Simple joys of life

Just had an amazing Christmas with the family. Way too much to eat, drink, lovely pressies to open (and give) and lots of laughing. One of the highlights was definitely seeing and hearing my 6 year old nephew go crazy showing me how to dance to "Gangnam Style" lol.  It was a great experience being in such a happy environment, but I do realise and appreciate that not everyone can say the same.  

Many people are alone at this time of year, homeless, broke, feel depressed or are sick in hospital.  With this, I extend peace and warm thoughts to anyone that feels down on their luck because of the festive season bringing about sad memories of what they do not have.  I also take my hat off to charities and selfless volunteers who work tirelessly throughout the crimbo period to help make a difference to those in need.  A beautiful quote from Oliver Twist (Charles Dickens) falls into place here: “It is because I think so much of warm and sensitive hearts, that I would spare them from being wounded.” 

It may sound sentimental, but this time of year makes me feel grateful for the simple things I often take for granted throughout the year and think its high time others, especially those who are caught up in their status and getting to the top at any cost, pause for thought and realise just how lucky they are to be where they are today.   

So, rather than focusing on what's not there, the next time I raise a glass, dance or eat a meal, I'll be giving thanks and will remain grateful for all that I have including the simple joys of life.  

Festive Shimmies,

Nic ♥

Festive Thoughts

Where has the year gone?  It’s that time again when most people are gearing up for the Christmas rush and reflecting on the ups and downs of 2012.  Whilst this time of year can bring in a sense of completion, for some it also brings in renewed hope, by making fresh plans for the New Year ahead.  

In this photo I’m feeling mesmerised and inspired, as I get ready to dance and watch another dancer's theatre performance.  With this, I now ponder deep in thought as to what the year ahead may bring to me and start to set myself goals to achieve. For me, it’s been a good year, and although its been challenging at times, there's been a lot of light bulb moments, and a strong sense of feeling that I need to do even more things to enjoy myself, like my dancing, creative writing and yoga in 2013. 

A few valuable lessons learnt from this year, are that no matter what happens, if any situation is approached with integrity, optimism and an open mind, the right result will come of it.  Either way, karma and a person’s own conscience bites if unjust has been done.  If I set my sights on something that’s worth having, if it’s truly meant to be and the effort is put in, it will come without any struggle, and if it doesn’t, its time to move on and reframe those goals, because life will still go on. 

Observing the children at my primary school helps to put things into perspective for me. Kids are naturally playful and life to them is filled with innocence and wonder.  You know when a child is sad because they tend to be upfront about it. When a child is happy its like all of their Christmases have come at once :)  As adults, we often feel the need to hold back and be responsible with our actions.  However, by just letting go, having fun like kids every now and then and learning to be upfront with our feelings, can be SO liberating!!! This, I plan to do more of right now, next year and beyond.

As I continue to be mesmerised and absorbed by my own passions, friends, family and all the special moments I’ve been lucky enough to experience this year, I have every faith in Christmas and the New Year, 2013, shaping up to be the best yet!

Happy shimmies and enjoy the festive season :)))

Nic ♥

Lovely Props

Nicolah bellydancing with a veil

After a crazy busy week at work, it feels soooo good to be doing dance rehearsals, as it helps boost energy and gets the old creative juices flowing.                                                                                                  Currently, I'm choreographing for solo performances and plan to include my favourite bellydance prop, the oh so lovely silk veil. It's a great way for a dancer to make an entrance onto the stage with elegance. Softly floating through the air to a rhythmical Middle-Eastern beat, the veil can look graceful and enhance just how a bellydancer wants to translate the creative art form to his or her audience beautifully. I always get excited when I dance with the veil because it makes me feel like I'm flying around the stage with the colourful wings of a butterfly having been set free.                                                           

Another prop I like are the clinkedy clanky hand musical instruments, called the fingers cymbals (aka the zills or sagat).  Known to originate in Ancient Greece and Egypt as an extension of dancers clapping their hands, the zills are still recognised today to be an enjoyable and melodic way of joining in the rhythms and beats of bellydance songs. Since being introduced to the zills myself in 2009, by Razia Star, an American bellydance teacher, I'm guilty of not using my zills enough and feel I should be using them a lot more in my dancing.  This may be because the zills are not as commonly used in bellydance circles over here, compared to their more popular use in places like America, Turkey and Egypt. However, when I do get to see performances in London with dancers delicately zilling away with this shimmering metal prop in tune to the zill rhythm, I am blown away and feel inspired.  

