Shake Shake Shake Dance for a Cause 4/30/2011

I will be collecting canned food and other non-perishable food items in class all this week, April 25th for donation to the Shake Shake Shake Event in Sunderland, MA on Saturday, April 30th.

This event is to benefit the Amherst and Turners Falls Survival Centers.

I will also accept donations at my home if anyone can't make it to class but would still like to help out!

Please email me Kate@papercityzumba.com if you need to arrange a pick up or drop off outside of class time.

If you are interested in attending the event here are the details.

Time: 4pm-6pm on Saturday, April 30th, 2011

Location: First Congregational Church, 91 South Main Street, Sunderland, MA

Info: An introduction to the Zumba Program with area instructors, Bella Dickerman, Juliet Cannici, Kate O'Donnell, Lauren Franks and Zulma Rivera, with John Delapena from Seattle, WA

Proceeds will benefit area needy families and also the Amherst and Turners Falls Survival Centers.

Cost: $8 or $5 with canned food item

If you are looking for Zumba or Fitness classes in Western Massachusetts including, Holyoke, South Hadley, or West Springfield please visit www.papercityzumba.com for a complete listing!

Be Kind to Yourself, It Might Lower Your Blood Pressure

Seriously. It might. Check out the video of a song we started doing this week called "Shake It" by Michael Franti and Spearhead with Lady Saw. The song is a happy expression of beauty being in the eye of the beholder and knowing that you are perfect just the way you are. To delve a little more, so many of you that I know personally are in the "helping professions" which require lots of giving to others. It also requires treating others with a certain amount of compassion. I came across this blog posting which suggests that people who find it easy to be supportive and compassionate toward others often score surprisingly low on self-compassion tests. The research suggests that giving ourselves a break and accepting ourselves can lead to better health. People who score more highly on self-compassion tests have less depression and anxiety and tend to be more happy and optimistic.

Give yourself a break, you deserve it!