http://www.onlineorganizing.com/BlogList.asp?sort=organizer&schedule=115 Welcome to the my blog Dancing Beyond Clutter where we will explore the "inner work" of home organizing through the metaphor of dance. You might wonder what organizing and dance have in common, and that's what we'll explore from week to week as I share my tips and musing on both subjects. Mon, 16 Nov 2009 14:45:25 EST en-us http://www.onlineorganizing.com/BlogEntry.asp?id=2747 http://www.onlineorganizing.com/BlogEntry.asp?id=2747 Mon, 16 Nov 2009 14:43:31 EST Fun! Are we having fun yet? This is what you'll hear when you're with people who aren't happy about the activity they're involved in. When I was younger and studying dance with the idea that I might try doing it professionally, I often found myself being overly critical, discouraged, and frankly, not having a whole lot of fun. Thanks for visiting my blog Dancing Beyond Clutter where we explore the "inner work" of organizing through the metaphor ... http://www.onlineorganizing.com/BlogEntry.asp?id=2695 http://www.onlineorganizing.com/BlogEntry.asp?id=2695 Sun, 1 Nov 2009 14:30:00 EST "Sweat for an hour, bask in the afterglow all day." Nancy Peham Therapy Exercise, and dance in particular has always been therapy for me. As a person who has spent most of my life being physically active and athletic it's no secret to me what science has now confirmed. One of the many benefits of exercise includes its mood-altering properties. Our brains release "feel good" hormones that circulate in our systems for hours after the exercise stops. ... http://www.onlineorganizing.com/BlogEntry.asp?id=2683 http://www.onlineorganizing.com/BlogEntry.asp?id=2683 Sun, 25 Oct 2009 14:30:00 EST "Your sacred space is where you can find yourself again and again." – Joseph Campbell Spatial Awareness Imagine a stage full of dancers moving in intricate patterns, sometimes moving in unison sometimes blending or diverging, but always following the choreography that represents the theme and overall flavor of the dance. Thanks for visiting my blog Dancing Beyond Clutter where we explore the "inner work" of organizing through the metaphor of dance. ... http://www.onlineorganizing.com/BlogEntry.asp?id=2639 http://www.onlineorganizing.com/BlogEntry.asp?id=2639 Sun, 11 Oct 2009 14:30:00 EST Centering Without a strong center the dancer is lost. It is the basis for everything she's able to accomplish, from holding her balance, to executing perfect turns, to raising her legs high above her head in apparent effortlessness. Thanks for visiting my blog Dancing Beyond Clutter where we explore the "inner work" of organizing through the metaphor of dance. In daily life centering is just as important but manifests itself in other ways. ... http://www.onlineorganizing.com/BlogEntry.asp?id=2624 http://www.onlineorganizing.com/BlogEntry.asp?id=2624 Sun, 4 Oct 2009 14:30:00 EST A healthy mind has an easy breath. ~ Author Unknown Breath For me, one of the hardest things to overcome in the dance classroom has been remembering to breathe! How can that be? Breathing is the one of the most natural of all our body's functions. It's literally an automatic response, something we don't need to focus our awareness on throughout the day in order to do. So how is it that we can forget, or more accurately, restrict ourselves ... http://www.onlineorganizing.com/BlogEntry.asp?id=2614 http://www.onlineorganizing.com/BlogEntry.asp?id=2614 Sun, 27 Sep 2009 14:30:00 EST "Discipline is the bridge between goals and accomplishments" - Jim Rohn Watching a professional like Tiger Woods on the golf course, Michael Phelps plying the water in an Olympic pool, or standing in front of Michelangelo's David in awe of the human form, you immediately know that discipline shaped their accomplishments. Thanks for visiting my blog Dancing Beyond Clutter where we explore the "inner work" of organizing through the metaphor of ... http://www.onlineorganizing.com/BlogEntry.asp?id=2589 http://www.onlineorganizing.com/BlogEntry.asp?id=2589 Sun, 13 Sep 2009 14:30:00 EST Envision the ballerina dancing. It's quite likely that you'll picture her balancing on the tips of her toes, twirling across the stage or leaping through the air. What all of these visions have in common is their sense of defying gravity and stepping lightly on the earth. Thanks for visiting my blog Dancing Beyond Clutter where we explore the "inner work" of organizing through the metaphor of dance. I want to use the analogy of the footprint today in relation to ... http://www.onlineorganizing.com/BlogEntry.asp?id=2570 http://www.onlineorganizing.com/BlogEntry.asp?id=2570 Sun, 6 Sep 2009 14:30:00 EST Reverence At the end of every ballet class is the re´ve´rence, or curtsey, which signifies the respectful admiration of the students for their teacher. Another form of reverence is applause for the teacher at the end of each class. For the uninitiated, this may seem like a strange practice, but since dance technique