Shake a leg to feel great and energized in life……….Dance Therapy

I really don’t know how to dance; I have often heard this statement from many of them. Well, just like, how so many things are imbibed in us, dance happens to be one of them. Don’t believe it? Then you must watch the toddlers sway in their own way without literal music playing.

Dancing makes one feel happy, it is so involuntary at times that you can’t resist moving your body. This can be very therapeutic most times. Dance is also used as a form of movement in order to help individuals achieve physical and mental health.

Dance / Movement Therapy (DMT)

Dance/movement therapy, usually referred to simply as dance therapy or DMT, is a type of therapy that uses movement to help individuals achieve emotional, cognitive, physical, and social integration. Beneficial for both physical and mental health, dance therapy can be used for stress reduction, disease prevention, and mood management.

In addition, DMT's physical component offers increased muscular strength, coordination, mobility, and decreased muscular tension. Dance/movement therapy can be used with all populations and with individuals, couples, families, or groups. In general, dance therapy promotes self-awareness, self-esteem, and a safe space for the expression of feelings.

How does DMT help?

Dance therapists work with people in therapy to help them improve their body image and self-esteem. Dance/movement therapy is a versatile form of therapy founded on the idea that motion and emotion are interconnected. The creative expression of dance therapy can bolster communication skills and inspire dynamic relationships. It is commonly used to treat physical, psychological, cognitive, and social issues such as:

Physical Issues:

• Chronic pain
• Childhood obesity
• Cancer
• Arthritis
• Hypertension
• Cardiovascular disease

Mental Health Issues:

1. Anxiety
2. Depression
3. Disordered eating
4. Poor self-esteem
5. Post-traumatic stress

Cognitive Issues:

• Dementia
• Communication issues

Social Issues:

1. Autism
2. Aggression/violence
3. Domestic violence trauma
4. Social interaction
5. Family conflict

Effectiveness of Dance Therapy

Research has demonstrated that dance therapy can be effective in the treatment of mental health issues like disordered eating, depression, and anxiety. There are several research that shows Dance therapy has helped in overcoming aggression, improved memory recall, and treated children with autism spectrum, and childhood obesity.

Is Dance Therapy different from Regular Dance?

We understand that dance can be excellent to improve muscle tone, body balance, and coordination. However, Dance therapy is done by a qualified dance therapist.

Dance/movement therapists assess body language, non-verbal behaviors, and emotional expressions. Treatment interventions are tailored to address the needs of certain populations. Some intervention examples may include:

• Utilizing “mirroring” (matching/echoing the person's movements) to illustrate empathy for an individual and validation of his or her experience.
• Incorporating jumping rhythms into a dance with a group of people experiencing depression because research has shown decreased levels of vertical movement in people with depression.
• Making use of a “movement metaphor” to help a person physically demonstrate a therapeutic challenge or achievement (e.g. the therapist gives the person in treatment a white flag prop to help him or her celebrate an emotional surrender).

Conclusion

No matter whether you are a trained or untrained dancer, just remember there is an inborn dancer within you, who is capable of expressing in the way that is best known. Just dance like no one is watching you, feel the movement of your body, let go of the hiccups and let your hair down. Let dance help you Transform Happily into the individual you are!