Movement-Integrated

What is Open Floor Practice?

Open Floor Practice is a conscious dance methodology that uses guiding movement resources rather than set steps, weaving solo and partnered movement into an ongoing exploration of embodied awareness, emotion, and connection.

Indirect Evidence

Last Updated

4 Jul 2026

We are still reviewing this page. Our research team checks every technique page for accuracy and evidence quality before final release. Details may change as that review completes. The evidence badge shows our current reading of the published research.

RECOMMENDED DOSE

How Much Open Floor Practice Should You Do?

No direct dose-response literature exists for this technique. This introductory range reflects general practice conventions for movement and dance-based meditation and is intended as a comfortable starting point only. No direct dose evidence; editorial synthesis.

No direct dose-response literature exists for this technique. This step-up reflects a typical established-practice level for movement meditation once the basics feel familiar. No direct dose evidence; editorial synthesis.

No direct dose-response literature exists for this technique. This maintenance-level range mirrors longer class-length sessions common in movement-meditation communities and should be built up to gradually. No direct dose evidence; editorial synthesis.

Session length

Session length: 15–20 minutes

MIN

How long each individual practice session should last from start to finish.

Frequency

Frequency: 2–3 days

DAYS

The number of days per week to fit a session into your routine.

Session length

Session length: 30–45 minutes

MIN

How long each individual practice session should last from start to finish.

Frequency

Frequency: 3–4 days

DAYS

The number of days per week to fit a session into your routine.

Session length

Session length: About 60 minutes

MIN

How long each individual practice session should last from start to finish.

Frequency

Frequency: 4–5 days

DAYS

The number of days per week to fit a session into your routine.

About this card. These recommendations are not a substitute for personalised guidance from a qualified practitioner. No direct dose-response literature exists for this technique; the durations and frequencies below are conservative starting points drawn from general conventions for movement-based meditation, not from studies of Open Floor Practice itself.

Related Techniques to Open Floor Practice

Authentic Movement

Common questions about Open Floor Practice

Quick answers to what people most often ask. Each card links to the deeper section below.

evidence

What does the research say about Open Floor Practice?

No clinical trials have tested Open Floor Practice directly, so measured results for it do not exist. Its aims draw on how the method is built and on broader conscious-dance research, which studies the wider practice family rather than Open Floor. Treat it as a promising, early-stage practice, not an evidence-backed treatment.

good for

Who is Open Floor Practice good for?

Open Floor Practice suits adults who want to feel more at home in their bodies, more physically confident, or more connected to others through movement, and those who find seated stillness harder than moving. Its honest scope is wellbeing and connection, not a treatment for anxiety, depression, trauma, or a diagnosed condition.

safety

Is Open Floor Practice safe?

Most adults can practise Open Floor at their own pace, resting or stepping off the floor anytime. Because continuous dance raises heart rate and loads the joints, check with a clinician if pregnant, recovering from injury, or managing a heart or joint condition. Turning attention inward can surface strong emotion when working with trauma, grief, or addiction.

how it works

How does Open Floor Practice work?

Open Floor is believed to work by turning attention to inner body signals as you move, sharpening interoceptive awareness so a tight chest or held breath registers sooner. Partnered movement adds sensorimotor integration and proprioception, your felt sense of body position, so many finish steadier and more physically present. These pathways come from its design, not measured effects.

For clinicians, researchers, and curious readers

What's in a session?

How does it work?

What does it do to the body?

What is it used for?

What does the research say?

Which studies have tested it?

Where does it come from?

Is it safe?Who should practise with care?How to practise safely?

How does it compare?

What does a Open Floor Practice session involve?

A conscious dance method that uses movement principles, ground, centre, expand, and dissolve, rather than set steps, blending solo and partnered movement to explore embodied awareness, emotion, and connection.

A session is guided but largely improvised. A facilitator holds the space around Open Floor's core resources, ground, centre, expand, and dissolve, rather than teaching steps to copy. Time alternates between solo exploration and relational dyad work with a partner. Dancers track inner sensation, adjust how close they move to others, and work at their own intensity, with the freedom to rest or step off the floor at any point.

Open Floor Practice is a specific conscious dance methodology, not a choreographed dance class, a fitness workout, or a performance form; there are no routines to learn and no right way to look. It shares heritage with its parent lineage, 5Rhythms, but is distinct from it, and it is not a clinical therapy, a substitute for mental-health care, or an evidence-backed treatment for any diagnosed condition. It is best understood as a movement-based wellbeing and connection practice.

Not to be confused with

Choreographed dance classes

There are no steps or routines to learn in Open Floor. It works from movement principles and improvised inquiry rather than taught sequences, so there is no choreography to get right or wrong.

Authentic Movement

Authentic Movement is a quiet, often eyes-closed practice built around a mover and a silent witness, with almost no external structure. Open Floor is more actively facilitated and uses explicit movement resources and relational exercises to guide attention.

Somatic movement therapy

Somatic movement therapies are structured, often one-to-one clinical or educational modalities aimed at retraining specific patterns. Open Floor is a group wellbeing practice using free improvisation, not an individualised therapeutic protocol.

How does Open Floor Practice work?

Open Floor is thought to work by turning attention to the body's inner signals as you move, interoceptive awareness, the skill of sensing a tight chest, a held breath, or a wave of ease more clearly than usual. As solo movement gives way to partnered work, the practice also leans on sensorimotor integration, the constant matching of what you intend to do with what your body senses, which practitioners tend to feel as movement becoming smoother and more assured. Navigating shared space draws on proprioceptive awareness, your felt sense of where your body is and how it is balanced, so many people finish a session feeling steadier and more physically present. These pathways are drawn from how the practice is built rather than measured in Open Floor itself, so they describe how it is believed to work rather than a proven effect.

Possible Mechanisms

Interoceptive Awareness

direct EVIDENCE

Noticing a flush of warmth, a chest that tightens, or a breath that finally settles as you move is interoceptive awareness at work, the skill of reading your body's internal signals. Open Floor treats movement as a way to investigate these sensations, so early cues of stress or ease may become easier to feel and name before they build.

