by Monica McAghon as told to Laura Goldstein
(from November, 2003 issue of Prevention Magazine)
You've got to be kidding. "Belly dancing?" I looked at my friend in disbelief when she gave me 6 weeks of Middle Eastern dance lessons as a gift. I had just been through the diagnosis of breast cancer and a mastectomy and was in the middle of chemotherapy. I was put off by the sexual connotations I'd always attached to belly dancing. But out of respect for my friend, I went. My classmates were women of all ages, shapes, and sizes. None of them were the Barbara Eden, I Dream of Jeannie look-alikes I'd expected.
Healing inside and out. The surgery took muscle from my sternum to underarm and as high as my collarbone. The dance strengthened the afflicted muscles and restored lost reach to my left arm and shoulder. The experience was visceral, connecting me to my muscles, blood, bones, and womb. I felt womanly - that I had only one breast was irrelevant. I realized that under my circumstances, there was no better way to exercise.
For every woman. You don't have to be a breast cancer survivor to enjoy the benefits of Middle Eastern dance.
Belly Dancing Benefits:
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Belly Dance Orientale Expressions Middle Eastern Dance Page / updated September, 2005