Movement and body therapy: Restoring balance through dance and yoga
What is movement therapy (choreotherapy and somatics)?
These are therapeutic methods based on the assumption of an inseparable bond between the body and mind. We use choreotherapy (dance therapy) and elements of therapeutic yoga and breathing exercises.
It is important to understand that these classes are not dance lessons or fitness training. Participants do not need to learn complicated routines or be as flexible as acrobats. The classes are safe and tailored to the individual pace of participants, their fitness level and any previous injuries.
In this form of therapy, it is the ‘feeling’ that counts, not the ‘appearance’. It is about consciously experiencing movement, not its aesthetics.
Different paths to one goal: How do we work?
Our classes are led by certified therapists and instructors with psychological training. We combine dynamism with tranquillity:
- Expression and Release (Dance and Movement) – allows you to ‘release’ emotions that are trapped inside your body. Through movement improvisation, participants can express anger, joy or sadness without using words. It is a process of regaining spontaneity and agency.
- Mindfulness and stabilisation (Yoga and Breathing) – gentle yoga elements and relaxation techniques that teach how to regulate the nervous system. We focus on grounding, conscious breathing and releasing tension accumulated in the body.
Who is movement therapy for?
Working with the body is particularly helpful where verbal communication is difficult or insufficient. Our activities are aimed at:
- People who have experienced trauma and are struggling with PTSD – the body often “remembers” difficult events (freezing, tension). Movement allows these blockages to be safely thawed.
- People with depression and low mood – movement stimulates the natural production of vital energy and helps to overcome apathy.
- People with eating disorders and body image issues – therapy helps to build a new, accepting and kind relationship with your own body.
- Senior citizens – as a method for improving coordination and balance, and a way to maintain vitality and contact with the group.
- People living under chronic stress – as a tool for deep regeneration.
Why does it work? The psychosomatic mechanism
Movement directly affects the biochemistry of our brain. Physical activity undertaken in a safe therapeutic environment raises endorphin and serotonin levels, while practising yoga and deep breathing activates the parasympathetic nervous system (responsible for rest), lowering cortisol levels.
What is more, through movement we build what is known as proprioceptive awareness – we begin to feel the boundaries of our own body better, which translates into better psychological boundaries in our relationships with other people.
Our mission
We help our charges not only to ‘have a body,’ but to truly ‘be in the body.’