“LETTING GO” USING THE POWER OF MUSIC AND BODY MOVEMENT – Ladies Who Online

Anxious, depressed, easily angered, insecure. These were among the emotions I felt at the start of the pandemic. 

See, my plans were different. While I am totally fine being by myself and am quite used to living solo, I was also expecting to go through the quarantine with my partner. 

But fate had other plans. She was stuck in another city. And, with the enhanced community quarantine, I was left to be by myself for several weeks.

To be frank, that sucked. I drowned in so many emotions. I battled with anxiety and depression. Some days were bad, some were worse. Sometimes I would feel like I have my emotions in check and sometimes it would feel like everything is going on a downward spiral. Every day was a different struggle.

I searched for ways to make myself feel okay. I wrote endlessly, listened to calming music, watched feel-good movies, learned how to cook, enrolled in classes, and talked to friends. I even started my search for a medical professional who could possibly help me. But I only had limited funds. And, with the uncertainty that COVID-19 brings, I have to be mindful of every penny I spend.

My friend and life coach, Maru, recommended a course that she is running: Body & Emotion in Motion, which uses primal dance and the power of music and conscious breathing. I was a bit hesitant to join at first. I felt like it was too different – weird even. I mean music and body movement as a form of therapy? Perhaps I am living under a rock, but it was the first time I’ve heard of it. But, since I was having so much difficulty dealing with my emotions and sorting through my thoughts, AND, therapy is quite expensive, I gave this out-of-the-box method a go.

There were five of us who joined, all first-timers. The online session ran for about an hour. Maru facilitated the session and guided us through each of the sections. She played music conveying different emotions. https://youtu.be/HWWOnEym3Is

Joining the session was CATHARTIC. The music and body movement guided me to release pent-up energies. Within that one hour, I felt sadness, anger, pain, and insecurity. I also felt femininity, power, love, freedom, and fire. 

The space allowed me to be vulnerable, uninhibited, and unafraid of judgment. I did not care that I had two left feet. I danced like no one’s watching. Slowly, I learned to let myself go and open up myself to possibilities. For the first time in what seems like a long time, I felt FREE.

While I joined a guided session, you can definitely do this at your home, too. You can create your own playlist and dance/move to your heart’s content. But, if you wish to know more about this particular session, you can find information through this link: https://marutalavera.com/portfolio/body-and-emotion-in-motion/