What is dance therapy?

I have invariably included dance in my methods of meditation, because there is nothing more miraculous for meditation than dancing.

- Osho

Dance movement therapy is a psychotherapeutic activity that involves dancing or shaking and is a tool that improves physical wellness and mental / emotional wellbeing. The body and mind interconnect, meaning that anything that affects the body will also affect the mind. At the same time, the body releases endorphins and oxytocin. Endorphins help relieve pain, reduce stress and improve your sense of well-being and oxytocin, the birth hormone, release love hormones. Essentially dancing makes us happy while it relaxes us.

How does it work?

Because of the relaxed state of mind that is achieved in dancing, the body is able to let go of stress. If you have ever had any tension headaches or stress related sore muscles, you well understand the benefits of deep relaxation and massage where the therapist helps to coax out the tension using their hands.. When we are under stress, the body tightens and our emotions become stuck in various parts of our body. Especially if we do not face and deal with our emotions, and all of us at some point in our lives have had the experience of not facing emotions that have been too traumatic to feel. The result is that they become pent up and over time begin causing discomfort in our bodies and ultimately if left unchecked, disease. The movement of dancing helps to release these emotions in a very gentle way and helps us to move forward in our lives as a result. Dancing is like active or dynamic meditation. We can call it meditation because in the moment, the mind releases it’s control and finds a quiet centre.

Dance therapy promotes health and wellbeing through coordinating and unifying all aspects of a person, including:

• physical

• mental

• emotional

• social

• spiritual

The mind and body (and emotions) and indeed the soul cannot be separated. Changes in the body effect the mind and changes in the mind effect the body. Dancing is a very easy, joyful and pleasurable way to focus the mind.

Dance benefits on the mental level

• Helps with mental clarity

• Promotes self-esteem

• Develops self-love

• Develops compassion for self and others

• Increases endorphins

• Bonding with others

• Improves our mood

• Releases emotions

• Reduces loneliness

• Eases depression

• Reduces sadness

• Lowers anxiety

• Helps memory

• May prevent dementia

• Increases pain threshold

• Helps with pain management

Dance benefits on the physical level

• Increases muscle strength

• Improves cardiovascular health

• Improves lung function

• Increases circulation

• Boosts fitness

• Improves posture

• Strengthens bones

• Reduces the risk of osteoporosis

• Helps to lose weight

• Improves flexibility

• Better coordination and agility

• Increased endurance

• Improves lymph drainage

Our Deep Cleansing Juice Detox Retreat is designed not only to help you cleanse your physical body, but to work to cleanse your mind / emotional complex too. In fact, our retreat is holistic and works at the level of the whole being.