On Saturday July 20, 2019 I launched my first workshop to explore dance as a form of healing called “Dance to Heal”.
When I attended the TICD Training in Pittsburgh back in June, I was really trying to figure out a way to embody some of the concepts and ideas that I learned. This type of workshop has been a vision of mine for a few years now. The workshop I launched was also a researching moment for me to begin to develop, and structure a class that will guide one through movement that can aide in healing from past emotional, physical and mental trauma.
After welcoming everyone and doing the introduction I felt it was necessary to define what trauma is along with how trauma is stored in the body and the affects it potentially has on the body. This part of the TICD training was so intriguing to me. The facilitator from the training shared an old Disney video about understanding the stresses and strains and what happens with our bodies when we don’t deal with stress.
I recall developing an ulcer by the end of my first year teaching and directing a middle school dance program. So many new things were happening in my life and I was overwhelmed and definitely stressed out but felt I had no time to deal with everything. The ulcer was the outcome. Headaches, stiffness and tightness in the muscles, sleepless nights, stomach issues, and high blood pressure are a few of the things that can be caused by not healing from the past trauma in our lives.
After defining what Trauma was for ourselves we really began to warm up the body parts where trauma is mostly stored such as the neck, back, shoulders, and hips. Then the participants were guided through a physical improv session where I called out the different emotions that arise when you first experience trauma. They were led to really focus on what those emotions were and how they caused their bodies to move. For some it was a dark place to go but I believe it’s good to face those feelings head on, deal with them and then move forward. Then I led them in moving their bodies through emotions and feelings such as peace, happiness, joy, and healing and how they caused their bodies to move. This improv portion of the workshop I believe was the most freeing part. Every participant was in their own world, locked in to what they needed for themselves as if no one was watching or judging them.
We then came together in a sharing circle where anyone could open up about different trauma that
they had experienced or even sharing their thoughts and feeling about the workshop.
“Dance to Heal” is a class that I would love to continue to offer in my communities for all people.
Thank you for taking out the time to read my blog. Please follow my FB page for up-coming events @JTFMovement
Smooches!!
