I tried ecstatic dance to see if it’s the ultimate therapy

RI agree. Are you ready? ” my friend asked, looking into my eyes. We are still in the car. There is still a possibility of withdrawal. I shake my head.

“Probably not. But we’ve come this far.”

In fact, on Saturday morning we came to a remote village hall and tried an ecstatic dance that neither of us had ever done before. Do not confuse it with a standard workout. This class is not a “body pump” class where you wear outrageously expensive Lululemon athleisure wear and encourage movements that border on embarrassing twerking. This is probably almost therapeutic.

And there’s never been a better time to give dance a try than now, with recent research revealing that dance is one of the most effective treatments for depression on the planet.Australian researchers announced study at BMJ In February 2024, dancing was shown to be the most effective exercise for reducing symptoms of depression, surpassing walking, jogging, yoga, tai chi, and strength training. Not only that, it beat cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT) and selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors (SSRIs).

When I saw the results, I wasn’t surprised at all. I’ve tried just about every type of dance at one time or another, from ballet to childhood Irish dancing (the latter of which allowed me to guest star on a TV show). generation game, the undisputed highlight of my media career), teenage tap, disco, street and Latin. During my drama degree I took a whole module on interpretive dance. We were taught by a tutor whose choreography was a bit erratic, and once she put us through an hour-long “performance” using only our eyebrows. I’m currently spending a Tuesday night in a sweaty room full of menopausal women doing Zumba at the local sports center. And now, at 37, I still regularly attend big nights out and book tickets to festivals so I can dance for hours without any reprimand.

But I still remember the first time I fully understood that dancing was more than just a fun pastime. In my early 20s, I was suddenly dumped and experienced my first proper heartbreak. There are few times as painful as the beginning. Age and life experience really dull the pain. The battle scars pile up and the separation still hurts, but it’s never the kind of searing, white-hot agony that can be inflicted on a soft, innocent heart. Cat Stevens was perhaps best described when she sang, “The first cut is the deepest.”

So you get the picture. I had all the classic symptoms of insomnia, anorexia, and anhedonia (the inability to enjoy or even rouse interest in anything), which is the worst for a pathologically bright person. , was overwhelmed with grief. This condition did not change for more than a month, until one day, while listening to music with sunlight shining through the window, he suddenly felt the urge to dance. I existed in my own body for the first time in weeks. There was no conscious thought, just the deep-seated knowledge that movement was felt. good. A small spark of joy that I thought would disappear forever came back to life.

Now, 14 years later, I’m at Village Hall, ready to join a room full of strangers and “dance out” my emotions, “I’m Just Ken” style. This feels much more modest than my solo epiphany. After all, there will be witnesses.

When we entered the venue, greeted by the soft-spoken facilitator Sasha, we saw about 10 participants rolling around on the floor and stretching while gentle music played. Suddenly, I had an irresistible vision of that iconic episode. peep show Where Mark Corrigan attends a ‘Rainbow Rhythm’ class. “I have stepped into a personal nightmare,” he says to himself as he enters the room. “I have to try not to be nervous…even if they make me practice trusting my genitals.”

However, before the session begins in earnest, there is an “opening circle” and introduction to help ease any daunting feelings. For those of us newbies, here’s a breakdown of what ecstatic dancing actually looks like. It is a movement practice that explores the exhilarating sensation of free movement of the body. “If you feel inhibited at any point, I recommend closing your eyes, listening to music, and returning to your breath and body,” says Sasha. The important thing is to move your body in a way that is inspired by the music. Don’t think about it, just feel it. It taps into something fundamental. This is typical of the old cliché, “dance like no one’s watching.”

There are no rules per se other than respecting other people’s personal space and boundaries. It is possible to dance, but and Of course, this is not expected of others. And you can only do that if the other person is clearly open to it.

A final note, or warning: “This habit can stir up great emotions. Although it’s been called an ecstatic dance, it doesn’t necessarily mean happiness; it can stir up feelings of anger or sadness.” ” I scoff inwardly. I’ve never remotely felt anything like that while dancing.

And off to the races. I would describe myself as a natural exhibitionist in many ways, but I’m not too self-conscious about it. And yet, perhaps because of it, I find myself in over my head. I’m used to dancing in front of an audience and it feels like some kind of performance. It’s almost the opposite; instead of focusing on the outer aesthetic, you need to pay attention to what’s going on inside and what the music is encouraging you to express.

The guy behind the back deck handles the transitions and selects the songs. I was expecting hippie-style “world” music, but the selection is surprisingly eclectic. At one point, my friend and I were in the same corner of the room, happily pacing around to a remix of Missy Elliott’s “Get Ur Freak On.” Another piece features a classical piano piece from my childhood ballet classes, and I feel a wave of nostalgia wash over me as I pirouette.

Time becomes elastic. I have no idea how long I’ve been dancing or how much time I have left. I don’t know when it happened, but the cerebral part of me was replaced by pure instinct. Sometimes I close my eyes, sometimes I open them, and I watch with quiet elation as the people around me get lost in the music and movement.

Sometimes I feel like I have to fill that space. It’s like a joyful balloon that keeps expanding, getting bigger and bigger, and you have to travel across the space. Sometimes I find myself shrinking, lower to the ground, feeling the Earth’s gravitational pull. The beat drops. I’m sweating. I’m grinning. It seemed like I had lost the plot, but it didn’t matter.

But a truly amazing incident occurs in the penultimate number. It’s Lamb’s “My Angel Gabriel”. It’s an exciting song that will definitely hit you in the pit of your stomach. Next thing I know, I’m crying. Not solitary tears, delicate and elegant, but undeniable torrents. “Oh my god, I’m dancing and crying,” I think hysterically. “Sasha was right. It’s actually happening.” It’s as if all the pain I’ve experienced over the past year is pouring out of my eyeballs. We are far enough down the rabbit hole that we don’t feel shame or embarrassment. Yes, I just keep crying silently, dancing through my emotions. It’s strange, sad, and absurdly cathartic. There is hurt, but there is also healing. Bloody hell.

The session ends with a closing circle. If you wish, you will be invited to share any insights you have gained from your experience. Again, peep show “Rainbow Rhythm” permeates my thoughts.

“There was a lot of new energy in the room tonight, and some of it was just energy. So Rainbow Rhythm, and some of it was just that do not have Rainbow Rhythm,” one of the participants said during the episode.

“Well, listen, I’m sorry if I’m wrong. I’m sorry if I eat red meat and don’t think money or Tony Blair is necessarily a bad thing. But if I don’t… ” There’s no room here for people who disagree with everything you believe in, so what kind of hippie freedom is this? ” Mark replies.

That’s a valid point. I can’t imagine anyone in our group being so critical. And yet: I laughed, I cried, I waved my hands in the air like nothing bothered me, I danced like no one was watching.I definitely feel it So Rainbow rhythm now. And I’ll definitely be back for more – after all, it’s much cheaper than therapy.