Day 10. My right thumb is out of action for a few days. I never realised just how much I used it. Like for almost everything it’s involved somehow - opening pistachios without the use of one’s thumb is a thrilling experience for example. Buttering crackers without it gets a bit messy too. Adapting to this new world of mine is strange and challenging but I can see how useful it is too. Getting my sides in balance. Come on leftie, let’s see what you can do. I also love that bodies heal. Thank goodness. I officially have an ouchie.

I can report that after one session with the kegel Peardrop weights my muscles are truly on fire down there. I actually keep needing to say ‘woah there!’ to them because after not feeling them for 40 years, they have definitely arrived and all it took was a beautiful weighted Pikmin alien to help me find them again. I used them for 15 mins doing tightening exercises and walking around a bit to see what it felt like. It felt fine. I felt a little achy by the end and really, this is a joy after such a long absence of any feeling at all. A tight core is an exciting prospect. I will continue.

So a mini dance after a fairly traumatic morning where I tried to relax and unwind. I got a bit bouncy at one point and took my new and improved kegels for a spin. Such a vibrant feeling. A big victory for my kegel muscles. Yay!

I’m putting this video in with a warning.

I’ve started getting interested in chiropody, Well, certain parts anyway. Mainly callous removal as this is what affects me every 2-3 months. I want to learn about my feet. To heal them. Myself. Everything else about feet makes me squeamish. Just not this.

So I found a professional practise putting videos on YouTube. If you’re at all interested in watching a corn being removed then this video is epic. Start at 9m 37s. If you’ve ever had a corn you’ll know what I mean. Luckily, I’m a mild case compared to this. If you’re squeamish about this sort of stuff then obviously don’t watch it.

Moist Breath Zone. A back to school song from New Zealand which kids will love. 🎶

Day 9. I feel a bit like Poochie today (a childhood toy - see pic). Solid dance. Lots of movement. Keeping things oiled and building on tone. I can feel how much fitter I am than two weeks ago. Real progress yay! Going to use my new kegal weights tomorrow. Eeeek.

Lots of skidding and sliding today. I’m grateful for the smooth, wooden floors (can’t say that enough). Dancing on carpet in trainers is a real drag. One of the reasons we chose this flat was for the floors. They were that important. Sometimes I take my shoes off, but only if I’m on a yoga mat and then I bounce on it like a mini trampoline. My bare feet on hard surfaces = pain, weird crunchy noises and too much twist.

Feel lucky if you can walk barefoot. Trust me.

I picked two Amerindian medicine cards from my pack. Fox - stealth and invisibility and Alligator - patience and seeing the lighter side in a situation. I liked what I read. It made sense. Picking a card can lift my mood.

I’m noticing more synchronicities in my day. I’m feeling more magical. I’m more connected with Simon. We think the same thing within seconds of each other or know one of us needs the other even though we’re far away. There’s an intuitive antenna in my heart and mind. It feels good.

I smudged sage all over the flat as I boogied. The aroma hit me and I immediately felt refreshed and awakened. I love a bit of smudging. I used to do a lot of ceremonies and smudging with smoke from herbs and spices was really important. It brings a cleansing to the space.

Well this is an interesting subject to broach. And a great juxtaposition in this image, of my belly resting next to these little alien pikmin creatures (I wanna put googly eyes on them). They’re going to help my tummy muscles get stronger. These little buddies could change my life.

A surprising tale.

Why the Mantis Shrimp is my new Favourite Animal. From The Oatmeal. 🌈 🌈 🌈

Veggie lasagne. First ever attempt. Found out I really like taking pics of colourful veg.

Result: well rounded.

Improvements: Part cook lasagne sheets next time. Perhaps a few less sheets too. More veg and definitely more bechemal. There’s never enough bechemal is there?!

Day 8. The music made me turn into a cheeky little gremlin today. I got practical during this sesh. I hoovered (left handed for a change), shimmied and pumped. I wasn’t afraid to dance in front of the window as I flew by with the Gtec. Somehow with a pole in my hand I could dance anywhere and not feel weird or conspicuous to our neighbours opposite. I finally felt cool. Like Melanie Griffiths in Working girl but with clothes on.

I danced for so long I ended up dancing through dinner and made my first ever veggie lasagne whilst shaking my booty to this. I also munched a load of energy bars. I love eating when I’ve worked out. My body knows it needs fuel. Unlike eating because of boredom. I used to do that a lot.

Feeling fit. Enjoying exploring herbal teas since stopped tea and coffee. Every cup is a little miracle. So much goodness and healing for the body.

Poppies of delight. Popping up to say hi.

Some of the most beautiful, white, frilly rhododendrons i’ve ever seen.

Everything salad.

Day 7. My strongest work out. I peeled off another layer in today’s dance. I scraped something from my muscles. Cobwebs. Old habits. The sleepy bits. I went into the unused quarters. And luckily was welcomed in.

The music pounded. I couldn’t stop moving. My heart raced. I can be unsteady. I prefer being graceful. Today I felt perfect. And balanced.

I kicked out. Over and over. Like some kind of showgirl and felt electricity all the way down to my toes. The beat drove on. Kept me going. Moved me faster. More in tune. On and on.

Then some kind of magic awoke. All the muscle connections in my legs between my feet up to my hips felt different. They pulsed. They felt familiar when usually they feel asleep. They made me dance in a different way. From my hips, my core rather than my feet where I usually place all my attention. My core leads. That’s a big deal. I’ve realised it’s usually my right foot leading with no thought of my core at all. Hmmmmm. My core is sending me clues. Brill. Hello core. Stay with me.

I did lots of wiggling. Hip wiggling is my new best friend. Do it for a few mins and it feels amazing. It’s all about the music to lock into. Then I literally can’t stop. I’m grateful for the few belly dance lessons I had. Useful now. This wiggling business makes me feel cleansed. And all I’m doing is shaking my body. Cool.

