"Stretching more than your Waistline Makes the Summer Shine"

Miriam Schacter, founder of danceFIT danceABILITIES Canada, says "summer always comes along with big-burger-BBQs, weddings, and late-night-soirees." So to help your guests enjoy their entire meal experience, pile up on embodied-savvy along with the savory.

How to get started: As a holistical host, invite your guests to a stretch break between appetizers, main courses or desserts. Encourage people to move from their chairs so they have time to stand, digest, or feel how full they might already be.

What Miriam recommends:

1) Back and Belly: Interlock your fingers over your plate and stretch your palms out to the middle of the table. Breath out. Reach interlocked fingers up to the ceiling and stretch through your abdomen. Breath In. Release hands gently by your sides while greeting those sitting next to you.

2) Neck and Upper Spine: Place your fingertips gently on the table in front of you. With ease, turn your neck from side to side in a slow "No" motion. Follow up with an easy "Yes" motion. Breath deeply into your ribcage and lift through your spine. Finally, with your fingertips still supporting you, close your eyes and rotate your head in gentle half circles forwards.

3) Core and Breath: Slowly, twist your upper body half way on your seat and hold on to the back of your chair. Use the chair for the hold, not your muscles. Breath slowly and enjoy the stretch. Return back to center and gently roll your shoulders in any direction. Take a moment before twist-releasing to the other side.

Take your time as all these moves can slow down your eating pace and alcohol intake. Remember, that anyone with health concerns can modify these embodied motions. CHEERS to all for a job well done!

Other Ideas? Children especially love a "sunday-morning-family-dance-party". You can create any ritual that celebrates embodied together-ness. Not only do you get moving, you model to others "how to" create positive energy in themselves, instead of "how to" consume in both product and produce. ~ MS

Miriam Schacter is a burger-eating dance fitness choreographer living in Toronto

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Contact:
Miriam Schacter
Cell: 416.939.1672 Email: mir.iam@sympatico.ca
Site: www.torontomoves.blogspot.com
Photo: Countryliving.com