ALT-2 Unique Ideas for a Mothers Day Gift
So, what could you get her for a Mother's Day Gift? Skip Hallmark. No stuffed animals. Diamonds are always a perfect choice. But if you're looking for something out of the ordinary, and exotic, you might want to consider a Mother's Day Gift that:
- Soothes PMS* Is an art form* Cultivates a svelte figure* Burns Calories* Increases her sex drive* Builds strong bones
These are the benefits of belly dance it is truly an art form that has prevailed for thousands of years, through cultural transformations, and fluctuations in societal standards. What is belly dance? Check this out here. And yes, BellyDancing is For every Woman.
No one knows her better than you, but here's some information that may help you decide if this is the right Mother's Day gift for her. Wikipedia says, "Belly dance is a Western name for an Arabic style of dance developed in the Middle East. In Europe, it is sometimes called oriental dance. Similarly, In Turkish it is referred to as oryantal dans ("Dance of the East"). Some American devotees refer to it simply as "Middle Eastern Dance".
Despite the variety of forms and cultural transformations, belly dance's most common feature is the isolated movements of the belly. These abdominal movements may be circular, rolling, angular, or vibrating. Vibrations and shimmies provide an aerobic workout. Slow belly rolls and hip undulations work the pelvic muscles, gently soothing away tensions, and increase circulation. This helps alleviate PMS, by working out the "congestion in the pelvic area." Belly Dance is work, and requires focused concentration, and is not only mentally stimulating, but brings a much needed break to much of the mundane tasks of a the day. Other benefits include the prevention of arthritis, Alzheimer's, and greater intuition. More on the Health benefits of Belly Dancing. Here's a beautiful book, regarding the ancient rituals and benefits of belly dance. Grandmother's Secrets: The Ancient Rituals and Healing Power of Belly Dancing.
Belly Dance's ability to soothe women is precisely the reason it is the oldest form of natural childbirth instruction. Belly dancers would dance around the bedside of a woman in childbirth, by a circle of her fellow tribeswomen. In this ritualistic form men are not allowed to watch - the purpose here is to hypnotize the woman in labor into an imitation of the movements with her own body. This greatly facilitates the birth and reduces pain from womb contractions. It helps the mother to move with instead of against the contractions. I find this particularly fascinating. You can read about this, here.
If you think this would be the perfect Mother's Day Gift, you can figure out where to find a local belly dance teacher here. If she's particularly shy, you can give her a belly dance DVD as a Mother's Day Gift. But, if you do decide to get this Mother's Day gift for her, please do this for her: leave her alone. She doesn't need an audience while she's trying to learn the tricky moves of the dance. Give her time to build her confidence. And, without ever seeing her dance, you'll notice a difference. She'll start to move differently. I'll leave you here to check out information from the belly dance experts:
- Belly Dance tips* Photo Gallery here* No local teacher?
