Salsa in San Antonio

Wednesday night I took my first lesson in a series of salsa and merengue classes, a birthday gift from my stepdaughter. I love to dance and I am usually the first one to bop to the dance floor in any place with live music. I learned to groove to the rocking beat of the Stones, Grateful Dead and CSN&Y and if you are familiar with these bands, then you know there are no set dance steps to memorize nor do you really have to do anything similar to the moves of your dance partner--you just move! I have always admired people who could get out on the dance floor and, no matter what the style of music being played, effortlessly move their feet in rhythm and time with each other. I want to learn to glide across a dance floor, seeming unconscious of what my feet and those of my partner are doing. When my hubby and I attempt to dance anything other than "freestyle"--the results are sometimes embarrassing and often hilarious.

Years before we moved to Texas, my husband and I stopped in a small Texas town while on a cross-country drive. As we checked into the local motel for the night, we heard music and laughter emanating from the dance hall next door. We moseyed on over and watched the room spin in sync to the Texas Two Step. It was the first time I had witnessed such a dance spectacle. Both of us thought the dance looked pretty easy and jumped in at the next song. We felt confident in our ability to figure out the steps, and if nothing else, we could fake our way through a song. HA! What we found was that we were consistently going against the flow of traffic like salmon swimming upstream. We stepped on each other's toes and the toes of the poor people who ventured into our chaotic path. After a few minutes, we laughingly took our seats and enjoyed the dancers from the sidelines.

Now at 47 I am finally going to learn to swim in sync with the other dancing salmon and boogie in step with my life partner. As a coach I encourage my clients to step outside their comfort zone and broaden their horizons. Learning something new not only enhances your life portfolio but some studies on longevity suggest that when you challenge your brain to learn new skills, you live younger for a longer period of time--isn't this something we all want to do? The New York Times Bestseller, "Younger Next Year For Women" by Chris Crowley and Henry Lodge, MD purports that to live longer and younger we should eat wisely, exercise frequently and moderately, challenge our minds with new skills and become involved in social activities. Aging is a fact of life, but according to Dr. Lodge, aging well is very much within our control.

Social interactions appear to play a large factor in living longer. As humans we are pack creatures--we enjoy social contact and gain health benefits from the love and attention we give and receive from others. When we become socially isolated, we tend to go into something akin to physical and psychological hibernation. Without stimulation from others, or interest in others, we shut down like our computer after a period of time. Given the fact that I want my hubby to live a long and, as healthy a life as possible by my side, he is learning the salsa right along with me. This is an opportunity for us to experience a new adventure, get some exercise in a lively environment, meet friends, and challenge our brains (and feet) to learn a novel skill. What a way to enlist in an exercise program and enrich our relationship at the same time! Six short weeks from now we are looking forward to stepping back out onto that dance floor to SALSA! Who knows, maybe "Dancing With The Stars" is next!

Thought for the Day: What can you do to begin to live younger longer? Think about how you can make simple alterations in your diet, activity level and social involvement to make a huge impact on your quality of life. Remember: This is your life, live it with purpose!

Learning to walk sets you free. Learning to dance gives you the greatest freedom of all: to express with your whole self the person you are.--
Melissa Hayden