Resilience

Life continually challenges us. Some challenges are positive, presenting appropriate opportunities for us to learn and grow. Other challenges are just hard things that life throws at us: illness, injury, trauma, strife, loss.

Have you noticed that some people seem to absorb shocks better, bounce back faster, and somehow stay hopeful even when things are tough?

Those people are resilient. Everyone has resilience, but some have more than others.

Can resilience be increased, or is it pretty much pre-determined for each person?

Good question. Research shows that resilience is partly inherited. Certain genes boost resilience, and the environment in which we are born and raised plays a role.

BUT…research also shows that resilience has key ingredients that you can increase with your choices and actions.

5 Key Ingredients of Resilience

Self-awareness - Observing yourself: knowing how you expend energy, what your vulnerabilities are, what your strengths are

Self-regulation - Choosing your response to stress carefully, for best possible outcomes

Optimism - Believing that things can and will be okay because you have all the strengths you need to prevail, even through very difficult situations

Positive coping skills - Knowing which activities make you more resilient, and actually doing them on a regular basis

Social support - having friends and/or family who care for you, believe in you and support you

My mission is to build resilience in myself and others. To that end, I teach mindful dance fitness classes that are designed to build it, and I share blog posts that shine a light on various aspects of resilience and hopefully inspire new insights. The blog posts are free; the classes are affordable.

How can taking my classes and reading my blogs make you more resilient?

Self-awareness - My classes and blogs will help you discover new things about yourself that are directly relevant to your resilience.

Self-regulation - My classes and blogs will help you get better at self-regulation through mindfulness, calming techniques, and conscious choice-making.

Optimism - My classes and blogs will help you identify and appreciate your strengths and take a strengths-based approach toward life.

Positive coping skills - Taking my classes is itself a positive coping skill. Regular participants have said they have become more confident, mindful and joyful as a result of taking my classes often. Other best practices will be highlighted in my blog posts.

Social Support - With regular attendance, either in person or online, especially if you stay for the after-class discussions, you will become a valued member of a community that supports you in your quest for resilience.

How resilient are you right now? Take this quiz for a rough idea.

Practicalities

I teach in person and online at the same time. Here’s the schedule. Remember, the online version includes 3-day replay, so you don’t have to be there during class time.

My physical studio is located in Occidental, California. Online classes happen wherever you are, on Zoom.

You can join class anytime. No prerequisites, no experience needed, all genders and fitness levels welcome.

FAQ about my classes

I also create content which is free (emails, blog posts and occasionally recorded meditations). To get the free content, subscribe to my email newsletter here and/or follow me on Facebook, YouTube or Instagram.

Why not try a class?

Thank you for reading this, and congratulations on surviving the setbacks of your life.

Um, how did you do that?