Zumba is a form of meditation

I have come to realize that the Zumba dance classes that I go to are actually a form of meditation.

We all meditate from time to time without really knowing it. Meditation is when you are concentrating on something, yet relaxed and enjoying the process. It is when you feel whole in the present moment and in harmony with all that is. However, what makes you a meditator is when you know you are meditating.

When I am in a Zumba class, I am in the present moment. I cannot think of the past or the future. I have to concentrate on the choreographies (if I don't I will go out of synch with the class). Yet, I'm smiling and I'm not feeling time passing by.

I don't feel like it's a grim duty that I have to finish. My aim is not to get to the end of the Zumba class. The dance itself is the goal. I am enjoying the moment and opening up to the infinite.

Dancing is a way of communicating emotions through movement. It helps people have a dialog with their bodies.

Because Zumba is a group form of choreographed dance, it makes us feel part of something larger than ourselves. The class is like a team that works together to produce a work of art. The creative synchronicity that we all achieve together expands spirituality.

Dancing meditation makes us more spiritual because it helps us transcend our egos.

We bless the Lord by dancing.. because dancing kills the ego, and once the ego has been killed, there is no further obstacle to prevent you from joining with God. -- told to Greek writer Nikos Kazantakis by a Sufi dervish

Dancing is like meditation in that it cultivates love.

While I dance I cannot judge, I cannot hate, I cannot separate myself from life. I can only be joyful and whole. That is why I dance. --Hans Bos

The mind wanders and returns

Does my mind wander off in Zumba class? It sure does, but not for long. There are repetitive moves that become second nature and don't require concentration. These moves might allow my mind to drift to my thoughts, but they only last a few seconds. After that, the moves change and I have to bring my mind back to the moment, else the class will notice that I'm not concentrating.

This is what happens in meditation. It's not that your mind does not wander off. It is that every time it does, you bring it back to your focus of attention.

Different strokes for different folks

So why doesn't everyone get into a meditative state in Zumba class like I do?

Because we all march to the beat of a different drummer. We are made with different predilections.

For some people, painting is what makes them feel in the flow. For others, it is being in nature, writing poetry, playing with children, going to a place of worship, helping people in need, or sitting and watching one's breath.

"God calls one man with a song, one with a shout, one with a whisper, one with a dance. Which way are you called?" Rabbi Nachman of Breslov