Using the veil, zills and other props in bellydance have made me a lot more conscious of how I position my arms and use my upper/lower body aiming for perfect 'lines' to carry myself with poise and grace with whilst dancing.  This is why I recommend working with props every now and then, because they have made me change perspective at times to work on other things, which in turn helps improve my all round dancing, both with and without props.

Happy shimmies :)

Nic ♥

Remembrance Shimmies

Bellydancer in army costume

It's 11 November, Remembrance Sunday - the day we remember and salute the bravery, dedication and determination of the service men and women who have fought for their countries. I pay kudos to anyone serving or has previously served in the army, and their gutsy approach towards standing up for what they believe in, often resulting in the freedom of others.  

All too often we see in our everyday lives, how unjust acts of cruelty can devalue the perceived "underdog", so they feel downtrodden and become weak. People take it upon themselves to go on a power trip to feel “big” and get one up on others, which is a crying shame in this day and age.  Unfortunately this happens within workplaces, communities, industries and countries; hence the wars, large scale disagreements, riots and upheaval caused for thousands of innocent people around the world. 

If folks learnt to hate less and LOVE more, by accepting one another, realising that nothing and no one is perfect, I believe that life as we know it would run a lot smoother with less wars for our serviceman to fight in.  What one person sees in another is ultimately a reflection of themselves so it’s better to let it go, and get on with life with a positive mental attitude.  

My take on things, is regardless of the quarrels and wars, its best to invest your own time and energy into fun and more creative pursuits to lift your spirits. We owe this to all of those people who lost their lives on the front line fighting for liberation. For me, my freedom and energy are invested in vigorously drilling bellydance workouts, combinations and choreographies for hours on end, as if I’m being shouted at and put through my paces by a sergeant major from the army.  I want to be a better dancer and by dedicating myself to my passion by taking command and going for it, I hope to continuously improve. With this, I pay ultimate respect to any bellydancer who has come up against the stereotypical odds, stuck to their guns and made a stand by focussing solely on the love of their passion and being true to the art form. 

So its days like today, we should all take the time to reflect on where our own energy is heading – is it mostly towards love or hate?  Also, to appreciate and remember what it takes for a person to stand up against the odds, be strong and do the right thing.

Happy Shimmies this Remembrance Day!

Nic ♥

Let’s Dance Again

Nicolah in bellydance gypsy skirt

After a break from the world of all things bellydance, I’m pleased to be practicing my shimmies, learning new dances again and creating new choreographies to perform.  

Earlier this year I decided to take a step back from dancing due to other commitments, but as time went by, I felt that something was missing.  I eventually realised that I missed the beautiful and mysterious artform of bellydance and just how much of a great stress busting release it is for me. It’s what keeps me going.  So, by not pursuing my passion further, I was holding back the inner dancer in me who was screaming for authentic creative and artistic expression. 

The good news is that a couple of weeks ago, I joined the cast of the innovative dance theatre project, “One Day in Istanbul” (ODII) to dance as one of the harem dancers in the show.  Devised by world-renowned Master Dancer & Teacher, Ozgen, and presented by the fabulous duo Dunya Bellydance, the show is set around the bustling streets of Istanbul and is brought alive through drama and dance to showcase Turkish culture.  ODII is sure to be an A-M-A-Z-I-N-G collaboration of performances, and will profile how empowering and self-assuring the beauty of this dance is for women. Click on the flyer to the left, to see image clearly. 

With exactly one month until show time (2 December 2012 at the Cockpit Theatre London), ODII is a lovely and focussed step back into the swing of things for me with lots of fun rehearsals ahead.  It also kick starts a series of other dance workshops I’ll be attending and more performances I’ll be doing throughout the festive season and beyond.  Yaaay!

In hindsight, I’m glad I had a bit of break from dancing, because I am now able to reflect and appreciate bellydance that much more. 

To sum things up, I’ll leave you with a great quote from Hans Bos, which he words in a much better way than I ever could: "While I dance I cannot judge, I cannot hate, I cannot separate myself from life. I can only be joyful and whole. That is why I dance."

