BALANCE

Second in a series of achieving a better lifestyle

My positive life experience is through an exercise and dance programme that is a fusion of movement and breathing at a level of discipline that feels comfortable for ongoing mental and physical fitness.

This discipline is over 100 years old.

It is called MMM (Margaret Morris Method).

I started with posture and now I am moving on to balance. Balance is achieved by strength and focus. MMM balance exercises are delightful to do because they are aesthetically pleasing and graceful. They benefit the body through coordination of parts. A body learns and remembers where all the parts are in relation to the body core and appendages.

Margaret Morris developed MMM as a fusion of movements influenced by her times. Orientalism was popular then and some brave souls were experimenting with the likes of hatha yoga. I started taking yoga classes in the early 1970s. I appreciated its emphasis on breathing, stretching, strengthening and balancing. I took these skills from yoga to the first MMM class I attended and immediately recognized some similarities, especially when I learned elementary balances in MMM that also incorporated breathing. I found I could participate at a level of personal satisfaction that motivated me to continue so I returned to MMM classes year after year. When I was working full time I attended an evening class in the middle of the week that renewed my energy level making it easier for me to finish the work week. When I was not working full time I attended classes in the morning or afternoon, whatever fit my personal schedule. I continue to pursue MMM whenever I can because my body remembers the positive effects of this healthy lifestyle. Since I no longer live in a center where MMM is offered I travel to join in the many workshops offered by groups in other cities and countries. Wherever I go I am welcomed because I have a common language, a dance language, MMM.

4 thoughts on “BALANCE”

  1. What you say about MMM and healthy living strikes a chord. I have always found it difficult to do dance steps – some kind of body dyslexia, I think – and thus did not dance much except at occasionally uninhibited times. It was not until recently that I discovered NIA (which appears to have some similarities to MMM from what you say). There are still steps to learn, still the awkwardness of recalcitrant feet and arms, but there is a positive feeling of using the body, of enjoying the physical and mental effort, and of participating in the very supportive group of fellow dancers.

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