Dance Fitness
November 2024​​
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Welcome to the second half of Autumn. As the days shorten and it becomes darker and colder, harvest season comes to an end. This week signals a time of transition. This can feel playful, or magical, or daunting, or deepening. Or all of these.
We are so fortunate here in Albuquerque to have the colors of the Cottonwoods to bring us joy and awe these next few weeks.
It's Trick or Treat in all classes from this Saturday, October 26 through Thursday, October 31. In each class that week, I'll have Halloween themed postcards for you to choose from. I'll have chosen a specific word or image that makes your card good for either nothing (that's the trick) or good for 10% or 20% off a 10 class card purchased in 2024. You can choose a new postcard each class (the word and image will change each class) and use the one with the highest value for your discounted class card. The cards are yours to keep if you like or you can return them to the pile.
I'll have appropriately atmospheric music in the week leading to Halloween, Thursday the 31st, and Day of the Dead on Saturday, November 2.
I like to dance to a routine I call Home in the days leading up to Thanksgiving. It's the right vibe for thinking of our homes of origin as well as the nest we create for ourselves.
Class on Thanksgiving Day, November 28, will be held at 10 am instead of the usual evening time.
Let's keep each other's spirits lifted and support our community this November.One easy and delightful way to help others is to donate anything we no longer love or need. Here are three opportunities.
1. Studio Sway is hosting a fall clothing exchange. Bring the items you no longer love and find new to you treasures. Sunday, October 27, 2-3 pm. Yay!
2. The week of November 2 - 7, bring in your unwanted leftover Halloween candy. I will add these to bags with some granola bars, socks, and a bit of money. The week of November 9 - 14, grab some bags from class and distribute to people on the street who are asking for support.
3. Go through your pantry and set aside items you don't want. Maybe you got a set of 28 gazillion soup cans from Costco, or maybe you thought your loved one would want to try something special from Trader Joe's but it's just sitting in the pantry, unloved. Bring those goods November 2 - 7 (same as the candy week), and I'll take our food stuffs to Road Runner Food Bank. Let's reduce food waste and get our goods into happy hands.
All of those three are ways to move our abundance into others' homes. The most helpful thing for most organizations, however, are donations of money since this doesn't require employee power to sort and distribute. If you're feeling blue or overwhelmed, I heartily recommend feeding others. It's a primal way to nurture, and it's deeply satisfying. Donate to RRFB here.
Exercise and Health in the news
Stacy Sims says we need to lift heavy sh*t. Dr. Sims explains that the proteins that prompt muscle contraction have a lot of estrogen receptors, so as estrogen begins to dip during perimenopause and is reduced further post-menopause, our muscles do not engage as easily. Sims recommends lifting higher loads with fewer repetitions, such as 4 sets of 5 reps. If all you can do is 1or 2 repetitions, Sims says, that's your heavy.
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a random assortment of things that Bea recommends
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Santa Barbara campground is a lovely site, only two hours from Albuquerque. There's a short trail along the creek, and then the trail heads out into East, Middle, or West Fork. Middle Fork was glorious with a huge stand of aspen trees.
Fourth of July Canyon in the Manzanos is gorgeous this time of year. We've hiked there as late as the first week of November, and the trees were still beautiful with yellows, oranges, and reds.
During SwayFest, I got to experience Butoh and Gong Bath. Both are wonderful with excellent leaders. The next Butoh is November 16 and the next Gong Bath is November 17.
Daniels Plumbing installed a heat pump for us last year. We thought they did good work for us, and we have loved our heat pump.
We replaced our gas stove with an induction stove last year and that also has been a super happy thing.
On occasion, I use Lavenberry gummies with THC and CBN from Verdes Cannabis to give me a deep sleep. If I do this for too many nights, my digestion slows and mood plummets, so it's something I use sparingly. It works best for me if I take it right before bed so that usually I'm already asleep when it hits my system an hour or so later. That way, I don't feel any of the effects of it, and it gives me a bit more sleep time. Best I can tell, Verdes is a reputable dispensary with a basis in medical cannabis.
