WHAT BEGAN AS A SMALL CHALLENGE BETWEEN FRIENDS TO DANCE FOR 11 MINUTES EACH MORNING HAS TURNED INTO A COMMUNITY CELEBRATION OF MOVING MEDITATION.
Redefining what it means to dance, “Dance Now, Think Later!” has created an empowering and invigorating way to start each and every day, according to creator Liza Pitsirilos.
When it comes to dancing, intimidation is often what holds people back but is exactly what makes “Dance Now, Think Later!” so great. According to Liza, the dance floor creates a safe place for people to let go and see themselves in a new light.
Dancing to Improve Your Well-Being
Morning movement can shape your day and actually impact more than just your own life. Liza has come to live by this motto with her new movement:
Liza Pitsirilos, MS, E-RYT, a popular Yoga & Fitness Instructor at Pritikin, is redefining what it means to dance. “Dance Now, Think Later!” has created an empowering and invigorating way to start each and every day.
Move your morning, move your day,
Move your day, move your life,
Move your life, move your world.
At Pritikin Longevity Center, the goal is to transform your entire lifestyle and overall well-being, physically, emotionally and mentally. The internal changes taking place during your journey to weight-loss and optimal health are just as powerful as the visible external changes you are witnessing. Helping to consistently guide guests to that place of emotional well-being is Pritikin’s Senior Mind Body Specialist Liza Pitsirilos. For Liza, dancing has always been a healthy and fun way to keep her body energized and charged.
“It’s a moving meditation that allows the mind to reach a state of peace.” she said. “It’s liberating, it’s fun, it’s social.”
After returning home from a Journey Dance retreat, Liza soon lost that elated feeling she had while there and felt her mind going a mile a minute. It was then that she decided to challenge herself to a daily morning practice of dancing.
“Pritikin’s mission is directly in line with this dance initiative.”
She said that within a matter of days she saw a difference in her mental state – she felt empowered and intentional each day that she began the morning with dancing. Soon she began challenging friends and community members to 11 minutes of freestyle dancing each morning. The feedback, according to Liza, was very strong. Many people had never thought of dance in such a moving, uplifting way before. For those looking to transform their lives in a positive way, such as guests at Pritikin working toward health and fitness goals, spending time dancing each morning can have a real impact on their mindset for the rest of the day.
A Movement is Born
From there, “Dance Now, Think Later!” was born. The first component of the project kicked off in Little Haiti in Miami on August 24 as the first-ever morning dance party in the city. The intention is to get people moving first thing in the morning in a new way that is both positive and uplifting, to get people’s hearts pumping and have them dance into the day in a fun, healthy way. The event brought all types of people together with a live DJ and easy-to-follow freestyle dance moves. It was also a way of bringing the community together on a larger scale.
The positive feedback was contagious and has transpired into continuing the second component of the movement: morning dance challenges right at home.
“We’ve received fascinating stories of people who’ve had an improved outlook of the day by participating and others have shared that by actually ‘dancing now and thinking later’ – they’ve had bursts of energy that carried them through the day,” said Liza. “I think we forget how powerful our mornings can be. Morning routines can really shape the direction we’re going for that day.”
Dancing to Health and Happiness at Pritikin
Now, guests too can join this dance initiative toward empowerment, healthy living and improved well-being as Liza brings her “Dance Now, Think Later!” classes to Pritikin. The benefits of dancing are multifold and now, guests will be able to reap the power of each. From a physical standpoint, dancing is a great form of cardio that can improve flexibility, as well as muscle strength, tone and even endurance.
But dancing goes well beyond the external benefits: It’s beneficial for your emotional and mental well-being as well. As a moving meditation, dancing is a healthy and natural way to let go of stress, feel free and momentarily forget about your troubles.
“Pritikin’s mission to create healthy lifestyles that last is directly in line with this dance initiative I founded just this year here in Miami,” Liza said.
When it comes to dancing, intimidation is often what holds people back but is exactly what makes “Dance Now, Think Later!” so great. According to Liza, the dance floor creates a safe place for people to let go and see themselves in a new light.
“They get to see just how amazing and creative and intuitive they are. And to see that in other people as well, is really powerful,” she said. “It’s a form of expression allowing our bodies to feel free, uninhibited, healthy and energized. It clears the mind from its tendency to overthink and overanalyze.