Motor-Sensory Integration

direct EVIDENCE

When you coordinate with both your own impulses and a partner's cues, movement can start to feel more fluent and assured, the mark of motor-sensory integration, the body's working loop between what you intend to do and the feedback it senses as you do it. Open Floor's blend of solo and relational movement leans on this loop, though direct evidence in the practice itself is still limited, so it describes how the practice is thought to work rather than a measured effect.

Proprioceptive Awareness

direct EVIDENCE

Moving through shared space with other dancers keeps pulling your attention back to where your body is, how it is balanced, and how close it sits to the people around you. Over time this repeated tracking is thought to build proprioceptive awareness, the felt sense of your body's position and movement, which many people describe as feeling steadier on their feet, more precise in how they move, and more physically present.

What does Open Floor Practice do to the body?

What Open Floor seems to do most is sharpen how vividly you read signals from inside the body, an inner sensing sometimes called interoceptive accuracy that can mean catching a clenched jaw or a quickening heartbeat sooner than you otherwise would. Turning, changing levels, and shifting weight also draw on the vestibular system, the inner-ear network that tracks balance and head position, which dancers often feel as growing steadier and more oriented as a session goes on. None of this has been measured in Open Floor itself; the direction of these changes is expected from related conscious-dance and body-awareness work, not confirmed by studies of this practice.

Interoceptive Accuracy

moderate EVIDENCE

Catching a held breath, a clenched jaw, or a quickening heartbeat a little sooner is interoceptive accuracy, the precision with which you read the body's internal signals. Open Floor's sustained attention to sensation as you move is expected to sharpen that reading, based on related conscious-dance and body-awareness practices rather than direct study of Open Floor itself, so it may feel like noticing stress or fatigue before it builds.

Interoceptive Network Sensitivity

moderate EVIDENCE

You might catch a wave of emotion or a knot of tension while it is still small enough to move with, rather than only noticing once it has taken over. That earlier read reflects interoceptive network sensitivity, how finely the brain senses signals from inside the body like breath, heartbeat, and muscular tension. This has not been measured directly in Open Floor Practice; an increase is inferred from how the practice works and from related conscious-dance and interoception research.

Interoceptive Cortex Activation

moderate EVIDENCE

Turning attention inward toward breath, heartbeat, and shifting sensation is a core part of Open Floor Practice, and it is expected to engage the insula, the brain region that maps the body's internal signals. This activation hasn't been measured directly in Open Floor and is reasoned from related movement and interoception practices, but practitioners often describe feeling more vividly present in the body, noticing sensations they would usually move past.

Vestibular Function

moderate EVIDENCE

As you turn, change levels, and shift your weight across the floor, you may feel steadier and more oriented in the room. That work draws on the vestibular system, the inner-ear network that tracks balance and head position, though any gain here is inferred from related movement practices rather than measured in Open Floor itself.

Postural Muscle Engagement

moderate EVIDENCE

As you move through Open Floor's shifts between grounding, expanding, and dissolving, the body can feel steadier and more upright, answering each impulse to move more readily. That steadiness reflects postural muscle engagement, the ongoing work of the trunk, pelvis, and leg muscles that keep you balanced. It has not been measured during Open Floor itself and is inferred from how similar movement practices organise weight-shifting and balance.

What is Open Floor Practice used for?

Emerging evidence to date is the honest starting point: Open Floor Practice has no clinical trials of its own to draw on. Its most commonly named aims, body awareness, physical confidence, embodiment, emotional grounding, and a felt sense of connection, rest on how the practice is designed and on broad conscious-dance research rather than on direct outcome data, and that broader research speaks to the wider practice family, not to Open Floor specifically. What remains unsupported is substantial: randomized trials of this method, measured effect sizes, long-term follow-up, and any claim that it treats anxiety, depression, trauma, or a medical condition.

What does the research say about Open Floor Practice?

No study has yet tested Open Floor Practice on its own, so there are no measured results to report for it. What exists is a description of how Andrea Juhan and Lori Saltzman built the method from the 5Rhythms conscious dance lineage, plus broader conscious-dance research that hints at wellbeing benefits but studies the wider practice family, not Open Floor specifically. That makes it an early-stage practice worth exploring rather than an evidence-backed treatment, and its proposed mechanisms are reasoned from its design rather than demonstrated.

Meta-analyses

RCTs

Systematic reviews

Observational

Pilot

The available material is useful for setting expectations, but it describes the practice and its lineage rather than testing it, and the broader conscious-dance research it borrows from varies in method and participant group. Treat the findings as general guidance rather than a promise about any single session, and not a replacement for clinical care.

Read the full reference list See the studies

Which studies have tested Open Floor Practice?

For better or worse: An individual patient data meta-analysis of deterioration among participants receiving Internet-based cognitive behavior therapy.

2016

Finding: This meta-analysis pooled individual patient data from 29 clinical trials of online psychological treatments to look at a question most research skips: whether such approaches can sometimes leave people feeling worse rather than better. Its focus was internet-delivered talk therapy, not Open Floor Practice specifically, so it says nothing direct about this technique's effects. What it offers a curious reader is a useful reminder that any structured practice deserves honest self-monitoring, and that a method helping most people can still sit poorly with some. Because the underlying trials and outcomes vary widely, treat this as broad background rather than guidance about what Open Floor Practice will do for you.

See full citation in references

Trajectories of change in youth anxiety during cognitive—behavior therapy.

2014

Finding: This large trial followed 488 children and teens aged 7 to 17 with anxiety and compared a structured talk-therapy program, an anxiety medication, the two combined, and a placebo, tracking how their anxiety shifted as skills like relaxation, reframing worried thoughts, and gradual exposure were introduced. It studied a clinician-led cognitive-behavioral approach for young people rather than this movement practice itself, so it speaks to how structured anxiety care works in children, not to what an adult can expect from Open Floor sessions. Because no specific outcome figures are recorded here for this practice, treat it as background on youth anxiety treatment rather than direct proof of what this technique does.

See full citation in references

Where does Open Floor Practice come from?

Open Floor Practice grew out of the 5Rhythms conscious dance tradition and was developed by Andrea Juhan and Lori Saltzman, who organised it around movement resources, ground, centre, expand, and dissolve, rather than choreographed steps. These roots help explain the practice's form, its treatment of dance as open-ended inquiry and its blend of solo and relational movement, not its clinical effects. The lineage frames movement as a path to self-understanding and connection, a worldview that gives the practice coherence for those who take it up.

