Part of being a good teacher is taking care of the whole person. This is a lesson that I have just learned.
Today is the first day that I went back to a Zumba class. It was one hour of being in a room with a bunch of other people, mostly other women, that were excited about moving around to some upbeat music. There is definitely some good energy there. It has been so long since I have been in a Zumba class and I was not disappointed today. I felt like an uncoordinated individual, but I remember going and having a good time so I was not going to let my pride of trying to look good get in my way.
I took a dance class in college for two semesters. I loved the class, but my instructor kept getting onto me about relaxing. She said that I was too tense and trying to stay in control. I needed to let the music take over. This memory came to mind today in the Zumba class. I noticed that my hands were clinched into fists. I was obviously not letting myself be relaxed in this class.
I tried to keep my hands open, to relax a bit and enjoy the class. Who cared if I wasn't doing everything correctly. The idea behind Zumba is to do what your body allows you do to and not to worry about anyone else.
The beginning of class we had a semi slow song to warm up. The tempo built up and continued at a fast pace for the rest of the class until the end where there was a cool down period. I drank water in between each song. I was so thirsty.
The instructor rarely said anything. She showed us steps and gave us cues or the next step. Since this was my first time in the class, the cues were essentially wasted on me. As I continue going, it will get easier.
If you ever have a chance to take a Zumba class, make time to do so. Try to relax and don't worry about not keeping up with everyone else.
