Last, but certainly not least was Zumba® World Rhythms: India. Having my BollyX certification from last fall, I've already experienced the flavor and rhythms of India, but it was nice to learn more styles and add to my repertoire of knowledge. As an instructor, if you are considering taking any of the rhythms courses, I highly recommend them. If you are a student, I can't wait to bring these rhythms to our next classes! I love world music and world rhythms. What a diverse, beautiful planet we live on and we are so lucky to experience so many different cultures, sounds & tastes. 

From the Zumba® website: 
ZUMBA® WORLD RHYTHMS: INDIA - Travel the world from your living room with World Rhythms India! Discover four new rhythms, Bollywood, Garba, Lavani and Bhangra and explore new ways to heat up your studio. The easy-to-follow e-learning capsule features exciting new basic steps, music and moves inspired by the colorful Indian culture. Plus, four all-new choreos created in collaboration with Shiamak Davar International, the dance academy founded by Shiamak Davar, legendary Bollywood choreographer and close friend of Beto Perez.

I wanted to take a moment and write about my new favorite meditation app, Balance. I came across this app in an recent article, and Balance was offering 1 year of a free pro subscription due to Covid-19 and I wanted to try it out. I've never formally tried meditation on a consistent basis, though I can definitely say I have probably needed it my whole life. What's great about this app is that it will check in with you as you progress with questions you can answer to give you a more personalized experience. I'm really enjoying using it on a daily basis and you only need to devote about 10 minutes a day to go through a session. Small, daily goals! If you are interested in trying mediation for the first time, or if you already meditate and are interested in trying Balance, you can email them here. It seems from their Twitter profile, that they might be still offering the free one year subscription that was originally offered in March. Good luck and take a nice, deep breath! :)

In addition to the license, Zumba®  offers additional online education & training via additional studies in different rhythms around the world. Next on my list was to work through the Caribbean-Jamaica online education as this is one of my favorite regions of the world. As expected, I got a great flavor of some of the wonderful styles of dance that this region has to offer, all I was missing was my tropical drink with an umbrella in it! Here is the description from the Zumba®  website: 

ZUMBA® WORLD RHYTHMS:
CARIBBEAN-JAMAICA - World Rhythms Caribbean will transport you from the studio to the shore with all-new choreo and tracks rooted in the flavors of Jamaica. Explore three exciting styles of dance—Mento, Ska and Dancehall — and discover new ways to turn your fitness-party into a Caribbean getaway. Plus, learn about the rich island culture that influences the rhythms that move us. The easy-to-follow e-learning capsule features brand-new steps, music and choreography to take your class on a global getaway.

Today is my birthday and I am excited to have been happy, healthy and alive for all these years. My friend Katie baked me the most DELICIOUS cake with a peanut butter buttercream frosting over chocolate cake. I have to admit, I will be eating cake a lot this week so thank goodness Zumba Home Office is giving us a virtual ZINCON this year. I'll have plenty of opportunities to burn this cake weight back off by dancing everyday. What is your favorite dessert? How to you fit it in to your healthy lifestyle? Do you eat less that day or work out more? Either way, a little celebratory cake is worth it on your birthday! Enjoy the cake and enjoy each day we are gifted to be on this earth.