I spent my summers as a kid choreographing elaborate dance routines in the living room with my best friend. Summer was also my favorite time of year, and it reminds me of those days growing up performing for all our neighbors. I was never a very good dancer, but it was something I did often. Even now, I am most definitely not the most graceful on the dance floor, but that won’t stop me from shamelessly showing off my moves (or lack thereof). Today, I make it a point to dance almost every day to relieve stress and anxiety. Aside from being a fun activity, dancing is also inherently healing. Not only can dance heal you emotionally, but it can also heal you physically. Moving your body to music allows you to express your emotions outwardly, release the tension and pent-up emotions as well as heal your body and mind.
Klein Weiner is a dance studio director at Charlotte Klein Dance Centers and says, “In pushing that emotion through their bodies and into the music, they can purify and purge, getting a sense of catharsis.”
Dance and movement are a form of communication, and when we dance we are able to express our inner thoughts and feelings to others. Dance goes far back in history as a mode of storytelling and is a great art of expression. Even if you do not feel comfortable dancing in front of other people, a private dance session in your room will give you the same benefits of expressing yourself outwardly since there is a link between your brain and movement. Further, dancing is a great mood booster, so even if you are not performing for anybody other than yourself, dancing will release all the endorphins making you feel great for the rest of the day.
A Healthline article states, “Neuroscience and somatics point to the hips as a potential storage vessel for emotions.”
Your body tightens as a fight or flight response when under stress, especially the muscles near your hips. When trauma and negative emotions are stored in our hips, what better way to release them all than through dance? Dancing is the best and most fun way, in my opinion, to get your hips moving and release stored tension, though yoga and other moderate exercises can give the same results. We may notice there is stress and trauma stored in our hips when they are tight and have limited mobility. Getting your body moving can help relieve this as well as allow you to move through some of the things that are blocking you mentally. When we let stress and tension build up in our minds, it can hinder us in our day-to-day lives by not allowing us to think clearly. So next time I’m invited out to Latin night, I will be considering it therapy.
Your hips are important, and when mobility is hindered in your hips, it can affect your posture and simple movements such as walking or climbing stairs. Poor posture can also cause headaches or other physical ailments that make everyday living less comfortable. Although tight hips may not be the main cause of poor posture and headaches, they can impact those ailments and are worth looking at to see if it helps. I suggest moving however feels good for your body and you may notice significant changes in how you feel physically in terms of everyday comfort.
I see that when I dance, I feel looser and freer. It relieves stress for me and makes me feel more confident as well. A lot of the stress and tension in our bodies are unconscious, and dancing allows us to help relieve it. When we dance, we are quite literally shaking out all of the trauma and stored negative emotions. Therefore, roommates, if you happen to see my twerking alone in my bedroom, please mind your business, for I am simply healing.