Sign up for my dance party and every day for one week you will receive a short dance prompt. Get up, right where you are (your home, your office, at the coffee shop…) and dance.
Dance with your arms, shake your bum, do something choreographed, or something loose and carefree, just do something!
Who is this for? You want more joy in your life. You want to add short bursts of movement to your day. You want movement to be fun!
Why should you do this? Dancing helps rewire your brain, gives you a positive pick me up, and makes your body, and heart feel better.
How do you dance? Any way you want! I’ll be sending songs, choreography ideas, and fun dance videos, but you can just get up a bop around if you like.
Where do you do this? Any where! This dance party is entirely online. If you’d like to meet up to dance in person, I’ll also be sending places you can find me shaking my pants this month, including the “Boogie Cat” Norman Sylvester’s 80th birthday party!
How do you get involved? Sign up for my email newsletter by clicking here. Or reach out to me directly and I’ll make sure you are on my list Anne @ FluidPortland.com 503 – 705 – 4762
Starts September 13th!
(If you’re already receiving my emails, you still need to add your name to this dance email list. Since I’m sending these every day for a week, I want this to be fun, not annoying.)
This week your challenge is to look for a daily delight.
For bonus points, send me your daily delight. Text me a photo of a bird you saw on your walk, or a cute baby. Email me something positive. Did you compliment someone, did a stranger hold the door for you? Share your daily delight with me or someone you love!
For inspiration on finding joy, I read Ross Gay’s book Inciting Joy.
He dismantles our false belief that joy is the opposite of what’s going on in the world right now. That joy is frivolous. Or the result of an accomplishment, doing, or achieving.
He writes:
“…we often think of Joy as meaning “without pain” or “without sorrow – which, to reiterate, our consumer culture has us believing is a state of being that we could only buy- not only is it sometimes considered “unserious” or frivolous to talk about joy (i.e. but there’s so much pain in the world!), but this definition also suggests that someone might be able to live without-or maybe a more accurate phrase is free of- heartbreak or sorrow.
But what happens if joy is not separated from pain? What if joy and pain are fundamentally tangled up with one another? Or even more to the point, what if joy is not only tangled with pain, or suffering, or sorrow, but is also what emerges from how we care for each other through those things?
What if joy, instead of refuge or relief from heartbreak, is what effloresces from us as we help each other carry our heartbreaks?”
Why joy is important right now:
If you watch the news you’d think were going straight to hell in a handbasket. Downtown Portland is under siege! The price of food is skyrocketing! Bad people are doing bad things!
Since I don’t watch the news (well, unless you count Reddit, my trusty news source) I do not believe that the world is a dumpster fire.
I believe that people are looking out for me. That good things are happening to me every day. I choose joy over fear.
You can choose joy every day.
You can find delight in cooking delicious food like Nona here. You can have fun moving your body like Miss Shirley. You can rest, nap, or stare out the window, guilt free, knowing that taking breaks is good for your brain, your soul, and your creativity. You can give over worry or anxiety because you have faith that good things are happening.
You can know that by taking good care of you, you are doing good in your little part of the world and that your positivity is rippling out, impacting everyone. Start by noticing daily delights.
I’m not asking you to stick your head in the sand. I’m asking you to rise above the bullshit. Walk away from anything and anyone who is trying to drag you down. Let it go. As the swifties say shake it off.
While I’ve been leading y’all through a fall program for several years now, this was the first time I focused on these themes of protein and produce, walking and weights, rest, faith, and joy.
I’d love to hear how this went for you. Which week felt easy, which week was challenging. Did you learn anything new about yourself?
How could I improve on this in the future?
One of my favorite things to do is dress up in costume. I’ve been volunteering at Camas First Fridays since we moved to East Vancouver three years ago. Each month there’s a new theme (which means a new costume for Anne).
I’m also a board member of Cascade Zydeco, a local non-profit whose mission is to promote Cajun and Zydeco music and dance. We have monthly dj dances, lessons, and live music events.
I prioritize going to these events because they bring me so much joy!
