Hi ho

I was at Suhaila's Level 2 weeklong a few weeks ago and we were suppose to already know the Level 2 finger cymbal drum solo when we arrived. I have to say I knew it pretty well, but not solid, and my finger cymbals are still messy. One of the things Suhaila said was if we are serious about being there (which at this level and the price we are paying for the workshop, and the work we have already put in...we should be serious) then we should think of the training as our job, and we should have known the choreography. I agree with her.

I am thinking of this as my job. (yes I have a job, but I am lucky to not have to go into an office, I get to go to my own costume shop). Today I have been working on a training plan. I am pairing my training plan with weight lose and overcoming my emotional eating. I am also starting a pain journal. I have found an outline of a body, front, side and back that I can mark where my pain is for the day and the intensity. I will also have room to record my workouts and my emotional thoughts about my body for each day.

Here is the schedule I am working out right now.

Sunday~
1 hr emotional work
30 min biking (for endurance building)
15 min of finger cymbal drills (right now that is all my over worked hands can handle
1.5 hour Suhaila L2 online class

Monday~
1 hr emotional work
1 hr personal training session
30 min biking
30 min pool work (to include working on my plié, relevé, and squats)
1.5 hour of learning and working choreography

Tuesday~
1 hr emotional work
rest the body day

Wednesday~
1 hr emotional work
1 hr personal training session
30 min biking
30 min pool work (to include working on my plié, relevé, and squats)
30 min Drill Breaks/Twitter Drills
1 hr Folkloric fusion online class
15 min Finger Cymbals

Thursday~
1 hour emotional work
30 min biking
1.5 hour Suhaila L2 online class

Friday~
1 hr emotional work
1 hr personal training session
30 min biking
30 min pool work (to include working on my plié, relevé, and squats)
1 hr dance movement class
2 hour of Suhaila studies (learning drum rhythms, watching required videos, reading and taking notes, reviewing nomenclature)

Saturday~
1 hr emotional work
30 min biking
1 hour of learning and working choreography
1.5 hour Suhaila L2 online class

Hi ho..hi ho..it is off to work I go!

Suhaila Workshop Austin, TX

Wow...I am still exhausted.

Suhaila was amazing..and worked us out very hard.

Part way through Saturday I realized that I was not isolating my lower abs enough and could feel all the low ab work in my upper abs. I find it frustrating that it is such a small movement on me. I am going to have to strengthen that!

Raqs Nova performance was acceptable. I felt like I was screwing up right and left. The biggest heroes in my life were in the audience and it really rattled me. Jim Glavan, came to see us perform. I was so happy that he was there for my Austin performance. But, when ever I looked at him the choreography just escaped my brain.

One thing Suhaila said over the weekend was about performing. You should know a piece so well that you can mark it while having a full on phone conversation. I am going to keep that in mind and use that as a test.

It was so nice to see some of the gals I had met at belly dance camp! It was nice to know that some of those women remembered me.