Is Open Floor Practice safe?

For most healthy adults, Open Floor is a low-risk practice you can shape to your own pace, resting or stepping off the floor whenever you need to. Two cautions are worth naming, and both are practice-informed rather than drawn from safety trials of Open Floor itself. The first is physical: sustained dancing raises heart rate and loads the joints, so it matters if you are pregnant, recovering from an injury, or managing a heart or joint condition. The second is emotional: turning attention inward to sensation and feeling can bring strong material to the surface, which is a mechanism-inferred consideration for anyone working with trauma, grief, disordered eating, or addiction. Open Floor is offered as a wellbeing and connection practice, not a treatment for any diagnosed condition.

Who should practise with care?

Take extra care, and ideally check with a clinician first, if you are pregnant, recovering from an injury, or living with a heart or joint condition, since continuous dance stays physically active and puts sustained load on the body. Care also makes sense if you are working with trauma, grief, disordered eating, or addiction, because directing attention to inner sensation and emotion can heighten distress before it settles. That second caution is inferred from how the practice works, not from any documented harm. Telling a facilitator what you are managing lets you adjust the intensity and rest when you need to.

Heart or joint conditions, pregnancy, or injury

lowpractice-informed

Sustained dancing raises heart rate and puts repeated load on the joints, so Open Floor is an active physical practice rather than a gentle one. If you are pregnant, recovering from an injury, or managing a heart or joint condition, check with a clinician first, let the facilitator know quietly what you are working with, move at a pace your body can sustain, and ease off if your breathing or heart rate climbs higher than feels comfortable. This caution is practice-informed, drawn from the physical demands of the practice rather than safety trials of Open Floor itself.

Working with trauma, grief, disordered eating, or addiction

How does Open Floor Practice compare to similar techniques?

Technique	Best for	Use with care	Evidence strength	Distinction
5Rhythms	Dancers who want a recognisable wave of five rhythms to move through as a repeatable structure for a whole session.		emerging EVIDENCE	5Rhythms is the conscious-dance lineage Open Floor grew directly out of, mapping movement onto a defined wave of five rhythms (flowing, staccato, chaos, lyrical, stillness) that dancers move through in sequence. Open Floor keeps the same improvised, sensation-led spirit but organises sessions around movement resources such as ground, centre, expand, and dissolve rather than a fixed rhythmic map, and gives dyad and relational work a more explicit place.
Ecstatic Dance	People who want open, self-guided free-form dancing to music with minimal instruction or verbal framing.		emerging EVIDENCE	Ecstatic Dance is a largely unfacilitated free-movement gathering: a DJ builds a wave of music and dancers move however they wish, usually without talking, teaching, or structured exercises. Open Floor shares the barefoot, improvised, self-directed quality but adds an explicit teaching frame, named movement resources, and guided solo and partner inquiry, so a facilitator is actively shaping attention rather than only holding the space.

Glossary

Conscious dance

A family of freeform, improvised dance practices where the point is to notice and follow inner sensation and impulse rather than perform steps. Open Floor is one method within this family.

Movement resources (ground, centre, expand, dissolve)

The core frameworks Open Floor uses to guide exploration instead of set steps. Each resource points attention toward a different quality of movement, such as settling weight down, finding the body's midline, opening outward, or letting shape soften.

Interoception

The ability to sense and read the body's internal signals, like breath moving, a heartbeat, muscular tension, or temperature. Strengthening it often feels like noticing early signs of stress or ease before they build.

The perception and processing of internal bodily signals through visceral afferent pathways, supporting detection and tolerance of internal physiological states.

Proprioception

The body's sense of its own position and movement, drawn from receptors in the muscles, joints, and tendons. It shows up as knowing where your limbs are without looking, better balance, and more precise movement.

Kinesthetic awareness of body position and movement mediated by proprioceptive receptors in muscles, joints, and tendons.

Sensorimotor integration

The working loop between the movements you intend and the sensory feedback that guides them, so what you do keeps matching what you sense. It tends to feel like movement becoming smoother and more fluent.

The coordinated coupling of motor commands with proprioceptive, vestibular, and visual feedback that supports motor cognition and movement precision.

Vestibular system

The inner-ear network that tracks balance, head position, and where your body is in space. It is what keeps you steady and oriented as you turn, change levels, and shift weight.

Embodiment

Full References

[1]meta analysis

Alexander Rozental, Kristoffer Magnusson, Johanna Boettcher, Gerhard Andersson, Per Carlbring (2016). For better or worse: An individual patient data meta-analysis of deterioration among participants receiving Internet-based cognitive behavior therapy.. https://doi.org/10.1037/ccp0000158

DOI: 10.1037/ccp0000158

Cited in: –

[2]other peer reviewed

Tara S. Peris, Scott N. Compton, Philip C. Kendall, Boris Birmaher, Joel Sherrill, John S. March (2014). Trajectories of change in youth anxiety during cognitive—behavior therapy.. https://doi.org/10.1037/a0038402

DOI: 10.1037/a0038402

Cited in: –

Open Floor Practice Tracks & Video

Explore guided sessions to deepen your Open Floor Practice technique.

4.9

Guided

16 min

Creating Space for Overwhelm & Inviting Flow

Stephanie Nash

Role of Hypnosis in Dental Treatment

2021

Finding: This peer-reviewed study looks at dental anxiety, the strong fear many people feel before dental treatment, which affects a meaningful share of patients and can lead them to put off care. Because the specific outcomes for this practice were not available in what we could review, we can't yet report by how much it eased that fear or for whom it worked best. Treat this as early, narrowly focused context around one form of anxiety rather than proof that the practice reliably reduces it, and check back as clearer results become available.

See full citation in references

How technology can enhance treatment: A scoping review of clinical interventions for anxiety and obsessive‐compulsive spectrum disorders

2021

Finding: This paper is a review of how digital tools, from apps to online programs, are being used to support treatment for anxiety and obsessive-compulsive conditions, and it maps out where the research is still thin. It surveys a wide mix of technologies and conditions rather than testing any single practice head-to-head. Because it does not measure the effects of this movement practice directly, and no specific outcome figures are attached to it here, it offers useful background on the treatment landscape but cannot tell you how this practice itself will affect your anxiety or daily calm.

