“We should consider every day lost on which we have not danced at least once.”  A few days ago I completed the 100 Day Dance Challenge, which I'm pretty amazed by. I have never stuck with a challenge for 100 days before, but because I kept getting positive results, it was not only easy but an incredible journey. What's really amazing is when I look back through my journal at how I was feeling and thinking right before it started. I keep my journal on my computer so I can look at it by date, and I went back to just over three months ago. There was a lot of anxiety in my entries, and a lot of desperation. A lot of feelings of being lost and always wishing I just knew what to do next. In the beginning of the challenge I had a lot of dark and intense dreams, often times about struggling or fearing for my life. I was surprised by this because I feel so different now it hardly even feels like me that was having that experience!I would say the most incredible change I went through from this is I no longer feel a longing for someone or something outside of me to lead the way. I trust myself and the decisions I make. I listen to myself. I'm way more in the moment and no longer pouring energy into future desires (or worries). I would say the most incredible change I went through from this is I no longer feel a longing for someone or something outside of me to lead the way. I trust myself and the decisions I make. I listen to myself. I'm way more in the moment and no longer pouring energy into future desires (or worries). I wrote a another post about this challenge and dancing here, just before it started. In that post I referenced a 100 day Happiness Challenge I had also tried. What I didn't say in that post was that I only made it half way. I stopped doing it because as time went on my attention drifted and I didn't make it a priority. The amazing thing about Cassandra's 100 Day Dance Journey is that she sends out an inspirational email every day. So you will get a positive boost every day to keep with it. The videos will help you to work with the changes you go through, insights that come up, and to integrate new ways of thinking so that you get the most out of this. I got so much out of her videos and continue to use the tips and tools she talked about. I also saved all of the videos and am so grateful I will have that gift in my email for whenever I need a boost. A few days after this has ended I am still dancing each day. Before this started I hardly ever danced. Maybe a few times a year on a special occasion. It was hard in the beginning to just let go, but I could always tell it was doing something good. It felt like it was opening me up, getting me to let go, and it's such a beautiful and free form of meditation. You just tune in and become one with the music, your Higher Self, and your body. Often times my neck and back would pop, and I would release tension I didn't even know was there. It was also a great way to really gauge how I was feeling and where I was at. On quiet, introspective days I would be drawn to chill and zen music. On days I was ready to carpe diem I went for the faster and jazzier stuff. There were a couple of days when I was in a total funk, really feeling down and frustrated, and I thought, "Well I'm in this dance every day challenge, let's see what it does for me." On those days I started off with slow music, and kept moving, kept breathing, until I felt my dark mood lifting. I kept picking faster and faster music until my whole attitude had shifted! It was amazing and such a great way to positively move from a place of pessimism to optimism. If you would like to give this a try Cassandra is doing another round of this challenge - and it starts today! But there's no pressure to sign up right now. You can join at anytime. I could say a lot more about what all the positive changes I got from this, but I'll end here. Cassandra gave me permission to share one of the videos I received during the challenge below. You'll get one of these videos every morning, which are between 3 and 6 minutes (and sometimes guided meditations), plus a little written piece of motivation or inspired action to try, an uplifting quote, and a daily tip. It's really something that will brighten your day, and as I said, she sends them EVERY DAY, so you're almost guaranteed to succeed on this 100 day journey! Click here to go to the 100 day dance site. Video courtesty of Be Beautiful You coaching
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