Some health and fitness goals, format stolen from jalilifer

[firefly124]

jalilifer gave me a great idea for how to track some of the long-term and interim health and fitness goals I want to accomplish. Particularly, there are several I want to accomplish in order to be able to do certain things in bellydance. I like the format she used for her goal-planning, and think I will implement it in my practice journal and yoga journal

Comments

[treelit]

No wonder you feel ambitious! I feel exhausted just reading that!

Ok, so I have a question for ya, that's sorta-kinda-not-really on topic. What's the main diference between traditional and tribal belly dance? I don't know if there is one, but have perused (and fallen in love with) Rachel Brice's sites and videos I get the impression there is a difference.

Also, do you know if Rachel has any instruction videos out? I plan on joining the local belly dance class when the next round starts up, but I would LOVE to supplement it with some of Rachel's stuff.

I have many, many more questions, but I mus get me off to bed, and contemplate this more.

Thanks for adding to my "omgineedtolearnthatrightnow" list ;P

[firefly124]

OK, I hosed the code in that somewhere, and you can't edit comments, so here goes take two. I'll start by trying to make those massive URL's tiny.

+++What's the main diference between traditional and tribal belly dance?+++

You have just opened the $65,000 can o'worms! Flame wars have been fought and flounces staged on many a forum and e-list over that question, although usually things like "validity" get thrown in, too.

What the average American thinks of as "traditional" is what most bellydancers call "cabaret" style: lots of glitter and beads and not many coins in the costume, not always as revealing as you'd think though sometimes yes, and you'll be watching a solo act a very large percentage of the time. The two main cultural influences here tend to be Egyptian and Turkish, though if you know what to look for (and I really don't) you can probably pick out others. Unless someone is doing one specific cultural style and says so, it's probably something of a blend

[treelit]

*boggles at all the info*

*boggles more by realizing this is just the tip of the iceberg*

Wow! I really had no idea that it could get so complicated categorically! I'm definetly going to have to snoop some more. The links you provided are great.

+++Tribal, to me, has a more grounded, earthy feel to it, generally.+++

Yea, I caught that vibe too.

I'm going to check out the dvd's you mentioned to Larksdream too. The actual class maybe a touch out of my price range right now, dammit >_

[larksdream]

Ooo, can I ask for advice too? I'm pretty badly out of shape but would love to learn to bellydance. I'm afraid that if I start out with a class, even though it would obviously be a basic one, I'm going to struggle through the first ten minutes and then lie curled up on the floor in pain for the rest of the class. :P Is there maybe a very basic DVD out that would give me a few moves and let me build up my stamina a bit at home? I don't know anything about styles, I just think it all looks pretty. (I'm sorry, I hope that doesn't make you cringe. *G*)

[firefly124]

No, doesn't make me cringe at all, no worries. I'm not the "ethnic police" of bellydance -- and oh, they do exist -- I'm just endlessly and insanely curious and have an excessive fondness for categorizing things in my own head, I think

[larksdream]

That's awesome, thanks! Getting back in shape is one of my goals for this year (me and everybody else, I know!), but I can't even do most of what I've dubbed the "Painates" DVD yet. :P

[firefly124]

You're welcome. Pilates is hard to learn from a DVD, I think. If it's something you want to work with, I'd recommend picking up the book "The Pilates Body" by Brooke Siler. She does an excellent job of explaining how you start as a rank beginner and work up. Even on a beginner DVD, the flow is usually kind of advanced-beginner, compared with her 7-move basic. In-person instruction is ideal, of course, but then you've usually got multiple levels in one class, and it can be very discouraging when you're just starting.

As far as it being "Painates," the one other thing I'll toss out there is that if you're feeling pain in your lower back while doing any of the exercises, stop. Your abs have quit and/or you're not in the right posture for them to do their job, your hip flexors and low back have kicked in and are doing the work instead, and you could really hurt yourself. If it's just the abs aching like hell because of how you've worked them, never mind. :-)