See full citation in references

Internet-Delivered Cognitive Behavioral Therapy for Anxiety Disorders in Open Community Versus Clinical Service Recruitment: Meta-Analysis

2019

Finding: This meta-analysis pooled trials of internet-delivered therapy for anxiety and asked a methods question rather than a practice one: does it matter whether study participants are recruited from the general public or from within clinical care services? Because it focuses on how researchers gather participants and how that shapes reported results, it speaks to the reliability and generalisability of anxiety-treatment evidence rather than to the direct effects of this particular practice. For someone weighing this technique, the takeaway is a note of caution: treatment results can shift depending on who is studied, so findings drawn from one population may not translate cleanly to another. On its own, this study does not measure whether the practice reduces anxiety.

See full citation in references

A meta-analysis of effects of Internet CBT for anxiety disorders: open community versus clinical service recruitment (Preprint)

2018

Finding: This meta-analysis pooled trials of internet-delivered talk therapy for anxiety to see whether the benefits found in tightly controlled research also hold up when the same programs are offered through everyday clinical services. Its focus is online cognitive behavioural therapy rather than a movement or floor-based practice, so it does not directly measure what Open Floor Practice does for the body or mind. No specific outcomes from this review are drawn on for this page, so treat it as background on how anxiety supports translate from research settings into real-world care, not as evidence for this particular technique.

See full citation in references

A randomized factorial trial of internet-delivered cognitive behavioural therapy: An 8-week program with or without extended support and booster lesson

2022

Finding: This randomized trial tested whether people working through an 8-week online therapy program for depression or anxiety did better when the program was extended by an extra 4 weeks of support, or when a single refresher lesson was added on top. It was set up to compare these add-ons against the standard program, so its focus is on how much ongoing structure helps rather than on movement or floor-based practice specifically. The specific outcome data for these comparisons isn't available in this reference, so it's best read as a study of whether longer or reinforced support improves guided self-help, and its findings apply to adults already screened for that kind of online therapy rather than to the general public.

See full citation in references

Predicting treatment outcome for anxiety disorders with or without comorbid depression using clinical, imaging and (epi)genetic data

2018

Finding: This paper is a review of what predicts who gets better in anxiety disorder treatment, pulling together clinical patterns, brain-imaging signals, and genetic markers to flag things like social anxiety and co-occurring depression as signs of a tougher recovery. It does not test Open Floor Practice or any movement-based technique directly, and it reports no measured outcomes for this practice, so it can't tell you whether Open Floor helps with anxiety. Read it as background on why anxiety responds differently from person to person, not as evidence for or against this practice.

See full citation in references

The Functionality of Mobile Apps for Anxiety: Systematic Search and Analysis of Engagement and Tailoring Features

2021

Finding: This study looked at the wider landscape of smartphone apps designed to help with anxiety, focusing on which design features keep people coming back and let the experience adapt to each user, since many such apps are abandoned soon after download. It does not measure whether Open Floor Practice itself reduces anxiety, so it offers no direct evidence about outcomes from this technique; rather, it points to a practical takeaway, that any digitally delivered practice is more likely to help if it stays engaging and fits your individual needs. Treat it as background on why sticking with a practice matters, not as proof of a specific benefit.

See full citation in references

Clinical outcomes and cost-effectiveness of brief guided parent-delivered cognitive behavioural therapy and solution-focused brief therapy for treatment of childhood anxiety disorders: a randomised controlled trial.

2017

Finding: This randomised trial worked with children referred to routine mental health services for anxiety, comparing two brief psychological treatments to see which helped more, with one approach guiding parents to deliver support at home. Because roughly half of lifetime anxiety problems start before age 12 and few children can access proven therapies, the study set out to test shorter, more reachable options. For anyone considering this practice, the useful takeaway is narrow: this was research into structured, guided support for anxious children in a clinical setting, not a general test of the technique for adults or everyday stress. The specific measured outcomes and how strongly each treatment worked are not available here, so treat this as background on the kind of population studied rather than proof of a particular benefit.

See full citation in references

Does concurrent medication usage affect patient response to internet-delivered cognitive behaviour therapy for depression and anxiety?

2019

Finding: We don't yet have verified details from this study to report on Open Floor Practice. The source citation and specific results aren't on record here, so we can't responsibly summarize what it measured or found. Until confirmed findings are available, treat this entry as a placeholder rather than evidence for or against the practice.

See full citation in references

Effectiveness and prediction of treatment adherence to guided internet-based cognitive behavioral therapy for health anxiety: A cohort study in routine psychiatric care

2024

Finding: This observational study looked at how a guided online cognitive behavioural program for health anxiety, the persistent worry that you have or will develop a serious illness, performs in everyday clinical settings rather than in a tightly controlled trial. Because it tracked people using the program in the real world without a comparison group, it can show how participants fared over time but cannot prove the program itself caused any change, since other factors in their lives may also have played a part. If you are considering this kind of structured, guided practice for health-related worry, treat this as an early, real-world signal rather than firm proof, and note that the findings speak specifically to people already seeking help for health anxiety.

See full citation in references

Cognitive behavioural therapy for anxiety disorders in children and adolescents

2015

Finding: This paper examines cognitive behavioural therapy for anxiety in children and young people, comparing it against other active treatments, medication, and no treatment, rather than the movement-based Open Floor practice described on this page. Because it does not measure Open Floor practice itself, it cannot tell us how that practice affects mood, stress, or well-being. If you are weighing up this practice, treat this reference as background on a different, talk-based approach, and look to studies that directly test movement and embodiment work before drawing conclusions.

See full citation in references

Cognitive-behavioral therapy for anxiety disordered youth: A randomized clinical trial evaluating child and family modalities.

2008

Finding: This clinical trial enrolled 161 children aged 7 to 14 with anxiety disorders and compared different structured therapy approaches, including one-on-one and family-based sessions, against a supportive-education comparison group. It's worth being upfront about scope here: the trial studied guided anxiety treatments for children, not this movement practice, and it was limited to a young age range and a mostly one-background sample. Because no measured outcomes for this technique are available from this study, it can't tell you how the practice itself might affect stress or mood, and it's best read as background on childhood anxiety care rather than direct support for what to expect from your own practice.

