Confession: I haven’t always been an uninhibited dancer.
As a child, I moved freely—unapologetically, joyfully. But as I grew older, I became more and more inhibited. I learned to follow choreography, to perform for others, to make my movements look right. And in that process, I lost touch with something essential. By the time I was in college, I had stopped dancing altogether. If you had asked me to dance, I wouldn’t have known what to do. I could hardly move at all. The part of me that once knew how to move freely was buried under layers of fear and inhibition.
Then, I found mind-body dance—a field of movement that wasn’t about how movement looked, but about how it felt. And in that first class, something clicked. I caught a glimpse of my uninhibited, joyful, light-filled childhood self. It was just a tiny spark, but I knew: I need this in my life.
At first, I struggled. During early trainings, whenever we were invited to dance freely, I wished the teachers would just tell me what to do. I didn’t understand why freeform dance mattered. I wanted steps, structure, something I could get “right.” But little by little, dance after dance, that tiny glimmer of freedom grew. Moving freely became easier. Then enjoyable. Then incredibly liberating.
But even then, I kept my freedom contained. I would only dance freely in class or in the privacy of my home—behind a closed door, alone. I wouldn’t even dance where my husband, Jon, could see me. I was afraid. What if he thought this part of me was too different, too weird? What if he wouldn’t love me as much?
Eventually, after years of dancing, I had a breakthrough. Jon helped me film a class for the first time. And you know what? My fears were unfounded. He wasn’t embarrassed or judgmental—he was moved. He had tears in his eyes, telling me how beautiful class was; how much he loved to see me so free, so happy, so me. It was a big moment for us. I had shown him my joyful dancing self, and he embraced it fully. From that day forward, I never hid my dancing from him again.
Now, I’m more free; my husband sees my joyful, wild, uninhibited dancing every day. So does my son. My parents. My sister and her family. You. There’s less compartmentalization—less of a “dance class me” versus “real life me.” Just me. And it feels so much better than holding back.
And yet, even after all that, there was still another layer to shed. A week ago, I shared my first dance Reel on Facebook—a 90-second clip of me leading Aya, just as I do in class. It felt incredibly vulnerable. In class, we share a mutual vulnerability: I let you see me, and you let me see you. But posting a Reel? That was a one-sided exposure. I was putting my most authentic, uninhibited, naked soul of a self out there—to be seen, to be judged, to be rejected.
But I did it. And I’m so glad I did.
I first shared the Reel on the Aya page, and then later on my personal feed—where even my aunts, uncles, cousins, neighbors, and husband’s colleagues could see it. People who had never seen this side of me. And you know what’s so great? Now they have. And it doesn’t even matter if they all like it or not. I’ve shown them (and the world) who I am, and now I’m free. I no longer need that stiff, heavy armor.
It’s amazing how sometimes I don’t even realize how much I’ve been holding back until I finally let go. I hadn’t realized how heavy the armor was until I took it off. Immediately after posting the Reel, I felt lighter. I chose authenticity, and now I feel even more free.
And the really fun, exciting part? Now more people who are looking for people like me, and practices like Aya can find us! Isn't that great? Aya is my BLISS, and I want to help it reach all of the hearts that are searching and yearning for it. Now that I've finally taken the leap (and gotten out of the way), it feels so wonderful. Passion unleashed. Let's goooooooooo!
It all has me wondering: where else do I hold back? Are there other ways I'm hiding part of myself, or wearing heavy armor, thinking I'm keeping myself safe... when really (at this point in my life) I no longer need to, and it's just keeping me from being able to connect with others?
Thoughts, friend? Does any of this resonate?
Are there ever moments where you hold back your light? Are there ways you hold back or dim the fullness of your joy, body, movement, voice, uniqueness, excitement, creativity, thoughts, or passion (either on or off the dance floor)? Are there any parts of yourself that you keep hidden away or armored up? If so—just maybe—could you let one tiny sliver of your beautiful light shine a bit brighter this week? Maybe just in one brief moment? Maybe for just one more person?
Your light is so beautiful. Your joy, passion, creativity, thoughts, and unique expression are such a gift to witness.
And the world needs more light. The world needs more joy. The world needs you—radiant, uninhibited, unfiltered, wonderfully unique you.
So shine on, love. I’ll be cheering you on every step of the way. And please do let me know how it goes! I'd absolutely love to hear from you anytime.
Ok, friend. That's what we're playing with this week. Can't wait to see what we discover together. Thanks so much for reading, and see you soon!
💛 Dani
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