Ecstatic Dance, Movement medicine

By Charlotte Musgrove, Counsellor at The Eaves

What is ecstatic dance and why would I want to freestyle in front of a room full of strangers?!

Ecstatic dance is a supported facilitated space, sometimes led, often to music that has been orchestrated to facilitate an emotional journey, where people come to move their bodies freely without judgement. A space to connect and move through emotions.

Dance releases endorphins, our feel good chemical and is proven to reduce depression, anxiety and cortisol levels in the body (our natural stress hormone). It can lift self-esteem, improve sleep, develop cardiovascular fitness, musculoskeletal strength and help in the prevention and treatment of diseases such as stroke, diabetic issues and high blood pressures.

The space itself where ecstatic dance is held can also have a profound healing energy. There is a vibrant sense of community, an authentic social interaction where bonding and belonging is created without words, but through a shared intention to move and express oneself.

I personally find an ecstatic dance space deeply therapeutic as dance and self-expression in my life have been a thing to monitor, to adhere to, be ashamed of, that is full of conditions and acceptability. As a woman there feels a deep, performative gendered way we should move and in regards to dance- it’s often sexualised. To be able to engage in uninhibited movement, that encourages creative expression and enhances inner wisdom feels like a radical way to reclaim our bodies from ‘culturally acceptable’ dingy dancefloors where the majority of people are under the influence of their chosen substance.

My hope as someone who values ecstatic dance as movement medicine, is that it will become as accepted as meeting at a pub or café and that our spiritual practices will be incorporated into our lives and shared openly with our communities, rather than dismissed with ‘I don’t dance’, ‘I’m too self conscious!’, ‘not without a drink!’ or best yet- ‘way too woo woo for me’

Ecstatic dance spaces include The Energy Wheel and Whole Human Therapy

The Eaves Counselling and Psychology

Charlotte Musgrove, Counsellor and Psychotherapist at The Eaves , is based at our Godalming and Guildford practices.

The Eaves Counselling and Psychology Ltd is a select professional body of Counsellors, Psychotherapists and Psychologists, providing high quality psychological care Monday to Saturday between 9am and 9pm from our practices in Guildford, Godalming, Farnham, Haslemere and online.

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