31 January 2011

Inspiration

1 February 2011

Move with the Flow, Move with the Rhythm 

As we live our lives, 
have we rediscovered the natural flow and rhythm of our body?

Let us begin to listen to the innate of our body, emotion, mind & soul as one.
Let us find our own rhythm & flow of our being.

Horizon expands when the mind opens, the body enlarges, the repertoire enwidens, the feelings grow... the awareness & senses make their connections and integration to a wholeness of self.

 

Looking at the waterfall, what comes to you?

Photo by Jeroen Rutten Copyright 2011

20 January 2011

Dance Therapy - What is it?


Dance Therapy - an opportunity to heal, celebrate & release.

Dance/movement therapy as defined by the American dance Therapy Association is the psychotherapeutic use of movement as a process which furthers the emotional, social, cognitive and physical integration of the individual. 

Dance/Movement Therapy (DMT)

a) Uses the most fundamental of the arts – direct expression through the body – thus becoming a powerful medium for both therapy and self-discovery.

b) Involves a direct experience of oneself through the body

c) Explore images, memories, feelings, the meaning of one’s life experiences, improve communication skills, and to facilitate emotional, physical, social, cognitive and spiritual growth

d) Outward way of expressing deep inner feelings, unlocking tensions, and relieving the effects on the body

e) Promotes health of body, emotions and mind

f) Provides a way of knowing more about yourself, your interactions with others, needing only a willingness and desire to encourage our own and each other’s movement

Basic Assumption/Principles
  • The basis of DMT is the recognition of the interrelationship between mind, body and spirit.
  • Therapists believe that mental and emotional difficulties are often held in the body in the form of muscle tension, and this will constrain movement.
  • On the other hand, therapists’ experience with clients leads then to the firm belief that the states of the body can affect attitudes and feelings, both positively and negatively.
  • Therapists link writing, drawing, music and movement to express thoughts, release emotions, celebrate emotions and facilitate healing in a safe and creative way.

*This is only a brief summary of what dance therapy is to give reader a general view of DMT. To further deepen understanding in DMT, there are many books and journals written by many professional dance therapists (In my fan page, books, articles, journals are shared).  Or visit ADTA (internationally), CODARTS (Netherlands), NVDAT (Netherlands) for more information.  Dr. Suzi Tortora has written a comprehensive write-out on DMT in her website, Dancing Dialogue.*

6 January 2011

Developing Embodied Self-Awareness - Breath



*Breath is life and it flows and resonates through our body harmoniously.  
Breath restores the sense of self.*

  • Are you conscious of your breath? 
  • Can you feel whether your breath is shallow or deep?  
  • Are you conscious when you are holding your breath?  
  • Can you hear yourself breathing?  
  • Are you breathing correctly?

People who practise yoga, taichi, martial art, voice, singing and drama training, for instance, are usually conscious of their breath and deep breathing. Exercises and dancing also involve deep breathing. However, when we are back to the normal routine, are we consciously aware of our breathing and the way we breathe as I have listed the questions above? When we develop a conscious awareness of our breath, we can feel when we are holding our breath, as an example.

Breath relaxes, calms and energises the whole being - the body, mind, emotion and spirit. It also helps us to be more grounded in our body and develop a core centre of self. It is not just a breath of life and used only when we are doing yoga, training, exercises, dancing and so forth. It can be re-developed where we are consciously aware of our breath flowing throughout our body without any effort. In fact, we have it, properly along the way, most of us lost this awareness of breath.

One of the ways to understand the correct way of breathing is to lie on the floor as you are sleeping and just breathe naturally. You feel your breath expanding to your diaphragm and your rib cages on both sides in the front and at the back.

Try this exercise:

Before you raise from the bed in the morning, do some deep breathing and fill your entire body with your breath. Focus on your breath. Feel the rhythm of your breath through your whole body. You can also repeat this exercise before you sleep. 

If you have developed an awareness of your breath, you can even do this at any part of the day within your hectic schedule and routine, anywhere, sitting or standing up, even a walk to the metro, a walk in the nature... 

*We would love to hear your sharing and experiences after you have done this exercises.*

Look out for the next series!

Note: Sometimes, breath can be frightening for some people as it is a deep connection with the core self. When we suffer from psychological, somatic and emotional problems, often we may find ourselves with shallow breathing, holding our breath or even stop breathing. This is a general sharing and each psychological disorder is complex and detailed information pertaining to disorder is not shared here.

4 January 2011

Embodied Self-Awareness

embody, embrace, listen, being aware, body sensations, emotion, thoughts, integration, at presence, at the moment, self-care, internal organisation, rewiring, repatterning, perception, senses, process, non-judgemental, openness, connection, re-connection, self-regulation, protection, slow down, grounded, express, material, breath, movement, rhythm, touch, environment, needs
* Tomorrow will be monthly sharing on Embodied Self-Awareness*  Stay Tune!
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