There are so many ways to cultivate mindfulness and to look after your mental health. Meditation, breath work, yoga, mindful walking, mindful eating...dance can certainly be an avenue to cultivating mindfulness and to be in the present moment. There is nothing more satisfying than moving freely and being fully immersed in your dance.
Dance has helped me during challenging times and it has also helped me to express myself without the need for words as I often found that moving my body was a much more effective way to express the energy that was inside me.
After I started ballet as a child, my mother noted that I was standing taller and tended to look up more. I was a rather melancholic child who worried A LOT and tended to walk with my head looking down. Dance brought joy and lightness into my life. My favourite movements often included jumping and leaping through open space, though I also enjoyed the quiet, meditative movements of port de bras and adage.
Dancing continues to be a source of joy and am forever grateful that dance came into my life.
As you develop mindfulness and tend to your mental health this May, consider adding some combination of hopping, skipping, leaping and jumping into your daily life. It's amazing how much these movements lift your spirit and bring joy.
What do you do to look after your mental health and wellbeing?
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