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Books
*Katy Bowman’s Whole Body Barefoot is short, easy and pleasant to read, and explains the benefits of minimalist shoes. If you have foot pain, check out her book to see if what you need isn’t a stiff shoe with rigid arch support.
*The nutritionist with whom I worked a few years ago recommended Nutrivore by Dr. Sarah Ballantyne. It's a decent read with solid information. It's also happily motivating. For instance, she advocates using molasses because of its high nutrient value. I experimented by making ginger soy ice cream with honey and molasses, and it's the best ice cream I've ever made. She also urges daily consumption of cruciferous veggies. Instead of a diet mentality of eating less or restricting food, focus on an additive approach to nutrition that respects that we need to eat for nutrition but also that we need to eat for pleasure, social reasons, and emotional sustenance.
Music
*Listen to Beyonce's super catchy "Texas Hold 'Em" back to back with Rhiannon Giddens' "The Ballad of Sally Anne." Both songs blend genres and fulfill musical roots in very different and interesting ways. After that, listen to sing D'orjay sing "A New Kind of Outlaw" and remember that what Beyonce is doing is not new, not by a long shot, and she's not alone; she's simply the biggest talent out there. Beyonce’s Cowboy Carter is varied, audacious, interesting, brilliant, and stimulating. It's not truly a country album because it intersects so many genres. Bonus points for listening to Post Malone's new country album and then pondering, hmmmm, why the backlash against Beyonce going country and not Postie?
*Singer/songwriter Jensen McRae writes music that, like Jason Isbell's work, is evocative, precise, and sometimes haunting.
Minimalist Shoes and Studio Shoes
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We've got 29 muscles in our feet. Our feet are meant to be active.
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Minimalist shoes (sometimes called barefoot shoes) can help our feet stay stronger. They usually have little or no arch support and they are zero drop, which means there’s no difference in height between the ball and heel. I've found that my hips prefer a zero drop shoe, but it does mean more work for my Achilles tendon. A good barefoot shoe is wider than a traditional shoe so that our toes can splay (toe-splay-and-why-it's-important). Some minimalist shoes have very thin soles for optimal ground feel, and generally they are flexible so the foot can move and flex while we walk.
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Not all minimalist shoes have thin, flexible soles. Some options are shaped-like-feet and zero drop yet are quite stiff or have very rugged soles. Topo Shoes and Lems (find locally at Happy Hiker in Old Town) and Altra shoes (find at REI) are examples of these. If your feet are narrow, there may be some Merrell options that work for you. REI also carries Xero shoes and sandals as well as Bedrock sandals that are zero drop, no arch support, and more flexible than a Chaco sandal.
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If you want to throw down some bigger bucks for cuter shoes, go to Anya's Shop. That's how I found Freet, which I wear for walking, running, and hiking.
If you wish to wear shoes while dancing at Studio Sway, you need a pair that is worn in our studio only. If they’re worn outside, or even at your home or another dance studio, there’s likely little rocks that adhere to the sole and can scratch the studio’s floor. One option is to look for minimalist shoes on Amazon. The minimalist shoes are a bit wider and more flexible, so you can dance and strengthen your feet and ankles more than in a rigid shoe. Amazon also has jazz dance shoe options which will be more narrow but flexible and non-marking.
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Activewear Suggestions
Locally, I like Savers for used and TJ Maxx, Marshalls, or Nordstrom Rack for discounted wear.
REI has a great return policy for members, so go ahead and wear that bra or walk in those shoes for up to a year and return them if they don't work.
Athleta has excellent quality clothing, and they've opened a store at Academy and Wyoming. Lululemon, located in the outdoor Q mall, is also excellent quality, but like Athleta, they're expensive.
I found on Amazon a pair of tights (Colorfulkoala) that feel a lot like Lululemon Align leggings. There isn't much compression; my digestive track really appreciates not being squeezed. These tights fit true to size. The quality isn't as good as Lululemon as they are a bit thinner, but they're also a fraction of the price.
Remember to wash activewear separate from cotton clothing and then hang dry all your activewear to keep them soft and free from pilling.