As a young, stubborn, shy adolescent, it was hard for me to break out of my shell. I needed a little push to get out of my comfort zone. I remember my mother always cleaning and cooking with music on. Elvis singing “You ain’t nothing but a hound dog, crying all the time,” or Little Eva’s Loco-motion: “Do it nice and easy now don’t loose control, a little bit of rhythm and a lot of soul, come on, come on and do the Loco-motion with me!” One thing my mother would do is stop what she was doing, and pull me in to dance with her in the kitchen, living room, or wherever our paths would cross while she was doing her cleaning, and supporting the routine with music and subtle dance movement.
I think back on my past and realize now, even though I felt awkward, silly, shy, and embarrassed, my mother was creating and instilling a flow of energy in me to dance and move to music of all types. I do believe somatic dancing can be a savior to one’s mental and physical health. Dancing freely out of our shells, and moving with swift, fluent movements create a positive energy flow to our brains and throughout our bodies. Somatic dancing opens spaces in our bodies that help release past traumas and emotions. Somatic dance increases physical activity with increased endorphin levels, breath with oxygen, improving mood and memory boosts. A few swift arm movements can boost confidence, balance, and self-esteem – and side steps and hip and shoulder swaying can make a difference in our well-being and personal energy. You don’t have to spin around in the kitchen like my mom liked to do, and still loves to do, but a little somatic movement helps us return to our bodies, and who we are is stored in our physical body: “Get the issue out of the tissue and reprogram success in our flesh. Somatic dance gets us back to our soma, or our body,” writes Layla El Khadri in What is Somatic Dance Therapy? Somatic means body-focused and it helps reduce pain, focusing on feelings within the body, rather than an external outcome. Somatic movement releases tension, promotes healing, stress relief, and explores conscious attention. Closing your eyes helps with focusing on internal muscular control. Intuitive movements help regulate the nervous system, express experiences that may be hard to verbalize. Somatic dance movement is a holistic approach for conditions like PTSD, anxiety, and chronic pain. Intuitive somatic dancing connects your soul and the self-essence of your body.
Here is a list of local places that offer Somatic dance therapy:
Local Therapists & Practices to Explore:
- Embody Querencia : A realm of magic, a place of world-weaving, a Somatic exploration.
- Balance In Being (Providence): Offers somatic therapy with an expressive arts/trauma-informed approach, focusing on body safety and nervous system regulation.
- Embodied Living Counseling, LLC (North Kingstown/Narragansett): Focuses on connecting mind/body for authentic living, offering tools for embodied experiences.
- The Holistic Heart (Warwick): A group practice with in-person sessions, check for specific somatic/DMT practitioners.
- Attunement Counseling & Wellness Collective (RI): Offers various therapies, potentially integrating somatic approaches.
- Open Circle Rhode Island (Yoga & Somatics): Offers somatic movement practices, good for embodied awareness.
References
What is Somatic Dance Therapy? Release trauma & more – Interview with Layla El Khadri. https://youtu.be/teiA6i5OOh4?si=j6dJ1P1kZyP-3hDi
Dancing Through Life: 8 Health Benefits That Will Make You Want to Move, Medical Centric Podcast. https://youtu.be/GEudhYpvYVM?si=7uckDr7g3DoupPMY
What is Somatic Movement? Somaticmovementcenter.com https://youtu.be/Gna1iyeGz90?si=VKiQM_mUuu9U0V_b