Strength

As important as softening is in Standard ballroom dances, strength is important in Latin dances – Cha-Cha, Rumba, Jive, Paso Doble, Samba. Dancing both styles helps balance my yin and yang. Lessons with my teacher Mark remind me to stand tall, make every muscle and movement as strong as possible, and use resistance to its advantage. Push, pull, wait, go, come together, pull apart. I think coping in the times we collectively live in, and with our own individual challenges requires both strength and softness. Staying positive after reading the daily news requires strength of mind and resistance to negativity, while at the same time softening the heart to cultivate kindness and connection to others. The name Valerie means strength, and my therapist tells me I am one of those people “strong at the broken places” (from a Hemingway quote), but on some days I feel more broken than strong. On those days, such as yesterday, I use various coping skills such as prayer, gratitude, hugging my children, reaching out to friends, listening to music (lately the La La Land soundtrack), reading inspirational quotes, eating dark chocolate, and remembering my lessons from the dance floor to take it one strong, intentional step at a time. How do you cope on the broken days?