is passed from teacher to student by demonstration, explanation and hands-on correction, it's a fitting thank-you to the teacher for the knowledge she ... http://www.onlineorganizing.com/BlogEntry.asp?id=2550 http://www.onlineorganizing.com/BlogEntry.asp?id=2550 Sun, 30 Aug 2009 14:30:00 EST The main thing is keeping the main thing the main thing – German proverb Spotting In dance, the concept of "spotting" has to do with focusing on a fixed point while traveling through space. By setting her sights on a specific target the dancer is able to control her direction of movement and feel confident that she won't collide with other dancers or become dizzy and lose her balance. Thanks for visiting my blog Dancing Beyond Clutter where ... http://www.onlineorganizing.com/BlogEntry.asp?id=2532 http://www.onlineorganizing.com/BlogEntry.asp?id=2532 Sun, 23 Aug 2009 14:30:00 EST Earth and Sky Earth and Sky. What do these words conjure up in the mind? First, "down to Earth", solid, grounded. The sky? "head in the clouds", ethereal, weightless. How do these apparent opposites mesh in the world of dance and organization? Thanks for visiting my blog, Dancing Beyond Clutter where we explore the "inner work" of organizing through the metaphor of dance. Actually, for a dancer to jump high into the air she must use the ground, or ... http://www.onlineorganizing.com/BlogEntry.asp?id=2512 http://www.onlineorganizing.com/BlogEntry.asp?id=2512 Sun, 16 Aug 2009 14:30:00 EST If you've ever exercised in your life, you know that sometimes there's pain involved. It could occur during your workout or a day later when you start to feel the muscles you haven't used in a long time. As a lifelong dancer I've come to appreciate the pain as a sign of progress, hard work and perseverance. The pain I'm referring to is not the pain caused by injury, which is a type I always try to avoid. Thanks for visiting my blog Dancing Beyond ... http://www.onlineorganizing.com/BlogEntry.asp?id=2500 http://www.onlineorganizing.com/BlogEntry.asp?id=2500 Sun, 9 Aug 2009 14:30:00 EST Every ballet class consists of three distinct parts – the barre (pronounced "bar"), center work , and traveling across the floor . Each of these is essential to a thorough workout of the dancer's various muscle groups, mental concentration, balance and core strength. Thanks for visiting my blog Dancing Beyond Clutter where we explore the "inner work" of home organizing through the metaphor of dance. The progression of a class through these three phases has some ... http://www.onlineorganizing.com/BlogEntry.asp?id=2477 http://www.onlineorganizing.com/BlogEntry.asp?id=2477 Sun, 2 Aug 2009 14:30:00 EST "Talk the talk, but dance the walk" author unknown George Balanchine was one of the most influential choreographers of the 20 th Century. Where plot and story line were predominant in European ballet, Balanchine, a Russion born dancer who emigrated to the U.S. and created the New York City Ballet, made movement itself the star of the show. Throughout his career, Balanchine created dances that highlighted the talents and capabilities of his premier dancers, each of them ... http://www.onlineorganizing.com/BlogEntry.asp?id=2462 http://www.onlineorganizing.com/BlogEntry.asp?id=2462 Sun, 26 Jul 2009 14:30:00 EST Have you ever seen a ballerina balancing, seemingly effortlessly on one leg, the other raised high in the air behind her? Imagine her head held high, arms outstretched, with a feeling of energy flowing gracefully through her fingertips. How does she do it? Thanks for visiting my blog Dancing Beyond Clutter where we approach the subject home organizing through the metaphor of dance. Just as it's impossible to dance without a fine tuned sense of balance , it's equally ... http://www.onlineorganizing.com/BlogEntry.asp?id=2457 http://www.onlineorganizing.com/BlogEntry.asp?id=2457 Sun, 19 Jul 2009 14:30:00 EST Flexibility. Suppleness. Elasticity. I'm always awed and inspired when I see accomplished dancers performing their feats of grace and beauty. They epitomize the ideal of flexibility with their ability to inhabit shapes, forms and lines not available to mere mortals. Thanks for visiting my blog Dancing Beyond Clutter where we approach the subject home organizing through the metaphor of dance. If you struggle with letting go of items in your life that are no longer useful or ... http://www.onlineorganizing.com/BlogEntry.asp?id=2439 http://www.onlineorganizing.com/BlogEntry.asp?id=2439 Sun, 12 Jul 2009 14:30:00 EST Welcome to my blog Dancing Beyond Clutter where we will approach the subject of home organizing from the perspective of dance. You might wonder what organizing and dance have in common, and that's what we'll explore from week to week as I share my tips and musing on both subjects. As a Certified Professional Organizer® with over seven years of working with homeowners "in the trenches" I've seen just about every situation you can imagine and a few you can't. My purpose ...