See full citation in references

Assessment of fear factors and practice related modifications in response to COVID-19 pandemic outbreak among dental practitioners in Thiruvananthapuram District, Kerala

2022

Finding: This study was a one-time survey of dental practitioners during the COVID-19 pandemic, looking at how worried they felt about catching the virus at work and how well they understood safety changes to clinical routines. It did not examine Open Floor Practice or any meditation or movement technique, and it did not measure well-being, stress relief, or any outcome tied to a personal practice. Because there is no data here connecting this survey to the technique on this page, it offers no direct evidence about what Open Floor Practice can do for you. Treat this reference as unrelated background rather than support for any specific benefit.

See full citation in references

Anxiety, Practice Modification, and Economic Impact Among Iraqi Dentists During the COVID-19 Outbreak

2020

Finding: This was an online survey of Iraqi dentists working during the COVID-19 outbreak, and it looked at how anxious they felt, how they changed their clinical routines, and the financial strain the pandemic placed on their practices. It captures the stress of frontline health workers during a specific crisis rather than testing this practice or measuring what it does for anyone who takes it up. On its own, then, it tells us nothing about whether Open Floor Practice helps, so treat it as background on why stress relief matters for high-pressure jobs, not as evidence for the technique itself.

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Gamification of cognitive bias modification for interpretations in anxiety increases training engagement and enjoyment.

2022

Finding: This study set out to reshape the way anxious minds automatically read uncertain situations, testing whether a training routine built to shift those knee-jerk negative interpretations could work better if it were turned into something more game-like and enjoyable to stick with. The idea is practical: a practice you actually look forward to is one you are more likely to keep doing long enough to feel a difference. Note that the specific results are not available in the material provided here, so this entry describes what the study explored rather than a measured outcome, and its focus was on anxiety-related thinking patterns rather than the broader technique as a whole.

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Cognitive behavioural therapy for anxiety disorders in children and adolescents

2005

Finding: This study looks at anxiety in children and adolescents, a common concern that can affect friendships, school, and mood well into adulthood if left unaddressed. At this point, though, we don't have verified results from it that we can responsibly tie to Open Floor Practice, so we're not making specific claims about what the practice does for anxiety based on this paper. If you're exploring the practice for a young person's anxiety, treat it as one option to discuss with a qualified professional rather than a proven treatment, and check back as we add studies with documented outcomes.

See full citation in references

Guided Internet-Based Cognitive Behavioral Therapy for Adult Depression and Anxiety in Routine Secondary Care: Observational Study (Preprint)

2018

Finding: This study set out to test whether internet-based cognitive behavioural therapy, a guided online program for depression and anxiety, holds up when it's offered through everyday clinical care rather than a tightly controlled research trial. Because it followed people in real-world treatment rather than randomly assigning them to groups, it can suggest how the approach performs in practice but can't separate its effect from other factors that shape recovery. No specific outcome figures are available here, so treat this as background on how such programs are being studied in routine settings rather than proof of a particular benefit.</parameter> </invoke>

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Toward safe dental service: risk perception and practice modification among Egyptian dental students during the COVID-19 pandemic

2023

Finding: This was a one-time survey of undergraduate dental students at a single university, asking how they perceived infection risk and changed their clinical routines during the COVID-19 pandemic. It looked at attitudes and safety practices in a dental-training setting, not at Open Floor Practice or any movement or meditation technique, so it offers no direct evidence about what this practice does or how it might help you. Because the study wasn't designed around this technique, treat it as unrelated background rather than support for any specific benefit.

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Multimodal Active Physiotherapy Versus Multimodal Passive Physiotherapy for Chronic Nonspecific Neck Pain: A Randomized Controlled Trial on Dual Outcomes of Physical and Mental Health

2025

Finding: This small trial worked with 54 people living with long-term neck pain that had no single clear cause, and it set out to test whether an active, movement-based approach, the kind that has you engaging your own body awareness and sensorimotor control, helps more than a passive approach where treatment is done to you. Because the study was modest in size and focused on one specific group of neck-pain patients, it is best read as an early signal rather than the final word, and its details on how much either approach helped are not available here. If you are drawn to Open Floor Practice for a stiff or aching neck, the takeaway is that actively participating in movement is a reasonable thing to explore alongside professional care, not a proven substitute for it.

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Web-Based Interventions to Help Australian Adults Address Depression, Anxiety, Suicidal Ideation, and General Mental Well-being: Scoping Review

2022

Finding: This peer-reviewed study examined web-delivered mental health support as a way to reach people who otherwise face long waits to see a doctor or therapist, a common barrier in parts of Australia. The record available here doesn't include the specific outcomes or effect sizes, so its clearest takeaway is about access: online-delivered practice may put support within reach of people who would otherwise go without timely care. If you're weighing up an internet-based approach, treat this as early context for why such tools exist rather than confirmation of how much they improve any particular symptom, since the measured benefits aren't detailed here.

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Mental health Apps to address inequitable access to care in specific regions of the global North and South: A scoping review

2021

Finding: This review looked at how mental health apps are being used to lower stigma, share knowledge, and open up access to care, and asked whether those digital tools actually reach people fairly in both wealthier and lower-income parts of the world. It maps the gaps in who gets served rather than testing any single practice head-on, so it does not measure the specific effects of this technique on mood, stress, or wellbeing. If you are considering Open Floor Practice, treat this as helpful background on the wider push to make mental health support more reachable, not as direct evidence of what this practice will do for you.

See full citation in references

Guided Internet-Based Cognitive Behavioral Therapy for Adult Depression and Anxiety in Routine Secondary Care: Observational Study

2018

Finding: There isn't enough confirmed detail available from this study to describe a specific, verified result for this practice, so we can't yet point to a measured change you should expect. It comes from observational research rather than a controlled trial, which means any patterns it noted can't establish that the practice itself caused an effect. For now, treat it as early background rather than evidence of a particular benefit.

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Gamification as an approach to improve resilience and reduce attrition in mobile mental health interventions: A randomized controlled trial.

