Even Belly Dancers get the Toots!

Some recent events inspired me to delve into this little missive. Or big missive, whichever comes out!

We tend to hold things "in" a lot in our culture: emotions, ideas, pain, etc. We don't allow ourselves the ability to release a lot of the things that we need to. As such, we walk around in tightly wound postures trying to suck everything in.

And then you take belly dance classes for the first time. And then I tell you "Let it all go." This is the most difficult thing for students to do. The most challenging aspect of Belly Dance isn't movement, but surrendering your body to movement and allowing it to just be. Letting go of that tight assed, sucked in stomach posture is difficult.

But when students finally DO let it go....ppppppppppppfffffffffffffffftttt!

That's right people. I am talking about flatulence. It never fails. I will be starting up a beginner session and someone will always get the toots their first go round. And it's embarassing because women don't fart! Hell, we don't even like sex! Thank God both of those misnomers are just that....plain ass wrong!

The gals that have the quite farts, the silent, non-stinky farts are the luckiest. As are the class mates. But there are some gals that have been holding a little more in than the rest and their "toots of release" burn the eyes and sting the nose to the rotten egg quotient.

But guess what? Just like shit, farts happen! And it's a good thing, because it means that whatever yuckiness you are holding in, you are letting go of! Yay you! It may not be pleasant for your classmates (or teacher), but it's a good thing!

When I first started taking classes, I too felt things moving that had never moved before and it caused my guts to rumble and I would release at the most inopportune moments. Sometimes I was lucky. It was silent and stinkless. Thank God. And other times....oh my....other times....I wanted to die. I hoped and prayed no one knew it was me! Maybe they'd think it was the teacher.

I had been dancing for 2 years at this point. I was in class. My butt cheeks were squeezed so tightly together that a fart came out, rolled in a little air bubble up my butt crack and escaped at the top with a loud "POP!". I pretended like I didn't hear anything. And then. Oh God! It happened AGAIN! and AGAIN! No smell. Just this loud popping noise! My teacher stopped the class concerned that someone was popping their joints or harming themselves. "What is that noise? Is that YOU Stephanie?" I was mortified. "Um, yeah, I guess it was. I think it was my knees. They've been acting up lately. Maybe I'll go stretch them out." "Good idea". It then turned into this big discussion about joints and joints cracking and popping! I was MORTIFIED.  What if it happens again and this time....this time....it SMELLS?

Throughout the years, students have had hiccup toots, big toots, little toots, rumbly toots, rotten toots or burpy toots (this is a two in one event). The fact of the matter is, we sometimes have a little giggle, but then we roll on. I am not suggesting my students go out and eat a bean burrito before class but please realize, it's not a big deal. Everybody does it.....even Belly Dancers : )