You don't even have to be a "good dancer" to do this - who is going to be watching you in your kitchen? You can do it with a partner, or you can start out alone if you are feeling a bit sheepish. You could even start out doing this on a Saturday morning, so you don't have to worry about the time. Practice it enough and you can do it at the drop of a hat, on any morning with any amount of time.

How it works:

1. Pick the music that you have been itching to dance to, but "don't know how to". When you are getting ready for your first session of dancing in your kitchen after breakfast, some measure of abandon is really good. The "itching to do it" is a sure sign that your body is calling you to get out there and (I AM NOT KIDDING HERE) actually "shake your groove thing".... So put that music on first.

2. Before moving around, just stand there and close your eyes. Feel the rhythm of the music and feel where and how your body WANTS to move. (...WAIT for it!)

Now there may be a moment - or even a few moments - where you (or you and your partner, if you are really feeling feisty!) are just standing there, eyes closed, feeling the music and wondering when the dancing is going to begin... Believe it or not, this is one of the best parts - because it turns out that the anticipation of dancing is one of the most physically sweet things about doing it. So even if this waiting takes you through a whole song, really, let the music court you like a sweetheart. It will make the dancing so much easier.

3. You will get to the point where you have been following step 2 for so long (and the time is different for everybody,there is no standard here) that you have SIMPLY GOT TO MOVE! When that happens, just go for it - and see what your body does. Don't worry about the steps – at this point, you'll be moving with abandon (and hopefully laughing - because this is very silly really. At the same time it is very scientific).

4. Keep dancing until you can't move another muscle - whether from moving or from laughing or from both. It doesn't matter how long or short a time this is; there is no standard, just suit yourself.

5. You can do this before breakfast - and you will be very hungry now, so your food is gonna taste GREAT! If you do it after breakfast, it will be a completely different experience. (I've tried it both ways and there are advantages and disadvantages to both - so please experiment!)

Dancing in the kitchen to a CD called "Latin Dance Party" is one of my favorite ways to start my day. It gets me moving and laughing and feeling powerfully alive.