2020

Finding: This entry points to a randomised controlled trial, the kind of study designed to test a practice against a comparison group, but the specific results, sample size, and measured outcomes aren't available in the evidence provided here. Because no verified findings or effect sizes accompany this record, we can't yet say what the trial showed or what it means for your own practice. Treat this as a placeholder until the study's details are confirmed, rather than as support for any particular benefit.

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Anxiety Online—A Virtual Clinic: Preliminary Outcomes Following Completion of Five Fully Automated Treatment Programs for Anxiety Disorders and Symptoms

2011

Finding: This study looked at how well five fully automated online self-help programs, built on cognitive behavioural therapy, worked for supporting mental health without a therapist in the room. Its focus was on whether app-based tools alone can help people who face barriers to traditional face-to-face care, which speaks to the appeal of practices you can do on your own. That said, the specific results and effect sizes aren't captured in this record, so treat it as background on self-guided approaches rather than firm evidence of how much any single program helps.

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Web-Based Interventions to Help Australian Adults Address Depression, Anxiety, Suicidal Ideation, and General Mental Well-being: Scoping Review (Preprint)

2021

Finding: This study looked at web-based approaches to mental health support in Australia, where long waits to see a doctor or therapist can leave people without timely help, and asked whether online options could widen access to care. The details available here don't include specific measured outcomes for this practice, so it's best read as part of a broader case for making support easier to reach online rather than as proof of a particular benefit. If you're considering this practice, treat this as background on why accessible, self-directed options matter, and look to studies with reported results before drawing conclusions about its effects.

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Patient characteristics and changes in anxiety symptoms in patients with panic disorder: Post-hoc analysis of the PARADIES cluster randomised trial

2022

Finding: This study followed adults being treated for anxiety in everyday primary-care settings and looked at whether personal background factors, like a person's circumstances at the start of treatment, could predict how their anxiety changed over the following year. Rather than testing a single practice head-on, it tried to map out who tends to improve and who stays stuck, which is useful for understanding that recovery from anxiety often depends on more than the technique alone. Because the analysis tracks patterns across a group instead of running a controlled comparison, it can point to associations but cannot prove that any one factor caused the change, and the specific results are not summarised here.

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Effectiveness, User Engagement and Experience, and Safety of a Mobile App (Lumi Nova) Delivering Exposure-Based Cognitive Behavioral Therapy Strategies to Manage Anxiety in Children via Immersive Gaming Technology: Preliminary Evaluation Study.

2022

Finding: This study looked at whether anxiety treatment for children could be delivered through mobile apps, since proven talk-therapy approaches often stay out of reach for families who need them. The reasoning is that a phone or tablet can bring structured, evidence-based exercises into everyday life, lowering the practical barriers that keep many kids from starting or sticking with treatment. Its focus is on childhood anxiety and access to care rather than on this practice specifically, and the detailed results and effect sizes are not available here, so treat it as background on how therapeutic tools can reach people rather than direct proof of what this technique does for you.

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Brief App-Based Cognitive Behavioral Therapy for Anxiety Symptoms in Psychiatric Inpatients: Feasibility Randomized Controlled Trial.

2022

Finding: This randomised trial tested an app-delivered version of the practice with psychiatric inpatients, a group who often have little access to in-person therapy groups, especially during periods when on-ward sessions were restricted. It focused on whether people in an acute hospital setting could realistically pick up and stick with the practice as a way to manage anxiety, so its lessons speak most directly to structured clinical care rather than everyday home practice. Because the specific outcome measures aren't summarised here, treat this as early-stage evidence about reaching an underserved group, not as proof of a particular size of benefit.

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Therapist-assisted Internet-delivered cognitive behavior therapy for depression and anxiety: Translating evidence into clinical practice

2014

Finding: This open trial followed 221 people receiving internet-delivered cognitive behavioural therapy for generalised anxiety, depression, or panic, with newly trained therapists offering the 12-module program across six everyday clinics rather than a specialised research centre. The aim was practical: to see whether this kind of structured, therapist-supported online program could be rolled out and coordinated in real-world settings. Because everyone in the study received the program and there was no comparison group, it shows the approach can be delivered at scale but cannot on its own prove how much of any improvement came from the therapy itself. It is also worth noting that this trial looked at a guided online CBT program, not at open-floor movement practice specifically.

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Using Mobile Health Gamification to Facilitate Cognitive Behavioral Therapy Skills Practice in Child Anxiety Treatment: Open Clinical Trial

2018

Finding: We don't have enough verified detail from this study to report a specific result for Open Floor Practice. The available background points toward research on talk-based anxiety treatment for children and the common challenge that many young people don't fully recover, rather than any measured outcome for this movement practice. Because no effect sizes, sample details, or confirmed claims are on record here, treat this entry as a placeholder: it doesn't yet establish what the practice does or for whom, and stronger evidence would be needed before drawing any conclusions.

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COVID-19 and the Risk to Health Care Workers: A Case Report

2020

Finding: This reference is a clinical case report describing infection risk among hospital staff during a disease outbreak, and it does not study Open Floor Practice or any meditation or movement technique. Because it examines a completely different topic, it offers no findings about what this practice does or how it might help someone. Anyone weighing up Open Floor Practice should look to studies that actually measure the technique itself, as this record cannot speak to its effects.

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A Mobile Phone-Based App for Use During Cognitive Behavioral Therapy for Adolescents With Anxiety (MindClimb): User-Centered Design and Usability Study.

2020

Finding: This early-stage study built and tested a smartphone app designed to help anxious teenagers practise coping skills between their therapy sessions, and found that the young people who tried it were able to learn it and rated it as easy and acceptable to use. It's worth reading as a proof-of-concept about whether such a tool is workable in daily life, not as evidence that it reduces anxiety; the study focused on usability rather than measuring symptom change. Because it was limited to adolescents already in structured therapy and did not track long-term outcomes, its takeaways won't necessarily carry over to other groups or to standalone practice.

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Prevalence of dental anxiety and its associated factors among patients visiting tertiary care dental hospital in Kathmandu, Nepal: a cross-sectional study

2025

Finding: This observational study looked at how common dental anxiety is among general patients visiting a tertiary dental clinic in Nepal, and which factors tend to go along with it, such as being younger or being a woman. It measured how widespread the fear is and how often it leads people to put off dental care, but it did not test Open Floor Practice or any specific technique for easing that anxiety. So while it helps map who struggles with dental fear and why, it offers no direct evidence about whether this practice helps, and its findings reflect one clinic population in Nepal rather than people everywhere.

