Soothe Sadness With Gentle Somatic Freestyle Dance Practice

When we feel sad, it can be easy to shut down, hold everything inside, or try to move past the feeling too quickly. In this practice, we’ll slow down and let the body lead. Through gentle movement, breath, and simple prompts, you’ll have space to notice what’s present and allow sadness to move in a supportive way.
There is no choreography and no right way to do this. You can move as much or as little as feels right for your body.

Transcript

Any feelings of sadness or feeling a bit down. We're going to give space to that here with our natural intuitive movement. So it's not about looking good or doing a particular style of dance, But it's more about connecting to your feelings through your body movement and letting that energy move through you. I will be moving with you and making some verbal prompts, But please make this your own, Always following what feels right and good for your body. Start by noticing your breath. In any feelings of sadness. As you begin to move, Rolling out your shoulders, Forward and back. Engaging your head stretching your neck. This is our time and space to acknowledge. Your emotions. You can sway and stretch. It feels good to be low to the ground. You're welcome. If not, Say, Standing upright. If there's a feeling of heaviness. Allow yourself to lean into that feeling. What does sadness feel like to you in this moment? For me it feels heavy. So I'm letting my body be heavy. What does sadness feel like in your body? Is it small? Is it contracted? Is it low to the floor? There's no wrong or right here. Just following your internal movement. Honoring your emotions. With motion. Include your arms in your movement. Letting your movement come from your spine. However small, However big. Moving from your spine. Let the floor hold your weight. Notice the floor beneath you. Whether you're standing. Or dancing on the floor, Feel the floor beneath you. Feel how sadness feels for you. Is it tight? Is it hiding? Is it in your heart space? Allow the energy of sadness. To move through you. Could be a sway of your hips. Or shoulder. Maybe your movement feels heavy. If there's not a lot of energy. Lean into that. No foreseeing. Imagine giving your sadness to the earth. Letting Mother Earth hold you holds your sadness. Maybe there's a shake or sway. Maybe they're circles, Twirls. Feel the earth beneath your feet. Supporting you and your sadness. Let your movement hold you. Maybe embracing yourself. Feeling the support of the floor. Moving from your spine. Moving from your heart space. We don't have to hold it all in. We can move energy. Let your emotions flow. Meeting your heaviness. Meeting sadness. Breathe. Letting your emotions flow like water. Heavy land. Slow steady flow. It's all temporary. Let it move. Let it flow like the ocean. Move the energy. Sensing into what your body needs. Dancing with sadness. Allowing the flow. If there's a shake, If there's tears. It's okay. Allow the tears to flow. Allow your breath to flow. It's all movement. It's all energy. Breathe. Continuing to breathe. Expansing sadness. Allowing it to move through you. The movie. Moving motion. Allowing your movement to come to a slow pause. Slowing, Pausing your movement. Putting a hand on your chest. Feel your breath. And notice how you're doing in this moment. Thank you.