Is Dance a Form of Meditation?

You might think the only way to practice meditation is to sit on a cushion cross-legged in silence. You’re wrong! So, is dance a form of meditation?

In fact, there are many ways of achieving the sense of present moment awareness, mental clarity and emotional calm that meditation can offer. These include guided meditation, repeating mantras, use of prayer beads, listening to calming music, mindfulness meditation and yes, DANCE.

History

Meditation has been practised throughout the world for thousands of years emerging from ancient religious traditions. The word meditation comes from the Latin word meditatum which means ‘to ponder’ or think deeply about something. Meditation entered secular settings and has evolved into various styles all aimed at finding inner peace and tranquility.  

Why Meditate?

Meditation lowers heart rate, reduces the stress hormone cortisol, oxygen consumption, improves emotional regulation, creates better sleep, improves mood and enhances cognitive function. In fact meditation is now so main-stream in the UK that Mindfulness-based stress reduction (MBSR) is recommended by NICE guidelines (National Institute for Health and Care Excellence) for prevention of recurring depression, and as a complementary therapy for managing stress and anxiety.

Back to the Dance Floor

So what’s all this got to do with dancing? It is well known that yoga, tai chi and qigong use focused mindful movement to achieve the benefits of meditation we have been discussing. There are also meditative dance practices that deliver the same results. Neuroscientists Christensen and Chang in their book, Dancing Is The Best Medicine, tell us how meditative dance practices:

‘… foster our power of concentration, coordination, flexibility, and memory… the goal is to find inner calm, gather new strength, and be mindful and aware of one’s body’.

They cite a study that looked at whether African dance could have the same effects as mindfulness meditation on anxiety, depression, quality of life and social bonds. The results were ‘unequivocal’ in showing that the two practices - dance and traditional meditation - were equally effective.

Movement

As someone who has suffered with panic attacks myself and is no stranger to anxiety, I can understand that for some people the idea of sitting still and trying to focus on your breath might feel alien, even impossible, when in an activated fight/flight moment. This is where movement can be a welcome panacea. We can literally move through and give physical shape to the disturbance of mind and arrive in a different place; more centred, calm and grounded.

Conscious Dance, Is Dance a Form of Meditation?

Conscious dance is a free-form movement practice which invites awareness of how you are feeling: physically, emotionally, mentally and spiritually, and how this can be expressed in the here and now through movement. A specially-selected soundscape is played and the facilitator will invite awareness of breath and body, reminding participants that there is no right or wrong way of moving, only noticing what they are already doing and following that.

Most conscious dance sessions will follow a movement cycle which starts slowly and builds up in tempo and activity as the session progresses. Towards the end of session the music slows down, allowing for a quieter more meditative mood. This is often a time to integrate all that has happened on the dance floor; fostering a sense of wholeness from the experience of deep interconnection of mind, body and soul.

One of the conscious dance practices that I trained in and teach, Open Floor, describes itself as ‘a lively meditation practice that builds muscular and emotional intelligence.’

Flomotion Dance

In my own Flomotion conscious dance practice, I build in a few occasions during the session for a slower more meditative movement experience, including the ‘Inner Dance’ which is done with eyes shut and a guided meditation at the end. The practice is made more powerful by having a range of upbeat music and movement and quieter, more internal interludes.

Come and find some mental and emotional calm on the dance floor (as well as dancing your socks off) : www.flomotion.dance/bookings

You can read my book here