If you need more joy in your life come the next Camas First Friday (pie theme) Friday November 7th, or meet me on the dance floor at the Cascade Zydeco Halloween party (costume optional) Wednesday October 29th.
This week, think about what faith means to you. Have you overcome hardships in the past? Do you have faith in yourself? Do you believe that good things are happening?
If your faith needs a boost, you CAN strengthen the muscle that helps you build resilience, mental toughness, and have reassurance that you will get through difficult times.
One way to do that is by daily writing.
This week I challenge you to write for five minutes every day.
Set aside 5 minutes today and write this down (not typed into your phone, or talk to text, or voice memo, but actually sit down and put pen or pencil to paper):
I seek now a clear vision of what I am to do today. I control the things I can, and let go of the rest. I do all that I can, then let go of the outcome. I have faith that my higher power is looking out for me and wants the best for me. I live in a world of abundance. I let go of fear, anxiety, or a scarcity mindset. Today, I have faith that everything is working out for me. I have everything I need.
If these words don’t resonate with you, write what makes sense to you.
Maybe something as simple as “I have faith that everything is working out for me”.
Keeping a gratitude journal is another way to remind your brain that good things that are happening right now. Write down one thing you’re thankful for today. This could be something simple like hot running water, comfortable furniture, a roof over your head.
If you already have a daily practice that includes prayer, meditation, or journaling, keep it up!
If you try any of these suggestions and they help you feel calmer or more centered, please let me know. I’d love to hear from you!
To prep for this week, I read Jimmy Carter’s book “Faith”.
He talks about the meaning of faith, and how it impacts our lives and the world. While there are many types of faith, his is based in Christianity, and God’s love.
In his book, Carter describes navigating the duality of politics and Christianity. He believed that it was his responsibility to inject the moral and ethical values of his faith into the processes of government. At the same time, he said, “there must be an absolute prohibition against granting any control by government over our religious freedoms.”
My Grannie Mattie was a big fan of Jimmy Carter. In fact, on more than one occasion the “Primetimers club” from her Methodist church packed everyone on a bus and carried them up to Jimmy Carter’s church in Plains, Georgia to listen to him lead a bible study.
My Grandmother would have been 99 years old this month, so I’ve been thinking about her a lot. She was a shining example of faith, hope, positivity, and overcoming hardship with grace.
Here’s my story about a time my faith was tested:
While I look pretty healthy, I’ve been through major medical events, including multiple surgeries. I had a back surgery 11 years ago, and lately (right on schedule for a dicscectomy it turns out) my back and hip have been painful to the point where often sitting or walking causes me pain.
As I look into the possibility of having another surgery, I’m remembering how terrified I felt before my last surgery, and how grateful I felt after. Back then, I was living alone, I did not have health insurance and was in severe pain for months. I was doing all the things in an attempt to stay calm – meditation, stretching, yoga, resting.
I was seeing a chiropractor and acupuncturist who provided me with temporary relief, until even they could no longer help me. Pilates had helped with my back pain when I was in my 20’s, but now I was 40 and the nerve pain was so severe I knew I was not going to Pilates my way out of this one.
I felt terrified and fearful. I imagined having to close my business and going to live with my mom in Florida and no one wanted that (love you Mom :).
What surprised me the most about going through this experience was the massive amount of support I received. I’m not one to ask for help, but I had no choice, I was helpless. I had to accept help from my people. (if you are stubborn like me, here’s a tip, people WANT to help you!).
I had a successful surgery, and every day clients and friends came over to my house with food, or just to check on me. One of my ladies even cleaned my bathrooms!
As I was recovering, my mom came to stay with me for a few weeks. At the end of her visit she said how she’d been worried about me, feeling like I was out here all alone, and she was so happy to see how much love and support I was receiving.
I felt so much gratitude for all the medical staff. After the surgery I found out my surgeon had done thousands of these surgeries, even written books about it. I still remember the sweet face of one of the nurses who prepped me for surgery. She had beautiful, clear, blue eyes and she got right in my face and spoke to me softly, telling me they were going to take good care of me and everything was going to be ok.
This experience taught me a lot about how to treat clients who’ve had surgeries or are dealing with chronic pain. Watching myself and my clients’ recovery processes gives me renewed faith that bodies and hearts can heal.
