Belly Dance Institute Mumbai By Ritambhara Sahni: December 2016

Ritambhara Sahni - Interview in Bombay Times

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Belly Dance Classes in Mumbai

Ritambhara Belly Dance

- Belly Dance Class in Mumbai

The world of belly dancing revolves around hip drops, sways and shimmies.
But if you thought it was just the belly that is in focus, think again. The exotic moves of belly dancing, aka Raqs Sharqui, can infact benefit most of the other parts of the body, too. This highly popular Middle-Eastern dance form utilizes muscles in the abdomen, pelvis, spine, neck, hands, shoulders and feet. The dance is based on movements that come naturally to the human body and not against it. Also, the combination of physical activity and meditation make it a holistic dance form.
"While it improves the flexibility of the body, it also helps in reducing ones waist- hip ratio. This aids reduction of insulin resistance and chances of diabetes. Repeating the slow and rhythmic moves is also effective in conditions like hypertension and high cholesterol," says gynaecologist Dr Nandita Palshetkar.

But, it's not only health benefits. Belly Dancing Teacher Ritambhara Sahni opines that more than anything else, it helps in renewed acceptance of one's own body.

"Belly Dancing helps women celebrate their bodies. Once you get the hang of a step, seeing the way your body moves can completely renew ones confidence and help women get comfortable with their bodies," she explains.

HERE'S HOW THE DANCE FORM CAN BENEFIT THE BODY :

Belly Dance Institute Mumbai by Ritambhara Sahni
Belly Dance Class in Mumbai

Improved Posture and Muscle Toning:

Chest Up, pelvis tucked in - that's the most common belly dancing prevent those nagging lower back problems. " The dance helps in improving posture as well as toning and strengthening the core muscles in a non invasive way." Belly Dance teacher Ritambhara Sahni explains. With the movements of Hip drops, circles, figure eights, shimmies etc, , the joint and ligaments in the lower back and hip are put through a range of gentle, repetitive movements. It helps relieve back stress which occurs mainly due to continuous sitting and a sedentary lifestyle. As for those arms and shoulders, holding them aloft- an important element of the dance --- the lifts, circles and the snake arms work wonders for toning up the muscles. Also being on one's feet, and toes in some steps, helps in improving body balance.

Stress Reduction

The dance is all about subtle rhythms and traditional calming movements. The moves are repetitive and hence, the dancer needs to let go of all disturbing thoughts and concentrate on only getting their moves right. "It increases your concentration, self confidence and makes you more positive, "says Ritambhara Sahni, who runs Belly Dance Institute Mumbai by Ritambhara Sahni. But that's not all. Stress causes the body to tense up. This results in contractions or spasms in muscle groups, especially the neck , shoulder and back. The contracted muscles in turn result in lactic acid build up causing soreness. Stress also affects the flow of blood to the muscles. Belly Dancing gently stretches those muscle groups, increasing the blood flow to them, helping in flushing out the lactic acid.

Belly Dance Institute Mumbai by Ritambhara Sahni

Belly Dance Institute Mumbai
Belly Dance Classes in Mumbai

Weight loss:

Belly dancing is a great cardio vascular workout. It also helps in improving blood circulation,says Ritambhara Sahni . An intense hour of belly dancing can burn upto 300 calories. Combined with a sensible diet, it plays a valuable role in weight loss. If your class is just once or twice a week, combining it with an aerobic routine on the rest of the days will really make those pounds disappear. While aerobic exercises work out the large muscle groups in the body, belly dancing will enhance strength and coordination of the smaller muscle groups in the trunk, hips and arms

Preparation for Childbirth

The movements of belly dancing help in strengthening muscles, especially those used during childbirth. Some of the gentle abdominal moves and hip tucks, are similar to those taught during prenatal classes and lay great emphasis on muscle control. Not only does this help facilitate natural childbirth, it also makes for an excellent post-natal exercise to help the new mother tone up her abdominal muscles. However, as the body is just about healing from the birth process, care must be taken to work the muscles, gradually and gently.
So go on ladies, move those hips, shake that belly and stay fighting fit.

rachel.fernandes@timesgroup.com
(with inputs by Amishi Shah)