The Eight Elements of Movement, part II Psychological Well-Being

A resiliency walk on a sacred labyrinth, a holy path or in a tango embrace
leads to the same place:  Psychological well-being.

Dancers often have the sense that dance is the highest pinnacle of movement.  I have no doubt that it truly is.  I am convinced that music and dance remain in our DNA as the thinking animal's way to process critical events (psychological trauma), oppression, and catastrophic conditions.  Dance also celebrates our highest of joys, which words cannot touch.  Dance makes us resilient--yes--but all movement can help our resiliency to some degree when they are done with grace. In Part I of this series on the Eight Elements of Movement, I suggested that grace is NOT for aesthetics.  It is primarily for survival. The graceful gazelle outruns the lion better than the clumsy one.  Also, I argued that grace serves all animals for their psychological well-being.  Grace of movement needs space and feels good.  A caged animal feels terrible.  I then focused on dance's special role.   Now here in part II of the Eight Elements of Movement, let's look at the practice of grace on all Elements. 

Snow Apocalypse Milonga

The end-times are certain.  Theologians and astrophysicists agree on this point.  We got a sense of the End-of-the-World Milonga here in Washington, D.C.  I first heard the term "snow apocalypse" at work on Tuesday.   Now the prophecy is in full swing.  There is such a hype over the end of the world around me!  Aren't people reading the Bible? Aren't people heeding what the astrophysicists are saying?  The End is supposed to happen!

Dance: One of the Eight Elements of Movement

So why are you drawn to dance?  There is a good chance that you have realized that you need music and dance in your life.  Perhaps you feel that music and dance helps to "process" all the difficult things you have experienced in life.  I am convinced from working as a  therapist with those who suffer from psychological trauma that graceful movement is essential for overcoming the mounting difficulties most mature adults endure during their lifetimes.   We need to move in order to remain psychologically resilient.  Being caged drives us mad.

Dance, the bodily reaction to music, is just one of the eight movements of our evolution and our childhood development.  Dance is the most powerful, but all of the movements can be practiced gracefully for a more robust psychological resiliency.  The other seven movements are: