Conscious dance: Perceived benefits and psychological well-being of participants

Abstract

Background: Meta-analyses suggest that dance has potential to decrease psychological distress, increase trait mindfulness, and enhance quality of life. Conscious dance can be defined as unchoreographed, intentionally nonevaluative mindful movement commonly practiced in a group setting for purposes of authentic self-expression, self-discovery, interpersonal connectedness, and personal healing or growth.Objective: To assess perceived effects of conscious dance practice (e.g., Ecstatic Dance, 5Rhythms) and examine associations between frequency/ duration of practice and psychological well-being among participants. Methods: Self-identifying adult conscious dancers completed a survey (N=1003; mean age=47 years; 52% from the U.S; 78% White; 73% female).Results: Conscious dancers with ≥5 years of practice had significantly higher trait mindfulness and life satisfaction compared to newer practitioners. More frequent practice (≥ once per week) was associated with higher trait mindfulness. A strong majority of participants endorsed experiences consistent with mindfulness (i.e., feeling "more present in my body"; 99% of the sample) and psychological flow ("I felt like I was 'in the zone' or 'in the flow' of things"; 93% of the sample) during conscious dance. Among participants endorsing any of five stress-related health conditions, the majority reported therapeutic effects (i.e., that conscious dance "helped them cope" with the condition). Therapeutic effects were most consistently reported by individuals with depression or anxiety (96% endorsement), followed by those with a trauma 2 history (95%), chronic pain (89%), and history of substance abuse or addiction (88%). For all conditions except addiction, therapeutic effects were associated with greater experiences of psychological flow during dance, and the magnitude of these effects was large (Cohen's ds range: 1.0-2.3). Conclusion:Individuals who engage in conscious dance report that these practices help them to cope with stress-related health conditions. Participants reporting longer duration or greater frequency of practice scored higher on measures of psychological well-being. The feasibility and efficacy of conscious dance for improving well-being among individuals naïve to these approaches will be important to determine in future research.

Therapeutic impact of dance therapy on adult individuals with psychological trauma: a systematic review

“…Subjects also had higher levels of life satisfaction (t (932) = 2.94, d = 0.19, p = 0.003) and better flow states (t (840) = 3.11, d = 0.22, p = 0.002). Similarly, in this study 47 and with a different subsample, people who dance at least once a week more have higher mindfulness scores (t (850) = 2.72, d = 0.19, p = 0.007) and better flow (t (806) = 3.25, d = 0.23, p = 0.001), but do not have significantly higher life satisfaction. Two other qualitative studies 39,44 also found improved physical health and flow states in those who participated in dance sessions.…”

“…The work reviewed emphasizes that dance therapy encourages the expression and recognition of physical pain. The cross-sectional study 47 highlights the usefulness of dance in the management of chronic pain (89.4% of people with chronic pain).…”

Diversification of Physical Activities: An Exploration of Provision Characteristics of Holistic Movement Practices in a Large Australian City

“…Given HMPs' proven and potential physical and mental health benefits [5,12,18,29,50,51], they have a potential role to play in health promotion. It is thus important to consider the provision characteristics in light of implicit constraints and affordances and the effects on who might find their way to these practices.…”

“…Among early research is a qualitative study exploring the participation motives of 5Rhythms' participants [28], which found that the holistic nature of the practice was reflected in motives such as emotional exploration and expression, safety, personal growth, and spirituality. A recent survey among 5Rhythms, Biodanza, and other free-movement-based holistic dance practices had a majority of female, white, and university-educated respondents, with many reporting a mental health condition [29]. In an Italian study, people signing up for a yearlong course in Biodanza were found to have different emotional characteristics than those signing up for other dance courses [16].…”

Connecting Through Dance: Understanding Conscious Clubbing Event Experiences

“…While a small number of studies suggest conscious dance may increase wellbeing, mindfulness and coping (e.g. Laird et al, 2021), limited research focuses specifically on experiences and benefits of conscious clubbing.…”