ‘their song’ started to play as the happy couple took to the dance floor. Just like our guests a few months before, we all started gathering around the dance floor with our cameras as the crowd ‘ooh-ed’ and ‘ahh-ed’ filled the room. Unconsciously, our hands slipped into each other’s and we gave each other a knowing smile. And, whilst looking around the room, all the other couples were too holding hands, smiling at each other and obviously recalling their special day. It then struck me why the first dance was such an important tradition. It allows all the other guests to recall their first dance and reminisce together and it is quite a special feeling.

So, try not to worry about your first dance too much. Everyone wants to share in your special moment together because it reminds them of their special day. Equally, your guests are so happy to see you so happy and so in love. The first dance is a special moment between you and your partner. It’s a special moment that – although it may be hard to relax and enjoy at the time – will be remembered and treasured for the rest of your lives.

I enjoy the freedom of my soul dancing with my body. I’m flying as an eagle and touching the sky for an instant. I’m sure I’m connected with the universe…

What would life be without fun? I’m not really interested in answering that question because fun is a very important part of my life. I believe that my purpose in life is to be happy and there is not happiness without pleasure and joy. So my question is, how can I create more fun in my life? How can I have a day full of joy and pleasure? I always ask myself encouraging questions. Questions to help me to improve my life and at the same time bring me new information that I can learn and practice every day.

I like to start my day in a happy mood. I have a morning routine that includes two to three minutes of gratitude before I leave my bed, one hour of physical exercise and a prayer-active meditation which I call my source-connection. I believe that my emotions are the true connection with my source, with the universe. I’m always looking for ways to express my high energy emotions, those emotions that are full of positive vibes. Three months ago I incorporated a 10-minute dance session to make my source connection, two days a week. I’ve had great results and I want to share it with you.

I dance with my soul!I dance for myself and nobody else. I let my inner intuition lead my movements. Sometimes I follow the music and sometimes I follow my thoughts; I smile, I laugh, I cry, I don’t hold anything back. I let my body express all my emotions. I feel my body in movement. I enjoy the freedom of my soul dancing with my body. I’m flying like an eagle and touching the sky for an instant. I’m sure I’m connected with the universe. I’m sure I’m a precious part of it and I can create the life I deserve.

My words are not enough to describe the sensation of this experience. It takes me only ten minutes and it helps me to raise my positive attitude, to be aware of my thoughts and emotions and to have a wonderful day. I invite you to try it and have a wonderful new experience.

Everybody knows the benefits of dancing, but here are a few:

Physical:

Helps the cardiovascular system: Dance stimulates your blood circulation and therefore improves your whole body.

Strengthen your muscles: It strengthens muscle groups and increase your flexibility, strength and endurance.

Boost your coordination: When you dance you are improving your agility and movement coordination and your balance. It is good exercise for your brain, improves your concentration and your memory.

Improve your image: Dancing helps to drain fluids and toxins from your body and removing excess fat. Your skin will look smoother and brighter. Dance Corrects bad posture too.

Mental:

Reduce your stress: Dancing will allow you to relax and unwind.

Strengthen your confidence: It promotes self-confidence and clarity of thought.

Boost your self-esteem: Dancing helps you express your emotions and channeling adrenaline.

Dancing has a lot of benefits for you and your body, yet dancing with your soul is a whole different experience. I remember when I read the book, “La Bruja de Portobello,” by Paulo Coelho. It is a fascinating story about Athena, a woman who understood the forces of nature and uses the dance to express herself. “When I danceI am a free woman. Rather, I am a free spirit who can travel through the universe, look at the present, foretell the future, transform into pure energy. And that gives me immense pleasure, a joy that is far beyond the experiences I have lived and will live throughout my life,” Athena says. And when I dance with my soul I can identify fully with her words.

Some people say that the dance acts directly on the body’s energy centers, removing blocks, tensions and problems of communication among these centers, harmonizing and letting these energies flow through the body. Other people use dance therapy to improve the mental and physical well-being. It is based on the belief that the mind and body work together.

Here is what I do when I dance with my soul: I listen to music that I love. It could be orchestra music or music with lyrics. It would be better if the lyrics are encouraging. I take a deep breath and relax my body. I start to move to the rhythm of music. I close my eyes and focus on happy things or events. I play with my imagination. I talk with myself, speaking all the good things I want in my life. I let my body follow my instincts, my soul. I move my feet, arms, hands, hip and everything else with freedom. I forget about the “reality”, I just live in the moment and give permission for my emotions to flow. I really feel the connection between body and soul, between myself and the universe. When I finish, I take a deep breath and thank the universe for all the beautiful things I have in my life.

I know, it sounds weird and crazy, but as soon as you try it, you will love it. I recommend doing this in the morning, but if you don’t have time you can do this any time during the day. Do it when you are alone or with somebody you love and trust. Don’t be afraid to try new things. We need to get out of our routine and do different things if we want to get different results and change our life.

Your emotions decide what you get from the universe, what you are attracting to your life. Your emotions are the true connection to your source. It is time for you to let your emotions flow and make your life happier. Dance with your soul and plug yourself to your source.

Weddings are a special time for everybody. It’s an occasion of new beginnings for the happy couple and friends and families become witnesses to the exceptional event. With so many facts that enter planning a wedding day, often selecting a dance for the reception isn’t a priority; rather, a large number of time goes into selecting which song the the happy couple will dance to.

picking out a song to dance to is commonly the first part of the couple choosing on a ballroom dance. Most couples will opt to enroll in professional ballroom dance lessons with a certified instructor to produce a dance for their song. With ballroom dancing growing in popularity, couples are beginning to steer far from the traditional circular dance. In point of fact, increasingly engaged couples are choosing to learn a ballroom dance for their wedding.

Not just is performing a ballroom dance for your wedding very sentimental, but it is also more likely remembered by everybody. All the same, a ballroom dance doesn’t need to be strictly between the the couple. It can involve the bride and her father, the groom and his mother, or anyone else the happy couple chooses to share a dance with. With lots of variations of ballroom dancing, perhaps it is tough to decide a particular dance. Underneath are some popular song suggestions for marriage ceremonies and ballroom dances that might be right with them.

Two very familiar wedding day songs are “Love Me Tender” and “I Can’t Help Falling in Love with You,” both carried out by Elvis Presley. These songs, while traditional at marriage ceremonies, set the ideal tone for a slow waltz. The waltz is a cautious collaboration of steps involving strolling and side to side motions – these audio tracks provide the exact tempo and beat for this style of ballroom dancing. Another major plus of performing the waltz is that it’s easy to learn and can be carried out by nearly anybody of any level of skill.

“From This Moment On” is a song performed by famous country music singer Shania Twain and is a fashionable selection among bride and groom dances. This song remains slow and romantic, but the beat is slightly faster in comparison to the Elvis Presley audio tracks. “From This Moment On” is a superb alternative for dancing the foxtrot, a slow yet very smooth dance that follows forward and backward patterns around the dance floor. Like the waltz, it is fairly easy to learn.

A few popular alternatives for dancing with the parents of the happy couple are “Through the Years” by Kenny Rogers and “Wind beneath My Wings” by Bette Midler. The waltz would also be appropriate for these sound tracks in addition to the tango, although this ballroom dance may take a bit longer to learn attributable to its sharp and precise steps.

By choosing to perform a ballroom dance at your wedding ceremony ( instead of just moving about in a circle or to and fro), you are sure to create lifelong memories for yourself and your guests.