Happy Shimmies,

Nic ♥

P.S. If you'd like to read how my bellydance journey began in Egypt, go to a previous blog post of mine by clicking here: http://nicolah-raqs.blogspot.co.uk/2012/05/where-shimmies-began.html.

Shiny Red Door

I was just admiring the lovely red door at the front of my house.  I have been becoming quite a nifty painter lately.

My door was already red but the colour was fading off and looking quite tatty, so I decided to give it a bit of a touch up and freshen it last week, and am pleased with every extra layer of paint I heavily laid on to it.  Now whenever anyone comes to visit, the door has a shiny welcoming glint to it.

They say the colour you choose for your front door depicts the personality of the occupants.  Being an Aries star sign, the red for me represents a nice warm fire shade of vibrancy, love and happiness, so I am immediately drawn to the colour. 

In Feng Shui, red is powerful, and having a red front door stands for prosperity, abundance, reputation and success.  A red front door is also known to provide full protection from anything negative pointing towards a house, by attracting good luck instead. 

For people in China, there is a long held tradition to paint your front door red just before the New Year, to invite happiness and fortune into the home throughout the year ahead. Whereas in Ireland, a red front door represents the warding off of ghosts and evil entities. 

Well who knows what this delectable and shiny red front door of mine will invite into my home and life?  Either way, I love the way it makes me feel and am proud of my handy work!

Happy shimmies :)

Nic ♥

Summer of Eat Pray Love

The other night I watched Julia Roberts star in “Eat Pray Love” again. This true story continues to inspire and move me in so many ways.  

Just how Liz Gilbert, a successful woman in her 30s with an affluent lifestyle, in an okay but not so perfect marriage with a husband who loved her, a nice job as a writer and settled routine in New York, found the courage to admit that all was not well and walk away from it all, is beyond me!  By refusing to go with the flow in a life she no longer wanted to live, Liz became open to the infinite possibilities and embarked on an inner journey to find herself.  In this beautiful film Roberts’ character travels to Italy, India and Bali to literally transform her life by eating, praying and learning to love herself again. By surrendering old tired ways of living and being, Liz draws us in to witness that you can be anywhere in this world but if you are not at home within yourself you will never find inner peace or true love.

The film made me reflect on my own life over the years and how in the past I have settled to conform but deep down knew that all was not well. This summer holiday has been a welcome break from my usual busy school routine. I have missed the children at school but have valued the much needed ME TIME. My original plan for the summer was to work in a holiday camp with children, but it didn’t feel right so I turned it down and am glad I did.  As much as I enjoy working with kids I needed a well deserved break.  Instead, to my surprise, I have been unknowingly following my own self discovery through “Eat Pray Love” this summer.  Seeing the film the other night connected the dots for me.

“EAT” – Over the past few weeks I have been feeding my soul through journalling, doing yoga, going to the theatre to see the ballet and watching film screenings, making trips to the seaside to breathe in some fresh sea breeze, decorating my flat, absorbing myself into the Olympics and starting my own part time therapy business, Harvey Heals.  Phew!  All of these continue to make me happy and bring my spirit alive. Granted, they may not be the physical act of eating, but they fill the same warm feeling gap as any good food would, by feeding my soul in more ways than one.

“PRAY” – The praying part of summer has been by doing the first verse of the Serenity Prayer every day since the end of July. I am not religious, but believe there’s more to life than what’s here right now, and trust that by developing a sense of faith, life flows a lot more smoother for me. I have also given myself time to quieten my mind, switch off and tune in by meditating daily.  The power of meditation has helped me listen to my inner voice and just be – letting go of all the noise and clutter from everyday life and finding that inner calm and stillness within.   When school term starts next week, I’ll be dedicating time each day to simply meditate.

“LOVE” – The love part has come about by reflecting on how far I have come by loving myself enough to admit I may not be perfect, but value myself enough to continue to make changes in my life.  As Paulo Coelho once said ”we need to forget what we think we are, so we can become what we really are.” The more I love what & who I am, and how I have shed the need to prove myself to people, the more I find I am open to receiving love authentically from my closest loved ones, which is more important to me than anything. 

Wow, what a summer!  I hope this inspires you to think about your own “Eat Pray Love” scenario.  So what are YOU doing to feed your soul, develop a sense of faith and purpose in your life and love and appreciate the person you really are?

Happy shimmies :)

Nic ♥