Dance Lessons for Stress Relief

  Several studies confirm what you may already know: Dancing is a great stress reliever. It also has been proven to help decrease depression and anxiety, and elevate your mood. Dancing proved to be better at relieving stress than even meditation! When thinking about dancing for stress relief, you might envision blasting loud music and bouncing to the beat, but you can attain the same stress relief by slowing things down and connecting with your body.

· Dancing slowly helps you connect your body and feelings, and allows you to express yourself, perhaps in a way that more energetic dancing will not.

· Slower movements help you stretch out and increase your flexibility.

· Slower dancing will help you focus on your breathing, which can help you to relax.

Use stretching movements with your arms and slow bending exercises to release the stress of the day from all parts of your body. Slowly move to the music. Think of stretching, expanding, and breathing.

· Forget problems that caused you stress. Focus on the music and the movement of your body.

· Breathe deeply to aid in relaxation.

· You might want to try this before bedtime to help you stretch, relax, and fall asleep faster. Keep the lights dim and the music slow and soft.

A combination of Rumba, Waltz, Foxtrot, Bolero and many others would be a perfect choice for stress relief.