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Therapy for youths with anxiety disorders: A second randomized clincal trial.

1997

Finding: In this trial, 94 children aged 9 to 13 with diagnosed anxiety were randomly placed into either a structured therapy program or a waiting list, and those who received the active treatment showed clear reductions in anxiety across self-reports, parent and teacher observations, and diagnostic assessments, with gains that held up a year later. For a family weighing a structured practice, the encouraging signal here is durability: the improvements did not fade quickly but persisted at the one-year mark. Keep in mind this was a modest study focused specifically on anxious children rather than adults or general wellness seekers, so it speaks to that age group and condition more than to a broad audience.

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Effect of aromatherapy with lemongrass (Cymbopogon citratus) on the anxiety of patients undergoing scaling and root planning: a randomized clinical trial

2025

Finding: This study looked at whether breathing in the scent of lemongrass eased anxiety and steadied circulation-related signs like heart rate and blood pressure in people undergoing dental treatment. It centers on aromatherapy during a specific medical setting, so it does not directly test Open Floor Practice or the kind of movement-based work this page describes. Because the detailed results and effect sizes were not available for this reference, we can't draw firm conclusions here about how much the scent helped or whether it would translate to a movement practice. Treat it as a small piece of the broader picture on calming the nervous system, not as evidence for this technique specifically.

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Safety and Efficacy of Imatinib for Hospitalized Adults with COVID-19: A structured summary of a study protocol for a randomised controlled trial.

2020

Finding: This record does not actually examine Open Floor Practice. The study it points to tested a hospital drug treatment for COVID-19 in admitted patients, comparing standard care with and without an added medication, and has nothing to do with movement, meditation, or embodied practice. Because there is no relevant data here, it offers no evidence for or against Open Floor Practice, and it should not be used to judge what the practice can do for you.

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The SmartCAT: an m-health platform for ecological momentary intervention in child anxiety treatment.

2014

Finding: This study looked at children with anxiety and tested whether a shortened, eight-session course of talk therapy could work better when paired with a phone app that prompts kids to practice their coping skills during everyday moments, rather than only in weekly sessions. The idea is that catching anxious moments as they happen, and rehearsing calming skills right then, may help the lessons stick more than a session alone can. Keep in mind this work centers on children in a structured therapy program, not adults using a self-guided practice, so its findings speak most directly to that specific group. No measured outcomes are available here to summarize, so treat this as background on the approach rather than proof of a particular result.

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Facing fears in virtual worlds: A systematic review and meta-analysis on immersive VR therapy for children and adolescents with social anxiety and related disorders

2026

Finding: This systematic review set out to gather trials testing whether virtual-reality exposure therapy, where a child faces feared situations inside a safe, immersive simulation, helps ease anxiety in young people aged 4 to 18. Because the specific pooled results and effect sizes are not available in the record here, we can't yet report how large or reliable those benefits were, only that the review focused on this age group and this VR-based approach. That scope matters: the work centers on structured clinical exposure for children and teens, a different context from a general adult movement or meditation practice, so read any read-across to your own routine cautiously.

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A 5-Year Follow-up of Internet-Based Cognitive Behavior Therapy for Social Anxiety Disorder

2011

Finding: This study followed adults with intense social anxiety who had completed an online, self-guided cognitive behavioural therapy program, checking in five years later to see whether the improvements held up. That long horizon is unusual and valuable, since most research on this kind of structured practice only measures how people feel a few weeks or months after they finish. For anyone considering a similar approach, the takeaway is less about a single number and more about the question the study set out to answer: whether the calmer, more confident social footing people gain can stay with them over the long run. Keep in mind the work looked specifically at a diagnosed anxiety group using a structured online course, so it speaks to that context rather than to every form of practice or every reader.

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The Impact of Restarting the High-Risk Procedures for COVID-19 Infection in Dental Practice on the Anxiety of Dental Employees: A Study with Repeated Measures.

2021

Finding: This study looked at how anxious dental clinic staff felt when they resumed higher-risk, aerosol-generating procedures during the COVID-19 pandemic; it did not test the Open Floor Practice technique or measure its effects. Because no outcome data linking this study to the practice is available, it offers no direct evidence about whether Open Floor Practice helps with stress, anxiety, or well-being. Treat this reference as unrelated background rather than support for the technique, and look to studies that actually measured the practice itself before drawing conclusions.

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Person-centred experiential therapy versus cognitive behavioural therapy delivered in the English Improving Access to Psychological Therapies service for the treatment of moderate or severe depression (PRaCTICED): a pragmatic, randomised, non-inferiority trial.

2021

Finding: This randomised controlled trial tested a person-centred talking therapy delivered through UK primary care, in a setting where formal trial evidence for that approach had been missing. Because no specific outcome figures or verified claims are available for this entry, we can describe what the study set out to examine but cannot yet report how much it helped, or for whom. If you are weighing this practice, treat it as an area still being formally evaluated rather than one with settled results.

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Outcomes of specialist physiotherapy for functional motor disorder: the Physio4FMD RCT.

2025

Finding: This randomised controlled trial looked at whether specialist physiotherapy, tailored to how movement problems arise when the nervous system rather than physical injury drives them, helps people with functional motor disorder, a condition that can cause lasting difficulty walking, moving, or controlling the body. Because the specific results are not available in the details provided here, we can describe what the study set out to test but cannot yet report by how much people improved. What we can say is that this kind of movement-based, body-aware approach is being tested in careful trials across multiple sites, which is a meaningful step beyond small pilot studies. If you are considering a movement practice for similar challenges, treat this as an encouraging direction rather than settled proof, and check for the published outcome figures before drawing firm conclusions.

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A ansiedade, medo e stress nos Profissionais de Saúde Oral durante o primeiro ano de pandemia por Covid-19

2023

Finding: This study surveyed oral-health professionals during the COVID-19 pandemic, using an online questionnaire distributed through three dental associations to measure how much anxiety, fear, and stress they were carrying. It maps how heavily the pandemic weighed on one specific, high-pressure profession, rather than testing whether any particular practice eases that strain. Because it is a one-time self-report survey with no comparison group and no intervention, it can describe how stressed this group felt but cannot tell us whether Open Floor Practice would help; treat it as background on the kind of stress the practice aims to address, not as evidence that the practice works.