Dance (to the right music) puts life back in my limbs. It’s such a strong physical connection. Another kind of music can completely bum me out and I can’t dance. But the right music at the right time can send me spiralling out into a fitness journey with no idea where I’ll end up at the end of a session. In today’s I learnt I can kind of can-can. 😄 And that my core is a good thing to get stronger.

Thank you dance. Thank you Charlotte de Witt set. You’re really rocking my boat at the moment. 💃.

Every day. My own personal club. My own personal rave. The wooden floor. The kitchen. Be there.

Happy kitcheri with a coconut smile.

Day 6. I’m shifting in and out of headaches and wooziness, possibly from caffeine withdrawal. Or maybe from the detox tea. Or maybe from the homemade scones I baked this morn. Or maybe just from life : ) My body feels like it’s processing a few things today. I’m just watching and waiting for sensations (and pains) to past.

After some easy light-footed dance steps, in a black hoody and black trousers looking like some kind of ninja, (this set really was incredible) I had to lay down. It felt like I needed to stretch more today. Really stretch. Deep down all the way into my sides. And sinews. And fascia. Big stretches. My own kind of yoga. Stretching wherever was needed. Like a long, dexterous cat.

Then I did a constructive rest. It was magical. The world stops. All the fidgeting stops. Every last fidget. A fidget at a time. I’m so fidgety! And all that’s left is a comfy, elongated mass of muscle and bone. Calmness. Tranquility. And a breathe that rises and falls. Everything else is relaxed. Stretching, resting, forgetting about everything. Flying away. For fifteen minutes. I still had stomping ethereal techno on. That kept me energised. And I went on a journey. Into myself. It’s always a fascinating experience.

36: I’m feeling happy and nourished these days and making the most of this introverted time. This episode is all about what I’m doing to help myself get strong and fit and feel enriched by life. I also talk about Day 5 of my dance challenge and some interesting discoveries.

Charlotte de Witte set B2B Enrico Sangiuliano.

Terra Nova.

Viridian.

‘Celebrating the innocence and the love, the joy, the magic, the laughter, the giggles. That’s what my life is all about. That’s where I want to be’

Holly Honeychurch

Day 4. Lying with my head on a book is one of my fav things to do after a dance. The lumber feels supported, the neck too. I spend 15 mins like it and try to let go. And sink. Truly relaxing is the aim. I did lots of kegals too. I like kegals!

A pure, ethereal trance album.

Clap for our wonderful carers. Even the doggos got involved tonight. ❤️

Day 3. A beautiful sesh where I slayed my lazy lizard multiple times.

When I danced I went for it. I could feel my heart beating beautifully. I imagined how shocked/curious my ancestors would be if they heard the music I was listening to.

I just love an uplifting trance track.

Day 2. I picked up the weights today. Dancing with weights felt good. Gonna get some wrist weights as I’ve realised just how much my fingers want to be free to dance to their own beat.

A beautiful voice.

A song to knock your socks off.

All part of the same fab album.

I danced properly for the first time in a while today. I had me a nice trance sesh, in the kitchen, on the shiny wooden floor. It felt like smooth ice. A pleasure to move across. You know how I enjoy a good dance floor.

I’m always happy to come back to my trance roots. There’s something about the genre which makes me so smiley and ecstatic. And, oh wow, I found some crackers.

I felt a bit low at first, thinking how I wouldn’t be able to go out dancing for months now, if not longer. There’s something about dancing in a crowd that I just adore. But then I realised and remembered I can be the most free and loose in my own sweet space. I can express and fly and whizz and jive to my own rhythms, privately. Well as privately as I can get in the middle of the city.

Sometimes in a club space I’m all squished in so feel inhibited with my arm movements or the floor is sticky so I can’t glide and slide, or I’m getting bumped around, or drunk people decide to stand right in front of me and start talking together (and it’s even worse when someone farts…sorry).

So I feel gratitude for having such a wonderful dance space right here, right now. At home. Alone. I can whizz and skid across the floor. I can zoom and leap between the rooms. I feel safe and experimental. I can wave my arms around as much as I want and not poke anyone in the eye. I can stop and do a downward dog without the fear of my bum getting pinched. Without the annoyance of treading on broken glass. I’d forgotten all that comes with the freedom of dancing at home. Now it’s coming back to me.

So I’m challenging myself to 30 days of hourly dance sessions. This is day 1. I want to explore trance again. Intelligent trance. Not the trance where the girl singer is wallowing in self pity after her partner’s gone off and left her again (get over it girl). I want to find music to take me on journeys to ethereal places far away. I want to soar like a magical bird. I want the good stuff. Not poppy trance. More serious stuff. And a bit basey and dirty too : ) All while I’m pumping my feet to the beat on the ground (luckily there’s noone living below me right now ha!). I want to get graceful. And sweaty. I want to bounce and go crazy. I want to feel alive.

I want to reawaken my body, add in some weights, activate my situps and remember how to make this body pant. I miss my 5 hour dance nights. Let’s see if I can rekindle the flame again. Day 1. Done. I’ll write down my feelings, experiences and favourite tracks when they come. I had a trippy experience today imagining there was a Devon Rex pixie cat in the flat and they were dancing along with me, causing mischief too. Oh how I’d love a catto dance partner. An imaginary one will have to do.

This track is an oldie but a goodie.

This photo isn’t from today but I like my new t-shirt so much I wanted to share.

Well hello lovely pigeon friend.

Park life. Hello hair. Happy Wednesday!

Rather… ‘You’ll give me cat again’ 😹

There’s something comforting about going on a walk and seeing endless chalked hearts appearing on the pavement in front of you.