Spring Cleaning for your Soul: How Dance Can Help You Reset and Refresh
“Can you feel it? Can you feel the energy buzzing inside your soul compelling you to move?”
2 min 48 sec read time
Spring Cleaning of the Soul: How Dance can help you reset and refresh
Ah, Spring time! The time we start thinking about cleaning and re-organizing areas that have been long overlooked in the dark winter season. We are done hibernating, and as the earth begins to shake off the cold, and the bees start their to do list, and the trees and flowers begin to bloom in all of their beauty, colors spring forth. The earth is awake, and her energy is renewed.
What would make you any different?
We are so intrinsically connected to the earth, seasons, and sunlight. As the days get longer, we want to be more productive. We want to mirror what the earth is doing. She calls us to get up too. No more languishing. No more listless nights. Can you feel it? Can you feel the energy buzzing inside your soul compelling you to move?
You refresh, change over, or change over your closets for the seasonal shift.
You open the windows to let the fresh air breeze in, sweeping away the old.
You begin looking at cleaning with a fresh eye, suddenly seeing all of those invisible areas you've been neglecting.
Have you become invisible?
It's time to FOCUS, REFRESH, and RESET.
Minds, hearts, and emotions can also develop clutter. These areas collect collect so incrementally that it can be hard to turn focus towards it. Imagine a small leak over time, causing damage inside your walls. Now imagine a pipe bursting. Which gets your attention?
But you, of course, notice this clutter because quietly inside of your well being, you sense it. Eventually this too can burst into a catastrophic episode if continually ignored.
So don't ignore it.
The good news; small changes can be made to reverse that catastrophic event.
Clear our emotional and mental clutter with dance. First decide what is holding you back? Are you frozen with fear, impossibly trapped with imposter syndrome, or preposterously paused with perfectionism? Identify what no longer serves you. Dance is a moving meditation. If you aren't keen on the calm notion of sitting cross legged in a quiet room, give dancing a try! When you are moving, and focusing only on the correct technique of dance, or even the pure joy of the movement, it is nearly impossible to also think negative thoughts at the same time. Think of movement as the key that will unlock the door that blocks you from connecting mind with body.
Movement triggers dopamine in the brain. Dopamine is a neurotransmitter, a chemical messenger, that plays crucial roles for various bodily functions, including movement control (low levels of dopamine are associated with Parkinson's disease) motivation and focus, and the reward systems of the brain. And you can take these benefits one step further by connecting positive thoughts to specific movements. This can rewire the brain, and enhance your positive mood. This seems like it can be a little “woo-woo” but what have you got to lose?
Breath work in dance can be extremely beneficial to overall health. It helps to reduce stress and anxiety, and can increase stamina and lung capacity. In with the good air and out with the bad air, just like opening the windows in the home!
Let go of what no longer serves, and grow from the improvements you create. When you dance, every moment you are working on dancing; building strength, choosing joy (yes choosing joy is working on yourself too) and training technique, is also a moment where you are letting go of the old gunk that is in the way of making you a better you, and the creating space to receive the benefits of dance. As you progress, leave fear, perfectionism, and imposter syndrome behind.
I encourage you to declutter your belongings that are no longer serving a purpose and set up a space just for you. Maybe that's a reading nook, a meditation spot, a prayer corner, or even a dance space!
Spring cleaning is about decluttering to make space for what matters to be healthier in the physical as well as the emotional and mental spaces. Everyday is a new chance to start anew.
Dandelion & Opal’s mission: Transforming women’s lives through fitness, inspiration, and motivation using the art of dance with accessibility and inclusion.
I created Dandelion & Opal to reach women who cannot attend regular, traditional studio classes due to logistics of time, availability, or lack of self-esteem and confidence. Courses are created at home, for your home, and designed for small spaces. Not only is it an educational journey, but also a motivational and gamified one!
With Growth and Gratitude,
Ms. Nicolyn