“A sound mind rests in a sound
body”, a very familiar quote. But how many of us have holistically applied this
in our lives? How many of us have been mindful enough to know how our body
feels? How many of us have truly explored the limits of our body aesthetics?
These are some vital queries that often emerge when we get deep into the realm
of the relationship between the human body and the human mind.
If we minutely observe the
validity of the relationship between the mind and the body, it prevails throughout
in our ancient history. From ‘Shyamans’ trying to release evil spirits through
movement and rhythm, to the circular movements performed by the ‘Sufi cult’
which believed in the connection of the soul and body through dance. Even the
Hindu mythological character ‘Lord Shiva’ is known for his ‘Rudra’ avatar
(form) when he engages in ‘Tandav Nritya’(dance of aggression) as a release to
the emotion ‘anger’. Yoga which is rooted in the Indian culture highlights
different body aesthetics which entwines both the body and mind together. In
recent times, there is a sudden upsurge for the school of ‘Expressive art
therapies’ that cater to needs of Psychophysical wellbeing. One of such
emerging fields especially in India is the field of ‘Dance Movement Therapy’. It
has its origin from the Western countries. In the year 1942, Marian Chace from
United States pioneered ‘Dance Movement Therapy” (DMT). Later, American Dance
Therapy Association (ADTA) was established in 1966 as a platform to serve in
the field of mental health where DMT was itself considered as a form of
‘Psychotherapy’. According to ADTA, ‘dance therapy’ can be defined as “the psychotherapeutic use of movement to
further facilitate the emotional, cognitive, physical and social integration of
the individual”.
India being a developing nation has seen changes in its
work culture and lifestyle from past few years due to rapid urbanization and industrialization.
Be it the work culture or the education system, the phenomenon is that of excessive
monotony. This throws light on various emerging health concerns in both
physical and psychological contexts. Tripura Kashyap, one of the pioneers of
DMT in India has revolutionized the therapeutic aspects of dance throughout the
nation. Her venture called ‘Creative Movement therapy Association
of India’ is a renowned organization known for its expertise in providing
somatic and psychological needs to the society and also provides training
courses in and around Indian states.
I have
been a small part of this journey which allowed me to widen my area of
expertise in ‘dance therapy’ to masses. The primary psychological aspects that
the Dance therapy workshop focuses on are based on the demand of a specific
population. Some important components are Physical (body awareness,
coordination, rhythm development, reduction of motor restlessness, release
physical blocks, modification of movement qualities, Gross motor development,
liberate from stereotypical movement, enhances imitation skills), Mental (Attention,
decision making, memory, spatial intelligence, increasing cognition),Emotional
(expression of feelings, building emotional intelligence, having impulse
control, acceptance of others emotions, development of empathy, reducing
anxiety) and Social (awareness of others, eye contact, leadership qualities,
trust building, socially appropriate behavior, adaptability). There are mainly
five primary stages in the session; Stage 1 includes an
introduction which includes warm ups, games and opening rituals, Stage 2 involves exploration by
taking risks, playing with movement, limits potentials and the therapist
observes what the client wants. Stage 3 is about expression and communication
which stems from experiences, collaborations between group members, deeper
movement sessions and trust building, Stage 4 is the resolution
phase which is verbal, solution focused and deals with talk therapy and finally
Stage 5
includes integration of DMT sessions to real life.
DMT
has been used on various populations in India like on corporate employees
catering to needs of ‘occupational stress’ and emotional intelligence, with
women groups to regulate emotions, releasing vivid forms of emotions through
body movement and sculpting. Apart from this, DMT does not mark any limitation
to any specific criterion of population only. It is meant for men and
women from any age group, it can be conducted in hospitals, schools, support groups,
rehabilitation centers and mobility training centers. In some places it can be used as a primary or
support therapy mainly with children with Autism for reduction of psychomotor
stereotypies, people with Mood and Stress
related disorders where DMT focuses on identification of primary emotions and
expression in an appropriate manner , Schizophrenia through integration of body
movement and mindful awareness, Mental Retardation through sculpting and
imitation, etc.
Expressive
art therapy is a new emerging field in India and it has been holistically
accepted by people from all walks of life and also has psychotherapeutic
properties which have been identified by the American Psychological Association
(APA). It has a promising future in our country and people are coming forward
to apply it in their regular lifestyles. It caters to widespread areas of
psychological wellbeing. Like Weisbrod, 1972 rightly said “When
all body parts are organized and integrated, the body is like an orchestra”.
Thereby, it should be widely accepted and popularised for the holistic growth
of the Indian population.
Nikita Hazarika
August 29th, 2016
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