So one thing that has saved me during sobriety is music and movement. I say it that way instead of just saying ‘dancing,’ which implies movement to music because honestly, either one on its own can have a massive positive impact on your mood. Music is healing. Movement is healing. The movement to music is quite frankly healing on all levels: physically, mentally, emotionally, and spiritually. So many cultures and even religions have incorporated dance into their rituals because it is a conduit to connect with Spirit or your spirit or Spirits or whichever version of ‘spirit’ you might resonate with.
Here is the list of reasons I take micro (meaning, one song or 2-5 minute long) dance breaks when I need a reset, a mood boost, or a little ‘pick-me-up’ and it never fails to change my state of mind, body and spirit:
1. It immediately shifts our energy
Over the years I have oscillated through different types of music as “my music”. My first love when I was 17 was an IT nerd in University and he and his buddies were into Bad Religion, Metallica, and They Might Be Giants. Naturally I adopted this music as “mine” too at the time, not only because of him but because it really spoke to my adolescence dissatisfaction with life and the systems we exist at the time. However it also set a sort of frequency for my state of being: disgruntled, sarcastic, pessimistic, angry.
Several years later now with another young love of mine we lived to go dancing in trance clubs in the Netherlands while we were living in Belgium at the time. Trance has a whole other frequency: optimistic, loving, upbeat, universal acceptance.
My point? Maybe consider what frequency you wish to vibe with and select your music accordingly! I’m still a trance lover and use it to work out, clean, and dance, but I also enjoy classical music before bed, and I start playing Christmas music on December 1st because it is one of my favorite times of the year.
2. It can transport us in a millisecond to a happy memory
Or at ease state, think your favorite time of year, season, lullaby, love song, or what you use to lip sync to in the mirror with your hairbrush (Cyndie Lauper was my go-to, also see above point on Christmas!!)
3. Dancing improves cardiovascular health
When you move, you are supporting your body’s natural systems to move out stagnant energy and toxins and, therefore, natural detox stress and negative energy out of the body. Even with gentle movement, it doesn’t have to be ‘cardio’ by any means.
4. It boosts creativity, which boosts our mood
Did you know our brains work better when we are active? That’s why we often get the best ideas while shampooing our hair or walking the dog. So if you are stuck on a project, try turning on some tunes and boogie-ing it out.
5. It renews our relationship with our bodies
We dance like no one is watching and let our body move how it wants to. Dancing can even make you feel sexy and stimulate your sex drive! Whether you are doing couples dancing, line dancing, or any other type of dancing, it will make you feel better about your body and help you tap into that sexual energy as you move those hips!
6. It improves our memory and cognition
A familiar beat or instrument can help us connect the dots in new ways and jog our memory when we can’t remember a fact, figure, detail, or idea. Plus, as we age, it is one of the best ways to “stay sharp” and learn a new dance! Where I live in Mexico, they know this all too well; all generations dance together at every major celebration. My mother-in-law, who is in her 80s, is way better at Zumba than I am!
7. Dancing helps fight depression in several ways.
First, it helps you get moving and stirs up the endorphins in your brain, which help you feel better; second, it reduces stress levels; and third, it connects us with our spirit, our inner child, and that feeling that “everything is going to be ok.”
8. Many people report that just listening to the music and becoming a part of it gives them a feeling of well-being and boosts their self-esteem
I think this stems from our instinct to move when we feel and hear a beat we want to move to.
9. Anything that boosts our immunity in turn will boost our mood!
Scientists claim that listening to uplifting dance music increases antibodies in the human body. They also found that stress hormones decreased after listening to the same music. The level of cortisol was significantly reduced in people who listened to music compared to a control group who did not listen to music.
Levels of immunoglobulin A, a major defense of the immune system, were much higher in the group who listened to music. Researchers believe that music can be used to help people in hospitals recover faster.
By adding actual dancing to the dance music, the benefits to the immune system are even higher than just listening to dance music, including the strengthening of the body and the overall well-being dancing produces.
10. It is FUN!
Remember fun? Maybe you can relate that you only “cut loose” on the dance floor and danced on top of the bar when you were wasted. I, too, until I realized it was more FUN (and healing) to do it sober. Not so much on top of the bar now, my public display is mostly on IG, and I’m going to be breaking it down more this fall on TikTok. Dancing is also easily adaptable to your personality and style, aka find music that SPEAKS TO YOU! Although, if I may, here is one of my favorites that mentions sobriety is super uplifting: Ride or Die (feat. Foster the People by The Knocks.
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