Happy Motivational Monday, lovey,

Music moves my soul. Music makes me move my body and it is in almost all that I do and am in my life. Having started dancing and playing music at age 7, it has carried me through all my years, as I continue to dance, many styles, and to play guitar, keyboards, ukelele, and even the washboard.

As I wrote about in my book, Tribal Vision: A Celebration of Life Through Tribal Belly Dance…this is excerpted from Chapter 7, a chapter about our Gypsy Caravan music and our tribal bellydance.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Music can rip my heart out. It can make my soul bleed, my heart sing, my voice cry, and my hips shimmy and shake. From the time I was young, I had to have music in my life. I played the organ first, starting at age seven; in my early teens, I taught myself guitar. As I time travel back, I remember sitting for hours on the floor with albums, yes, albums, spread all around me, singing along with my rock heroes while I read the poetry of their words, and sometimes complete nonsense.  

​​What is it about music that touches one’s heart or soul or body? For every person it can be different. The sound of the voice, whether it be male or female, or the melody line, be it melancholy or zippy, can reach in deep to touch your soul, or leave you cold. The rhythm might be played in a slow, rolling pattern that takes you walking with a syncopated step. Or it may be big and bold and heavy and loud, making you want to jump out of your skin and shake it up.

For me, it all begins with the rhythm. If we have nothing else, we have rhythm, our heart beat. In the beginning of time, our life force started with the heart beat. 

For the full chapter and history about the Gypsy Caravan’s music, go to dropbox: https://www.dropbox.com/scl/fi/6pz2tpzn1ilejlvjsyutt/Chapter-7.-copy-Music-doc.doc?dl=0&rlkey=f9xd4a52bfr2nu4dzy91ig5w5
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

And seriously, we have to move our bodies. They are made for moving, for dancing, for grooving. For so many reasons. Movement brings me so much joy, from the feel-good freedom of self-expression, to structured dance forms such as bellydance, or flamenco, or salsa, to workouts such as yoga, pilates, even at the gym with free weights and the machines, I love it all. So does my overall health, my emotional well-being, my spirit, and the fitness of my body through the years. And especially as I get older. I feel great, and have remained strong and flexible, continuing almost daily workouts, whether it be my morning walk, run, and cardio, to teaching yoga and bellydance weekly, and going to the gym and working with a trainer.

Sadly as a coach, and movement instructor, I find some of my older friends ( and even younger ones), afraid to move, afraid to go back and try some dance or workouts, or even get on the dance floor at a club. They think they are too old. They have forgotten. They might get hurt. They can’t find the time to take a class, or won’t commit to their own bodies, even though they do remember the joy of the dance they knew in their younger days, and the freedom that a child experiences listening to music. As their bodies age, they are feeling the anxiety of having an older changing body, perhaps taking that body for granted and allowing themselves to get a bit sedentary. Sometimes the less you move, the more you hurt. Know what I mean? Time to work the creaks out.

I know when I don’t move, somehow, every day, I feel stuck, stagnant in my body, in my breath, and that changes how my day goes and how I feel. I’ve been getting out almost every morning for the past 8 years for a walk/run, sometimes just around the block, or maybe a 2 mile sprint. I”m not running a marathon. Just enjoying moving my body, getting outside, and it often becomes a moving meditation. Either enjoying the quiet, or listening to some tunes on my earbuds to keep me moving.

How many of you signed up for a dance or a yoga class, then felt too tired or too busy to go that day or night? But when you do go, you come away feeling high, exhilarated, and loving that you have participated in keeping yourself vibrant, strong, and enjoying your body, and perhaps the people in that class. Because you are shifting your energy, practicing movement, doing good things for your body, your breath, and your well-being. That’s the feeling, to feel great!

Music gets me motivated, inspired. Sometimes I use it to raise my energy, sometimes to relax. Instrumentals can be great to dance with or chill to. Lyrics can be emotional, exciting, inspiring too. Listening to music and allowing yourself to dance, whatever kind of movement, can just feed the soul. The music you choose can be empowering for who you are, what you stand for, and help you get moving. Certain songs can set you on fire, and others can reduce anxiety. 

So, my friend, think about what tunes inspire you, for whatever mood, and allow yourself to move, to dance, whether that be in the kitchen as you cook dinner, or in a dance class, or in a club, or at the gym, or wherever.

Here you go! This is a playlist of softer, some more trancey, and some more upbeat that I have been using in my dance class, enjoy! 

Playlist: https://open.spotify.com/playlist/7Ia8O3oQeUbDqKdgngWvyL

What are you listening to these days? What gets your groove on? Make a playlist and enjoy…

