The benefits of dance for health
The benefits of dance for health are numerous for body, mind and spirit. Dancing is a true therapy and a wonderful way to reconnect with oneself and express one’s inner self. Let’s discover all the well-being that dance can bring you!
Dance, the language of the soul through the body
At first glance, dance evokes flexibility, muscular strengthening, concentration, memorisation, creativity… But its effects on health are more powerful. But its effects on health are more powerful. While recognising that it offers a real discovery of one’s body and its potential. Much more than just the physical dimension. Let’s dare to say it, dance heals body and mind!
Dance, an ancestral practice
Moreover, movement is something natural and ancestral. For many of the tribes I met, dance was part of their lives. Whether it was linked to sacred ceremonies, or to traditional celebrations and festivities of all kinds.
In some cases, singing, body percussion and sounds can be used to encourage each other. And also to make everyday tasks more enjoyable and easier.
The benefits of dance and music
Indeed, music plays just as important a role as dance and has many benefits as well. Sound vibrations help you let go and encourage your body to move to the rhythm of the melodies.
The natural sounds of elements such as rain, wind and bird songs. Also internal sensations can guide movement. This brings a lot of well-being and increases the connection with nature.
Finally, we can add that dancing has mental health benefits. It has been noted that dancing allows you to let go of worries. It anchors in the present moment and focuses our attention on the sensory. We can never say it enough, dancing is good for your health!
Psycho-emotional languages of the body
The language of the body expresses what the soul feels without the filter of thoughts. Indeed, the body does not lie, it speaks for itself. Everyone has something to say, whether conscious or subconscious. Actually, this is the body langage that we use in kinesiology to find and correct various body and mind symptômes.
Everyone can express themselves much more easily by letting go, and awareness is gradually awakened. Your souls reach a global state of awareness of what is happening in your being. And also in the environment around you.
Benefits of dance for the body
Motor skills and coordination
Indeed, the world is in constant search of balance. Dance teaches you that balance is not immobility but constant movement. It is also the natural order of things in the search for balance.
In the same way, this search in itself for the right support, the weight of the body, is excellent. Beyond self-control, we develop our proprioception. That is to say, you learn to harmonise the placement of your body and the sensation of your body beyond your eyes. But through a more subtle perception of your body.
Awareness of space
From the moment you move in a space, it is important to understand how its balance works. How to approach it, enhance it or make it look good. You realise the importance of emptiness, and its importance in making movement exist.
You become aware of your place in space. Your position in the world, and your behaviour towards others who share it with you. This is a personal development.
Flexibility
With regular practice and repetition of a few stretches, your body will gradually change. You become more and more comfortable with yourself as you realize that you can control your body. Certainly with effort, but also with inner sunshine and joy!
Weight loss
Dance is an art, but it is also a sport. Some people think that the most effective way is to choose a sport that makes you sweat a lot. In fact, this is completely wrong. Sweating makes you lose a lot of water. But that doesn’t mean that you have used up the fat in your deep tissue.
If you work less, but more deeply and consciously, you will see your body change quite quickly. You will be surprised to achieve a beautiful figure.
Discipline
In the practice of dance, we know how important it is to work correctly. With the right manner and posture, order and attitude.
That’s why we need a teacher who controls and makes sure we work correctly. In order to avoid getting into bad habits that are difficult to undo. In this way we rectify them quickly and avoid injuries.
In free dance, the discipline is behavioural with rules of decorum and safety to be respected. This applies not only to oneself, but also to others.
Reinforcement of cardiac capacities
If you need to increase your heart and breathing capacity, dance is very suitable. The more regularly you come, the more endurance you will have. That’s the advantage of dancing: you have fun while taking care of your health.
Energy circulation in the body
In Asia, energy lines are considered to cross the body and are called meridians. When energy does not flow properly, there are too many energy lines. Or voids in certain points of the body called tsubo in shiatsu, there is a “blockage”. This is the origin of a physical discomfort, linked or not to an emotional cause.
When you dance, you mobilise your whole being, body and mind. And if you learn to dance in full consciousness or even in a meditative state, you are “self-centred”. Trust your body and it naturally finds the slow, gentle movements that allow it to balance itself.
Some people who are familiar with physical therapies are well aware of the connection between each part of the body. And the fact that an ankle problem can cause back pain, or a stomach problem can cause dizziness…
Developing your senses and the world of the subtle
The subtle world, like energy, seems abstract to many people, as it is not visible to the human eye. But it is there, just like atoms and molecules. Air, sound vibrations, colour frequency waves… Everything is in interaction with the world and the entire universe.
Surely you have left a place where you have wandered away from someone? Or from something because you feel uncomfortable? It is precisely a question of vibration that your subtle bodies pick up. And this gives you information on which you will act.
Your senses are also perceptions of certain vibrations, certain stimuli. Such as colours, sensations, noises, smells, tastes… The more advanced we are, the more independent we can be on that side.
However, even after years, I have noticed that we still need guidance. Also to consult a body practitioner, although I myself am a body and mind therapist. It is important to always remain humble, because we are always learning, all our lives. We have about 639 muscles: imagine how long it would take to master them all!
Benefits of dance for the mind
Stress reduction
When you dance, you focus on the here and now. You have to put all your attention and focus on what you are doing. So there is no room for your mind to think about your worries or emotional concerns.
