Do you feel most critical when it comes to allowing yourself to move creatively and freely, feeling that you really aren’t good enough for this or you feel a bit silly? If the answer is yes, you are probably feeling the perilous side of the mind-body connection by fearing other people’s opinions…which is very human.

Sadly, our bodies deeply believe the self-judgmental thoughts in our minds, which restricts our movement choices. Many people are uncomfortable taking dance classes because they feel clumsy or ‘stupid’. If you add societal attitudes towards ageing bodies or a physical restriction to the mix, you can let judgmental thoughts stop you from doing what is most joyful and healthy for you! And let’s face it, we know dancing and creativity have numerous health benefits, and you don’t have to be skilled at them to reap them.

If you have ever wanted to start dancing or return to dancing, maybe the classes through Dancemind are for you – you’ll certainly be kept busy for your mind to not care about what you look like!

Recently I noticed that as I teach or move, I too can sometimes feel clumsy. My body seems to offer fresh challenges as I navigate injuries, aches and pains. In fact, as I write this, I am recovering from a knee injury. What I can do now does not compare to what I could do in my 20s. We joke in class that we (myself and my colleague Lucy) bring the ‘human’ aspect to dancing. Mistakes are welcome. However, I’d admit I sometimes believe my own self-judgmental thoughts to be more significant than my body’s needs. BUT, within this, I recognise that this is common in others, especially those from non-dancing backgrounds.

So here I write to ask you, how do you overcome the fear and discover new possibilities for movement? Challenging aesthetics and held beliefs about what dance is, and instead finding freedom and creativity in the body that brings joy and connection to oneself and others without judgement. Maybe it’s time to unleash the tiger…

Thank you for reading

xx Tina