Day 24 - I had an amazing dance. I feel incredibly strong now. But I went through hell to get here. I felt sick to the stomach during one of the new bellydance exercises this evening. A belly roll is the most difficult manoeuvre I’ve ever done. Engaging the pelvis and abdominal wall in a cyclical rhythm brought up sensations in my stomach I’ve never explored before. I haven’t engaged this area much so it’s waking up and shouting at me from the inside. It’s saying that this stomach area is really important and needs to be taken care of.

During the exercise, it felt like my stomach was my brain. My second brain. It made me remember my unhealthy past. This sensation of feeling sick reminded me about how I could be greedy and overeat. I could feel that a few months ago, I didn’t make good food choices. And through conquering this belly roll, I could clear up all those poor decisions and make my core area healthy and vibrant again. I felt my body reprogramming itself from the centre. It brought up and released a lot of old crap and emotions. Releasing emotions is important so as not to lead to dis-ease. This exercise helps all the negativity leave my body and in its place it leaves health and strength and power. Gradually, I’m turning into a butterfly.

I’ve got my mum joking to me about her getting a mobility scooter and wanting a bed that automatically lifts her up. It’s a lesson for me. I don’t want to go down this road. If I have my way, I’ll be dancing til the day I die, with both feet on the ground and no walking stick in sight. The only way is to keep on going.