The last note of La Cumparsita rings through the air, and you’re mildly grateful. You’re both swaying from exhaustion. You hug your partner, then immediately take off your shoes. You have survived a tango marathon. In heels. Woo!
You hobble over to your shoes only to realize they feel 2 sizes too small. You have danced so much your feet are swollen. Oops. Totally worth it though…
So how does one survive a tangover? Well, http://www.grief.com will help us understand the five stages of [tango] grief.
Denial
“[Denial] helps us to survive the loss. In this stage, the world becomes meaningless and overwhelming. Life makes no sense. We are in a state of shock and denial. We go numb.”
No it can’t be over! I was having such a fantastic time! Everyone is so sweet and welcoming I don’t want to go home…
Anger
“Anger is a necessary stage of the healing process. Be willing to feel your anger, even though it may seem endless. The more you truly feel it, the more it will begin to dissipate and the more you will heal.”
Oh yeah, I truly feel it. Whhhhhyyyy did I just dance practically 7 hours in a row. Why didn’t I pack more bandaids? Or another pair of shoes? Why didn’t I sleep more before my flight? So many questions…
Bargaining
“After a loss, bargaining may take the form of a temporary truce”
If I step gently my feet wont hurt so much. Just one more tanda, then I’ll sit and rest. I’ll sleep on the plane, it’ll be fine. I’ll catch up on normal eating when I get home.
Depression
“After bargaining, our attention moves squarely into the present. Empty feelings present themselves, and grief enters our lives on a deeper level, deeper than we ever imagined.”
Wow I miss everyone. That was so fun. NYC isn’t as… naw, NYC is still pretty great.
Acceptance
“It is the new norm with which we must learn to live.”
I am so grateful to have met so many amazing people. I know I’ll see them again somewhere in the tango world!
And now for some real tips…
Attempt to sleep anywhere you (safely) can.
You’re probably getting home as close to the Monday morning work day as possible. Plus chances are that you’ve danced for more collective hours than you have slept this weekend. I apparently missed some horrible turbulence and a terrible storm on the flight back home. Take advantage of your transportation!
ICE YOUR FEET
The second I got home at 12:30am I filled up a huge bowl with ice (my jacket was still on). All I could think about was bringing down the swelling. I submerged my feet for about 10 seconds then took them out until I felt like I could submerge them again.
Massage.
Bonus points if you book a massage. But, you can show your feet some TLC with self massage.
Stretch it out.
How many hours did you dance for? How long did you stretch for? I’m going to guess it’s something like several hours to minutes. When you are home, be sure to stretch it all out!
Eat your anti-inflammatories
After an irregular eating pattern, sleeping for 5 hours with the sun already up, plus alcohol let’s be honest, the body is a bit out of whack. Throw in a potential time zone change while you’re at it. Once I get home and I’m back to routine I try to make sure I am fueling up with antioxidant rich and anti inflammatory foods. Matcha green tea, and turmeric and ginger in my kitchari help soothe inflammation from the inside out.
Sleep.
I’m going to put this one on the list twice because it took me until Friday to feel like I caught up with enough sleep.
Give yourself a break.
As much as you may want to hop back into the dance studio make sure you’ve allowed your body adequate rest.
Keep calm and dance on!
dagny arizona 