I have faith that good things are happening.
So, what does any of this have to do with fitness or massage? While I do help my clients get stronger physically, I also take into account the whole person. How are you sleeping, who do you spend time with, when do you take rest breaks?
If you’re not tending to your mental health, you’re missing a big piece of what it means to be truly healthy. If you need help this fall, reach out to me today. I’m booking in-person and zoom appointments for October. We will discuss your goals, and how I can help you succeed. Weekly text check-in? Twice a month phone call? How can I help you stay on track?
This week your challenge is to rest for thirty minutes every day.
I know, I know, you’re busy. You don’t have time to rest. It’s all on you to get everything done. If you don’t do it, who will?
Maybe you were raised in a culture that views rest as a waste of time. Being “lazy” was a bad word. A no-good layabout. Being busy was valued and rewarded.
Let me ask you this: have you ever had the flu or a bad cold where you’re not “go to the hospital” sick, but you’re too sick to lift your head off the pillow? Everything you had planned – work, school, fun stuff, travel, was cancelled. Remember how the earth continued to rotate on its axis despite your not having done any of those very important things?
Can you view a scheduled rest from this lens? You can pause. It will be ok.
By rest, I mean nap, close your eyes, put your feet up.
Meditate, sit and stare out the window, watch the birds and squirrels. Yes you can read a book, or listen to music. My definition of rest would not include watching t.v. or scrolling on your phone.
Give your mind and body a rest.
To prep for this week, I read “Rest Is Resistance” by Tricia Hersey AKA The Nap Bishop. She writes about rest as a form of protest against our capitalist culture. Want to stick it to the man? Take a nap!
“All of culture is collaborating for us not to rest… We are sleep-deprived because the systems view us as machines, but bodies are not machines. Our bodies are a site of liberation. We are divine and our rest is divine.There is synergy, interconnectedness, and deep communal healing within our rest movement. I believe rest, sleep, naps, daydreaming, and slowing down can help us all wake up to see the truth of ourselves. Rest is a healing portal to our deepest selves. Rest is care. Rest is radical.”
~Tricia Hersey
Maybe you view rest as something you do once a year on vacation. Or rest is a reward for working really hard, not something you deserve, just because.
I’m sure you’ve experienced this – you have a big deadline at work or a project or event you’re in charge of. You work and work, staying up late, putting in long hours. Then the second it’s done, and you can finally relax, you get sick. Your body has been running on straight adrenaline and caffeine and the exhaustion has you plum wore out as they say.
This idea that we have to be busy is an illusion. When you give yourself rest breaks, you’re actually more productive than when you pull an all-nighter. You deserve to rest.
You are worthy of rest, right now. You don’t have to earn it.
Rest allows your mind to soften and open to creativity. Ever been in the shower and thought of a brilliant solution to a problem, or just the right thing to say to someone? Thats because you weren’t actively chewing on it. Your mind was resting.
Rest is not a luxury, it is your right!
Now that I’ve convinced you of the benefits of rest, how and when do you actually do it?
Schedule it. Book a blank spot in your calendar and treat this as a sacred space. Despite your or anyone else’s efforts to fill it with something, don’t! Protect it at all costs!
Get it when you can. Don’t have 30 minutes to nap? Take 5 deep breaths before the start of your meeting. Savor your coffee or tea in the morning, feel the warmth of the mug, notice the flavor. Close your eyes for 5 minutes after lunch.
Attach it to something. Rest after you complete a task. Rest after a meal. Rest after your workout. I’ve been doing this version of constructive rest with my legs on the ball after every Pilates class.
How do you feel about being asked to rest?
Please reach out to me if I can help you this week. I am here for you!
503-705-4762
I’m now booking in-person movement and or massage sessions here in Vancouver on Fridays and have these times available in October:
Friday October 3rd at noon
Friday October 10th at 1:30 or 4:30
Friday October 17th at noon
Anne McCranie is a Vancouver, Washington-based personal trainer and licensed massage therapist. She shares lifestyle tips with you so that you can look and feel your best.
