Body Movement

Body Movement Therapy is the use of movement to promote cognitive, emotional, social, and physical integration of the person.

Body Movement Therapy at The Bridge to Recovery

Dance therapy is most commonly associated with body movement therapies.  However, for our purposes we have listed below the different types of body movement therapies we find most beneficial for our clients and their healing.

Unstructured Body Movement

The energy created from a traumatic event is stored in the muscles of our body because our fight or flight response is triggered, and the energy created has to go somewhere.  

“Shake it out!”

You may have heard a coach yell this to a pitcher on the mound, or it may be a mantra used before someone gives a speech.  This is an example of unstructured movement that is beneficial to releasing energy.

This type of movement can be anything your body feels guided to do.  At The Bridge to Recovery, this type of movement therapy can be beneficial in a number of ways:

• It helps break up a difficult, painful, or tense activity.
• It helps break down barriers that are blocking us from connecting with ourselves and each other.
• It helps us become more comfortable in our bodies.
• It allows us to be “silly” which is necessary to the healing process. 

Yoga & Stretching

We talk quite a bit about how beneficial Yoga is as a practice on our page here.  The Bridge to Recovery has found the use of Yoga helpful for our clients in a number of ways:

• It releases endorphins that create a state of calmness, helping with anxiety.
• It helps us connect with our bodies.
• It encourages mindfulness and being present in the moment.
• It is beneficial to many physical ailments and promotes overall good physical health.

Structured Body Movement

Using our bodies for a purpose, such as going for a walk or participating in aerobics is also beneficial to our mental health in the following ways:

• It releases endorphins and effects our dopamine levels, helping with anxiety and depression.
• It releases stored trauma energy.
• It promotes good physical health.
• When combined with guided imagery or meditation, it can help illicit memory recall and other cognition benefits. 

Dance Movement

Dancing in structured or unstructured ways is beneficial in the following ways:

• It helps us become more comfortable in our bodies.
• It allows us to release preconceived notions about our body, behavior, and appearance.
• It releases endorphins helpful to our mental health.

Feeling Silly

Body movement therapies are often difficult for people because of negative self-feelings.  Initially, our clients feel uncertain and insecure, especially with unstructured body movement activities.  

However, our wonderful team of therapists work with clients on this, and one of the advantages of body movement therapies is that it helps us overcome our body issues. It enables clients to connect with a subconscious, child-like self; a playful self that can be released to experience enjoyment and fun.

To learn more about The Bridge to Recovery and how we could be a good fit for you, your friend or family member, or client, we invite you to give us a call today.