Moving your body helps you to release the stress energies accumulated in your body during the day. In a state of stress your brain does not know the difference between thoughts and reality. See my article on anxiety for more information.
Most of the time, if you think a situation is dangerous, your body will start to release cortisol. The adrenal glands in particular. Cortisol is responsible, among other things, for the “fight or flight” reaction. An automatic physiological survival reaction.
This reaction increases your blood sugar level and leads to many physical problems. When you dance or do any kind of physical activity, it helps you to release this excess cortisol. And also to use this extra sugar in your body.
Self-confidence
When you learn how to do something, you have to try it over and over again. By the time you finally succeed, it brings you satisfaction and fulfilment. Then you are ready to take the next step.
The more you progress, the more it motivates you. It really teaches you that perseverance is the key to success. And that you should always focus on the journey, on what you achieve.
Sociability
Dance makes you happy because you express yourself. You release what’s inside you: emotions, physical tension etc. I have seen impressive transformations in some students, even in one year. They change their posture, their attitude, they collaborate more and open up to the group.
Some need time to feel more comfortable with the group. To be less shy or afraid of other people’s gaze. And why? Because they know each other, and they have more self-control!
State of mind and determination
Furthermore, you realise that if you don’t succeed, you will have to stop and think about the reason for the failure. Then, learn from your failure to move forward. Usually you have a lot of support in the process, starting with the instructor, but you also dance as a couple.
At the professional level, you can cope with a competitive spirit. But there is also support, especially with a dancer who is more advanced than you. Just watching them is a great opportunity to learn from observation.
On the amateur side, competition is much less important. However, there is often that group spirit that pushes you to create the end-of-year show together.
Benefits of dance on memory
We do not have the same memory capacity, nor the same way of learning. With dance, you can learn if you are more of a visual learner, an auditory learner, a kinaesthetic learner… A teacher is aware of this and will use them all at the same time to make sure everyone has it.
My personal technique is to encourage the experience, and to associate what you do with an inner story. It’s like meditation: I offer guidance but everyone dives into their own self to feel and experience. It has been experienced that a person who can associate things with each other can memorize them more easily.
But you will be surprised how strong the body’s memory can be! It is much slower than that of the mind in general. But it can last much longer in the memory of the muscles… It’s a bit like learning to ride a bike: you learn it one by one, and you never forget. It’s just a matter of time before you regain your full capacity. But also a question of regular practice.
Focus
If you are not concentrated, you may fall, hurt yourself, hurt others, not remember correctly. So you quickly learn that concentration is essential for improvement and pleasure. You can dance freely and organically, while remaining very focused on your sensations. But also the space, the others, and on what you express and do in the present.
In your daily life, you can realise that you have a lot of distractions (especially visual ones): telephone, television, advertising? A dance hall is empty: you come here to dance, and it’s usually something you enjoy. So it’s easy to stay focused because you like what you do.
Benefits of dance on creativity and imagination
Indeed, to create a choreography and to improvise, you need imagination. For some people it can be a bit difficult at times, and they simply prefer to follow the choreography. However, the creative process can teach you to be more creative, even in your own life.
There are so many ways to create, and dance teaches you so much. Once you understand this, all you have to do is share the creative process in your daily life. And also in your work, for fun.
Benefits of dance for the soul
Dance and therapy
Among the health benefits of dance, it is important to consider the subtleties of what it does. That is, the invisible planes of the human eye. When we dance on stage, we allow the spectator to experience “cathartic” emotions through us. And when we dance for ourselves, we are connected with the surrounding space, the universe and the entire cosmos. The therapeutic aspect of dance is somewhere always present, because art touches on meaning, creativity and the living.
There is always an interaction between inside and outside. Body and mind are connected, and through the body it is possible to reach the mind. As surprising as it may seem, our memories crystallise in matter. There is no proper separation between body, mind, soul, earth, universe. Everything circulates: a large, united and infinite whole…. the dance of life.
Benefits of dance for children
Did you know that?
First of all, the practice of dance has benefits for your children. It reduces hyperactivity and focus problems. While dancing, music helps to calm their minds.
Development of potential
In addition, they develop their potential by using the whole body-mind at the same time. Moreover, they spend themselves and focus their attention on the action to be performed . Thus, they come home tired, satisfied, and soothed!
Obviously, Naoshi and I have noticed amazing changes in the children’s attitudes. In particular, by intervening in schools to help them discover Japanese culture. We experimented with listening to various subtle sounds such as tuning forks and Tibetan bowls. Then we showed various rhythms on drums. The children naturally followed by marking the rhythm of their hands, by moving their bodies. And all of this without dissipating. According to the teacher, they have never been as calm and creative as after our visit!
Ready to enjoy the benefits of dance for health?
As you can see, the benefits of dance for body, mind and soul are numerous! So, are you ready to get started? You don’t need to know how to dance to start dancing, and you can start at any age! Relax and dance the life!
In conclusion, dancing has health benefits for both body and mind. So you can practice it as a leisure activity, for fun. Or to make it your profession. But also with a therapeutic aim with dance therapy. Or even dance in your living room to the music of NaosisoaN!
Live the life you love, love the life you dance.
Leiya
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