Have a blessed week and get your groove on,

Paulette

~~~~~~~~~~~~
How fun are all the things???
In Person Classes in the Desert

:an exploration of the chakras with
a journey of self-discovery,
starting Monday, April 17th, 6-7:30 pm in Palm Springs!

Starting April 17th we will, each week, have group discussions about our 7 main chakras, wearing colors for each week to match the chakras, and add in meditations, journaling, movement, and sound baths! Yummy!
For the first week, wear something red, if you desire!
Here’s a little weekly update:

  • Week 1. Root Chakra- the color: Red- about Grounding and Earth Connection
  • 2. Sacral Chakra- Orange-Creativity, Fertility, Sensuality
  • 3. Solar Plexus Chakra- Yellow- Community, Power, Strength
  • 4. Heart Chakra- Green-Love, Compassion
  • 5. Throat Chakra- Blue- Sound, Voice
  • 6. Third Eye- Indigo- Inner Guidance, Intuition, Listening, Self- Connection and 
  • 7. Crown Chakra- Purple- Connection with Spirit, Guides (also on week 6)

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
AND ANOTHER NEW OFFERING!

a Women’s Monthly New Moon Gathering
with Leslie Gerber and Paulette Rees-Denis

Join our monthly circle for a circle of connection, healing, support, and fun with bellydance and movement, sound healing, and journaling!
Honoring our feminine divine within and moving your body for joy, connecting with the goddess, and setting new moon intentions for each month. A celebration of YOU!
Sundays April 23, 6-7:30 pm
Lavender Soul Studio in Palm Desert!
74-277 Highway 111, behind the front building, parking on the street…
~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Tribal Bellydance in Palm Desert! First Class FREE!
We start a new session April 18th!
Tuesdays, 5:45pm
Bring a friend so they can try the first class for FREE- I love to offer that to new folks who aren’t sure about attending the class, or are even a little nervous, to see how much fun we have!
All levels of dance experience welcome, all ages, all sizes, all everything!
We love building our creative circle with dance, making magic with our bodies, feeling great in our skin, while we also strengthen and deepen our personal bodies and connections
$15.00 dropins or $66 for the 6 week session
please pre-register
https://globalcaravandance.com/product/tribal-bellydance-classes/
Lavender Soul Studio, 74-277 Highway 111
~~~~~~~~
VIRTUAL… Join me online…

Let’s talk about it…
Join me Mondays, at 2:00 pm PST for another Lively Conversation!
on FB- https://www.facebook.com/paulettecoach
and also on Insta at
https://www.instagram.com/paulettereesdenis/
a little chat, a poetry reading, oracle card pulling,
See you then
~~~~~~~~~~

Are you ready to take your journaling to the next level?
From the Body to the Page
You can join my weekly class, Tuesdays, 3:00 pm PST on Zoom and write with us for an hour of inspired prompts and profound sharing! truly a magical hour you can have every week…
just click here to join us…
https://www.paulettereesdenis.com/product/from-the-body-to-the-page/
~~~~~~~~~~

Are you ready for some coaching time with me?
Are you wanting to create some new changes?
Let’s step into this new moon time with some magic,
self-care, and your desires!
and get YOU on your calendar…
Curious about how that would look for you, your time, and your investment?
I want to talk with you to see if this could be the right next step for you to take new action!
Please schedule that free consultation now with me so we can talk about what you are wanting. Click here…

Hope to see you on the road somewhere, my friend! Again, thanks for being here…

Paulette


~~~~~~~~~~~~

How fun are all the things happening for spring???
In Person Classes in the Desert

:an exploration of the chakras with
a journey of self-discovery,
starting Monday, April 17th, 6-7:30 pm in Palm Springs!

Starting April 17th we will, each week, have group discussions about our 7 main chakras, wearing colors for each week to match the chakras, and add in meditations, journaling, movement, and sound baths! Yummy!
For the first week, wear something red, if you desire!
Here’s a little weekly update:

  • Week 1. Root Chakra- the color: Red- about Grounding and Earth Connection
  • 2. Sacral Chakra- Orange-Creativity, Fertility, Sensuality
  • 3. Solar Plexus Chakra- Yellow- Community, Power, Strength
  • 4. Heart Chakra- Green-Love, Compassion
  • 5. Throat Chakra- Blue- Sound, Voice
  • 6. Third Eye- Indigo- Inner Guidance, Intuition, Listening, Self- Connection and 
  • 7. Crown Chakra- Purple- Connection with Spirit, Guides (also on week 6)

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
AND ANOTHER NEW OFFERING!

a Women’s Monthly New Moon Gathering
with Leslie Gerber and Paulette Rees-Denis

Join our monthly circle for a circle of connection, healing, support, and fun with bellydance and movement, sound healing, and journaling!
Honoring our feminine divine within and moving your body for joy, connecting with the goddess, and setting new moon intentions for each month. A celebration of YOU!
Sundays April 23, 6-7:30 pm
Lavender Soul Studio in Palm Desert!
74-277 Highway 111, behind the front building, parking on the street…
~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Tribal Bellydance in Palm Desert! First Class FREE!


We start a new session April 18th!
Tuesdays, 5:45pm
Bring a friend so they can try the first class for FREE- I love to offer that to new folks who aren’t sure about attending the class, or are even a little nervous, to see how much fun we have!
All levels of dance experience welcome, all ages, all sizes, all everything!
We love building our creative circle with dance, making magic with our bodies, feeling great in our skin, while we also strengthen and deepen our personal bodies and connections
$15.00 dropins or $66 for the 6 week session
please pre-register
https://globalcaravandance.com/product/tribal-bellydance-classes/
Lavender Soul Studio, 74-277 Highway 111
~~~~~~~~
VIRTUAL… Join me online…

Let’s talk about it…
Join me Mondays, at 2:00 pm PST for another Lively Conversation!
on FB- https://www.facebook.com/paulettecoach
and also on Insta at
https://www.instagram.com/paulettereesdenis/
a little chat, a poetry reading, oracle card pulling,
See you then
~~~~~~~~~~

Are you ready to take your journaling to the next level?


From the Body to the Page
You can join my weekly class, Tuesdays, 3:00 pm PST on Zoom and write with us for an hour of inspired prompts and profound sharing! truly a magical hour you can have every week…
just click here to join us…
https://www.paulettereesdenis.com/product/from-the-body-to-the-page/
~~~~~~~~~~


Are you ready for some coaching time with me?
Are you wanting to create some new changes?
Let’s step into this new moon time with some magic,
self-care, and your desires!
and get YOU on your calendar…
Curious about how that would look for you, your time, and your investment?
I want to talk with you to see if this could be the right next step for you to take new action!
Please schedule that free consultation now with me so we can talk about what you are wanting. Click here…

Hope to see you on the road somewhere, my friend! Again, thanks for being here…