What makes you shine?
Yesterday was Lantern Festival in Taipei, and the city is aglow with beautiful lanterns and twinkling lights. Winter is on it’s way out, the days are getting longer, and the sun has been peeking out more regularly. It’s all got me thinking about the things that bring the most “light” to my life.
Without a doubt the highlights of my day to day life are the moments I feel like I’m shining the most— sharing the joy I feel when I move to music and connecting with students and loved ones. I once read an interview with the CEO of Zumba, Alberto Perlman, in which he was asked what makes Zumba so special. He credited the idea of FEJ— Freeing, Electrifying, Joy as the thing which keeps people coming back class after class. To him, FEJ was the moment several minutes into class when students stop thinking about the dance moves and lose themselves in the uninhibited happiness that comes from celebrating music and movement alongside other people.
In a world where we may often feel the need to “dim” our own light because of the responsibilities of work, relationships, and societal norms, having a space to let go and freely be ourselves will always be needed. When I see the moment hit students through the smiles, the shouts, the power of their movements, I can’t help but notice. They are simply glowing. You may have heard the word “Namaste” used at the end of yoga classes translated as something similar to, “The light in me recognizes the light in you.” Although it’s been quite some time since I practiced yoga, it seems like such a perfect way to sum up the connection we have when we dance in class. We beam together. We can then carry that sparkle with us outside the classroom and come back to it on any particularly dark or difficult day. What brings out the light in you? Whether it’s playing with kids, feeling useful at the office, jumping out of airplanes or anything in between, when we find our light, we have the ability to make our world and others' brighter. Wishing you a light-filled week!
Keep moving! xx, Katie
(PS- Check out more gorgeous jewelry from SisterBoats here!）
什麼讓你發光發亮？
昨天是台灣的元宵節，整個台北充滿了美麗的燈籠和閃爍的燈飾。 冬天在它離去的路上，這幾天開始白天越來越長、太陽也慢慢展露出它的光芒。然而無庸置疑的，我每天最閃亮的時刻就是和大家一起分享隨著音樂舞動的喜悅，以及和學生與我愛的人產生連結的時刻。
我曾讀過一段 Alberto Perlman (Zumba CEO) 的訪問，當他被問到是什麼讓 Zumba 有如此特別的魔力呢？ 他把功勞歸貢獻給 FEJ，是自由自在 (Freeing)、 來電般地令人興奮 (Electrifying) 與喜悅 (Joy) 讓大家一次一次地回到 Zumba 課中同樂。 對他而言， FEJ 是課中幾分鐘的時間，當學生開始不在意舞步，純粹地沉浸在音樂當中，享受與他人一同隨著音樂舞動的喜悅。 在這個常常需要降低我們發光度的日常生活中，也許這是我們對於工作、家庭或是社會規範一種責任感的表現， 讓我們常常需要找一個空間來放開自己、解開約束、自由地做自己。每當我看到學生們透露出如此投入的笑容與呼喊，從他們的動作中呈現出來的力道，他們當下所綻放的光芒耀眼地讓我無法忽視！
你也許聽過瑜珈課結束時的用語 「Namaste」，簡單的翻譯是：『 我心中的光芒 意識出 你心中的光芒。』 雖然我已經很久沒有練習瑜珈了，但是這用語能為今天著主題做一個完美的總結來詮釋我們課中一起產生的連結 ------ 讓我們一起閃耀，也能帶著這光芒在課外持續閃耀，尤其是特別黑暗的時刻或是困難的日子。
是什麼能帶給你帶出你心中的這些光芒呢？ 不論是和小朋友玩耍、 在工作當中感受到價值、 去玩跳傘或是任何事情，當我們找到自己的光芒，我們就有能力讓我們的世界和他人的世界更加明亮。希望，你有一個充滿光芒的一週！
繼續前進！
愛你的 Katie
( Anna Liang 譯 )
(PS- 謝謝 SisterBoats 首飾)