As is the case for most people, music can serve for much more than just listening pleasure, like dance. Not everyone chooses to dance to it though. My mother, from a Hispanic bloodline, would shake, rattle and roll every chance she could, even if it was just in her kitchen. She loved all genres of music and by her example, I grew to be the same. Somehow though, I could never seem to feel as confident as she was when she moved. I would dance, but never really considered myself a "dancer". That was until I became a Zumba Fitness (R) Instructor. It wasn't until I took and eventually taught my first class that I realized I may not be a dancer but anyone who isn't moving to music truly doesn't know what they are missing.

Scientifically, it's been proven that exercise and dance releases endorphins, or a group of hormones or peptides secreted within the brain and nervous system which have a number of physiological functions including activating the body's opiate receptors, causing an analgesic effect. WHAT? So what does that mean in a language we can all understand, THEY MAKE YOU HAPPY! In the words of Elle in Legally Blonde, "Exercise gives you endorphins. Endorphins make you happy. Happy people just don't shoot their husbands, they just don't." Not quite as simple as that, but they essentially act as painkillers and can somehow minimize pain or the perception of it any way. While I'm not a "go to the cabinet and grab some morphine to lift my spirits" kind of person, basically that's what they do and they can leave you feeling euphoric and positive. I am however, a person who loves to dance and whenever I do, I can testify it leaves me feeling just like that.

Now, if there's a dance floor, I'm on it. But go figure, I married someone who isn't necessarily dance floor happy. But in order for me to be someone who doesn't want to shoot her husband, what do you do when you have no dance partner? Easy...............become an instructor or just dance alone. That's what I did or do anyway. Much the opposite of the old adage to "dance like no-one is watching", I dance regardless of who is watching. Now, I even get paid for it. Wait, that sounded bad. Let's phrase it another way, I get paid to do what I love with lots of people around who enjoy it too. There, that sounded better. My point is, if the music moves you, you should move. When you're hungry, you eat. When you're thirsty, you drink. When you're tired, you sleep. When your body says "shake it up" and your soul is longing to be awakened, DANCE!

All the years I wasted being worried about my two left feet or what others might think of me was time carelessly squandered. Today, people smile at me more and they actually like being around me too. No, it's not because I can moonwalk or hit the stage like I'm Jennifer Lopez with her dance crew. It's because I've learned a few things on this dance fitness journey. One, dancing brings out the positive side of you, do it as often as you possibly can. Two, don't stop dancing until the music stops. Three, who needs a partner? Finally, happy people don't shoot their husbands!