When I think about health and what motivates a person to take action to improve their health, the word that comes up from me is vitality. The dialogue of dance is self-expression and being truly self-expressed creates vitality. Dance movement therapy offers a unique way to metaphorically and literally step into action by developing a deeper sense of listening to our bodies.

In the present moment, we can become aware of movement patterns that prevent us from reaching our potential, that keep us stuck intellectualizing our behaviors, planning how we might change, but never moving beyond the planning stage. As a dance movement therapist, I help people explore their movement impulses and movement patterns to deepen and help cause, clarify and release internal processes through bodily expression. We can create new experiences and insights about ourselves when the body truly releases old wounds stored in the physical matter of our bodies and we can learn to interrupt movement patterns that stifle our overall development.

Knowing something on a body level is something many of us can relate to. However, we live in a culture where betraying our body is not only common, but often encouraged, so we lose our sense of knowing on a body level. This disconnection leaves us vulnerable to develop unhealthy patterns, physical and psychological illness. We live in a mind heavy culture! As a dance therapist, I invite everyone to consider the body as resource for growth and gateway to self-discovery.