Dancing is a great way Unwind — a Useful ideas for prosperityIndeed.
By Laurel Kallenbach
Maybe you’re crazy about Mambo or you’ve got disco fever. Does a samba really send you off? Ever been wild for a waltz? Or jazzed from a jitterbug? Remove the obstacles that hold us back (using EFT! – Rick), and all love to dance – to shake their limbs to the music. There’s no doubt about it – dancing lifts your mood and gets your heart pumping. A few minutes of swinging around the room will make you realize that dancing is a great way to stay in shape.
“Dance takes you into your body,” says Nancy Kasman, a dance/movement therapist and founder of Express Your Self, a dance and movement center in Boulder, Colo. “Dance bridges the gap between mind and body so you tap into your physical, mental, spiritual and emotional being.”
Cassman wholeheartedly believes that when you start moving your body, you start moving energy in your life as well. One reason is that dancing releases endorphins, so it acts as a mood booster. Part of her work as a movement therapist is exploring how and where people experience emotion in the body. In dance movement therapy, movement—particularly the sensual, rhythmic response evoked by dance and music—is used as a way to bypass the conscious mind and communicate with the inner sensory world. Through dance, hidden emotions can be expressed nonverbally and accepted by the conscious self.
move your body
“When you get into your body and use your senses, you naturally feel more grounded and more present,” Kasman says. “And, you’ll feel better—it’s that simple.” Physical benefits of dancing include:
- Increase range of motion and flexibility.
- Lubricates connective tissue and joints to help you maintain better health.
- Stretches and strengthens muscles. When you dance you move in different ways, therefore, working different muscle groups.
- Improves circulation throughout the body and brain.
- The heart and lungs work, thereby improving cardiovascular health.
- Burns calories, making it a fun way to control weight.
Spirit of Dance – Freedom of Expression
“I think dance is a spiritual experience – it’s an expression of joy!” Casman said. “When you dance, you’re using your body; you feel alive, you’re happy. I think our purpose in life is to figure out how to use our bodies as instruments of joy. When you align your soul with your body, you become a fluid, expressive, in-the-moment creature.”
Although dancing has the same physical benefits as other forms of exercise, it goes one step further. By adding rhythm and music to the mix, you add an element of motivation. Also, dance unleashes your creativity as you try different ways of moving.
The most popular forms of dance allow you to open your creativity and express yourself. For example, Latin and African classes, while highly aerobic, give you time to advertise your movements with lively music.
The most exciting movement trend right now is NIA (that’s “Neuromuscular Integrative Action”) – a form of dance that integrates mind, body and spirit. NIA classes blend movements from ballet and jazz dance, martial arts, yoga and tai chi so students can gain cardiovascular benefits; improve strength, balance and flexibility; And learn about breathing and consciously moving energy through the body. The results can be very liberating, since most of the NIA is self-expressive.
Women also took to belly-dancing, a sensual and ancient art Belly-dancing encourages you to freely move your belly, an area that most women hold rigidly. Instead of sucking your belly, you throw it away while belly-dancing, so you can shed some inhibitions and move in a way that society frowns upon.
Self-esteem booster
Another benefit of dancing is that it can help you feel more confident. When you dance for fun, you let go of inhibitions and gain confidence in your body. “Dance helps a lot with self-esteem,” Casman emphasizes. “In my studio, I work with a lot of shy and withdrawn kids who literally come out of their shells after just two or three weeks of dancing,” she says. “As they free up their self-expression, they develop a better sense of themselves. For example, my daughter has a great presence when she dances, but she doesn’t feel so confident in school So, we focus on how confident she is when she dances, then transfer that feeling to school.”
The key to developing confidence through dance is choosing a class that is fun and appropriate for your skill level. Finding the right teacher is also important – you want someone who is supportive and encouraging. “The bane of dance for most people is an environment where they feel slow or inadequate,” says Casman, who adds that the right dance class will motivate you and help you gain confidence.
The clothes make the dancer
When you’re choosing an outfit to move in, remember that you want to feel unobtrusive. Whether you choose tights, tanks or tees; A svelte unitard; Or a loose, flowing dress, your dance clothes will be as much an expression of yourself as how you move. Here are a few things to remember:
Choose clothing that does not restrict or restrict your movement. You’ll be able to bend less or reach higher, and your clothing will provide both adequate coverage and maximum mobility.
Make sure the fabric you wear is breathable. Organic cotton is always nice, although many stretchy fabrics will feel natural against your skin. Also, make sure a stretchy, comfortable waistband allows you to breathe easily.
Whether you dance in class, with friends at the club or alone in your living room, you’re having fun and being healthy. And, when you’re moving your arms and legs, you’re also moving your soul—because it’s hard to be sad when you’re dancing.
Rick comments: Dance to me represents the expression of the body’s energy, the matching of your vibration to the rhythmic vibrations of the music, and the incorporation of non-routine movement into your day. In fact, if one of my coaching clients asks whether to work out on the treadmill or dance… I suggest dancing!
(When I originally wrote this comment in 2006, I didn’t think to combine the two! Now, I’m dancing on the treadmill at the gym! Of course, I took it slow at first, at 1.2 mph and just added some expressive movements to the arms and legs. Treadmill dance leads to contact improvisation, a form of non-performance, non-choreographed movement with objects, partners or groups. It’s… Yummy!)
Remember, you don’t have to make it formal or fancy. Move in what feels good to you. Just enjoy and…
Dance, dance, dance to awaken your dreams!
Originally published February 5, 2006
