Free the Body, Free the Mind
Dance as therapy? New science suggests that dancing impacts the nervous system in a way that can free our mind and body in fascinating ways.
Dance movement therapy, or DMT has been a field of therapy since 1992, however, humanity for centuries has known that the body releases stored energy through this art.
If you watch any animal that has just engaged in a territorial fight, one where emotions and therefore, energy is high, in order to release this energy post-fight the animal engages in a type of dance or shaking; movement to ensure the negative energy does not stay stagnant in the body and manifest into something else.
As primitive beings, we have understood innately what it feels like to free flow our bodies. We experience this elevated emotion first as a child, freely exploring our body’s through a free-flowing-body that has yet to experience traumas, turmoils, and life experiences that create this immobility.
History shows us that our ancestors danced as a means for survival, to create bonds and community, similar to the idea of modern day nightclubs and bars that encourage dancing among its patrons.
In Bulgaria, they discovered caves that are 10,000 years old, where our ancestors are carved into the walls dancing around fires for rituals like fertility and hunting.
As we understand ourselves as energetic beings, it makes sense that they would use dance to try and cultivate an energy change or call on a type of “Source” energy to bring them good fortune and help them survive, much like the way we understand the law of attraction now.
My research on the chakra system and how to heal the energy stagnant in each chakra and the way that energy can affect our physical, emotional, and spiritual bodies, is what brought me to understanding the art of dancing and why it is so important for our overall health.
Our second chakra in particular is related to our feeling toward change, to let go, to flow, to move, and to yield. Movement and change is what stimulates consciousness, through feeling, we welcome healing.
“Through consistency consciousness finds meaning; through change it finds stimulation and expansion. To find consistency within change is to embrace the unfolding flow.” - Eastern Body, Western Mind
Free flowing movement, where we don’t expect anything particular from our bodies, but just allow it to flow with the beats of our favorite songs or rhythm within, awakens our feelings of pleasure, and scientifically both welcomes a release of happy hormones and increases sensation and awareness in the nervous system.
It is through sensation (experience through the 5 senses) and feelings (the things that generate emotion) that we experience the world, and we should always be striving to experience the best one we can, while we can.
Societies current obsession with “judgement” and “rejection” is a result of an over saturation of low vibrational beings that cast their spells over others and make them believe that the way they’re living is wrong. As if anyone has the rule book and guide.
These experiences throughout life, our principal telling us we’ll never amount to anything, our job firing us for not meeting their particular standards, our parents critiquing every decision we may make, can create this shadow within us that craves acceptance instead of vulnerability.
It is only through the work of release that we can start to feel free again.
The body has its own healing process, but these instincts that control whether the cells repair that wound or whether the organs decide to respond to chemotherapy can get interrupted by trauma or ongoing stress, thereby upsetting the entire structure and the free flow of energy.
When we feel threatened— this could be when our truth becomes threatened, when we get bad news, when we go through an intense surgery, or when we are abused, our body freezes the natural flow of energy. This allows us to temporarily dissociate, an attempt to avoid the painful sensations accompanied with that trauma.
In response, the body becomes stiff, our nervous system is overwhelmed, and our muscles low fluidity.
We begin to feel anxiety, depression, and an overwhelming feeling of defeat.
To release the stagnant negative energy and restore the upward and downward flow of energy in our bodies, movement is imperative and something you can do for free and at any time.
I feel this release through yoga, especially when I engage in a more free-flowing type of practice that allows my body to move with my breath which keeps me anchored in my body so I can consciously release everything I need to that has created restriction in my body.
But I also feel this release when I, someone with very little rhythm, turn on my favorite playlist and move my body to the sounds and frequencies it is omitting, letting my body guide me and trusting as it gently takes over to heal everything I need to.
There’s a reason music makes us smile, makes us move, and leaves us with an overwhelming sense of freedom when we are done. Never stop reminding yourself of the energy that you are, and how the energy of the emotions you feel can be channeled into appropriate movements and activities that free your mind and your body.
There are no “bad” dancers only judgmental people, there is no “right” way, only your way. Allow yourself to be expressive and witness how your body, thoughts, and energy changes.
I created a beautiful playlist on Spotify to get you moving and dancing. This is the music I like to dance and vibe to that lifts my spirit and lets me feel free, but use whatever type of music gets you going and evokes a positive response in your spirit.