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Who benefits most from therapist-assisted internet-delivered cognitive behaviour therapy in clinical practice? Predictors of symptom change and dropout

2018

Finding: This study followed a large community group of roughly 1,200 adults using a guided, therapist-assisted online program for anxiety and depression, tracking who stayed with the program and whose symptoms eased over time. Its aim was to work out who tends to benefit and who tends to drop out, rather than to test Open Floor Practice itself. Because the approach examined here is a structured online therapy and not a movement-based practice, its results are best read as general context on how people respond to self-guided mental-health support, not as direct evidence for what this technique can do.

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Efficacy and safety of transcutaneous auricular vagus nerve stimulation for frequent premature ventricular complexes: rationale and design of the TASC-V trial.

2024

Finding: This study examined a medical technique for calming irregular heartbeats by stimulating the vagus nerve, the pathway that helps regulate the body's rest-and-recover response, through a point on the outer ear. It focused on people with frequent extra heartbeats and did not test Open Floor Practice or any movement or meditation routine, so it can't tell us how that practice affects the body. Anyone curious about Open Floor Practice should treat this as background on how vagus-nerve activity relates to heart rhythm, not as direct evidence about the practice itself.

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Guided internet-based cognitive behavioral therapy for adolescent anxiety: Predictors of treatment response

2019

Finding: This small trial followed 65 teenagers aged 13 to 17 with anxiety disorders through a 14-week guided online therapy program, and its main aim was to figure out which participants tended to improve most rather than to measure the practice itself. Because it focused on predicting who responds well, it tells us more about matching a program to the right person than about how much any single technique helps. Keep in mind the group was small and limited to adolescents, so the patterns it found may not carry over to adults or to other kinds of practice, and no specific effect sizes are available here to gauge the strength of the results.

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Mindfulness-based cognitive therapy versus treatment as usual after non-remission with NHS Talking Therapies high-intensity psychological therapy for depression: a UK-based clinical effectiveness and cost-effectiveness randomised, controlled, superiority trial.

2025

Finding: This study looked at people whose depression hadn't fully lifted after completing a standard course of talking therapy, a common situation given that roughly half of patients finishing the UK's stepped-care pathway still have lingering symptoms. It set out to test whether mindfulness-based cognitive therapy, which pairs meditation practice with tools for noticing and stepping back from spiralling thoughts, could offer a useful next step for this group. If you've been through therapy and still feel stuck, this points to mindfulness training as a possible follow-on worth discussing with a clinician. The specific outcome figures aren't captured in the evidence available here, so treat this as a description of what the study investigated rather than a measure of how well it worked.

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Health Care Provider Perspectives on the Use of a Digital Behavioral Health App to Support Patients: Qualitative Study.

2021

Finding: This study looked at the practical side of getting digital cognitive-behavioral programs into everyday clinical care, focusing on what shapes whether behavioral-health providers actually adopt these tools and refer patients to them. Rather than measuring how the practice affects a person's stress, mood, or well-being, it examined how such programs fit into real-world provider workflows and what gets in the way of consistent use. For someone considering this practice, the takeaway is narrow: the work speaks to how these programs reach people through clinicians, not to what they do for you once you start. Because it does not report outcomes for practitioners themselves, it cannot tell you how effective the technique is for your own goals.

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lowpractice-informed

Turning attention inward to sensation and feeling can bring strong material to the surface and may heighten distress before it settles. If you are in active care for trauma, grief, an eating concern, or addiction, clear it with a clinician first, share your sensitivities privately with the facilitator, and give yourself permission to slow the movement, ground through your feet, or step off the floor at any point. This is inferred from how the practice works, not from any documented harm, and Open Floor is offered for wellbeing and connection, not as a substitute for clinical care.

How to practise safely?

Open Floor is a low-risk practice for most healthy adults, and it works best when you approach it as something you shape to your own pace rather than a workout to keep up with. A sensible starting format is a facilitated session where you can move at an intensity your body sustains and rest or step away whenever you need to. Because turning attention inward can bring feelings to the surface, it helps to arrive knowing you are free to slow down and to give yourself time afterward to let things settle.

Clear it with a clinician if a condition applies

Before you start, check with a healthcare professional if you are pregnant, recovering from an injury, or managing a heart or joint condition, or if you are in active care for trauma, grief, an eating concern, or addiction. This screening is sensible prudence for an active, emotionally open practice, not a response to any known harm.

Tell the facilitator what you are working with

Share any physical limits or emotional sensitivities privately before the session so the person holding the floor can help you adapt. You do not need to disclose details, only enough to let them support you.

Set your own intensity

Move at a pace your body can sustain rather than matching anyone else, and treat the ground, centre, expand, and dissolve resources as invitations you can dial up or down. If your breathing or heart rate climbs higher than feels comfortable, ease off.

Keep the exit open

Give yourself explicit permission to slow down, sit out a section, or step off the floor at any point. Knowing you can pause is what makes it safe to explore.

Notice emotional surfacing and respond gently

Attention to inner sensation can bring up feelings unexpectedly, so watch for emotion rising during or after moving. If something feels like more than you can stay with, slow the movement, ground through your feet, or step aside and let a facilitator know.

Rest, rehydrate, and reintegrate afterward

Allow time to come down from physical exertion, drink water, and let strong feelings settle before driving or returning to demanding tasks. If difficult material lingers, follow up with a qualified professional rather than pushing through alone.

Medical Disclaimer

This information is educational and is not medical advice. This practice is not a substitute for professional care and should not replace prescribed medication or treatment for any medical or mental-health condition. If you are managing a health condition or taking medication, talk with a qualified health professional before changing your practice. If you are in distress or crisis, seek professional support.

Does Open Floor Practice actually work?

Not yet established. No clinical trials have tested Open Floor Practice itself, so its likely benefits, such as body awareness, physical confidence, and connection, are reasoned from how the practice is built and from broader conscious-dance research, not from direct outcome data.

Not yet established. Open Floor sits at the early, emerging end of the evidence scale: there are no randomized trials of the method, no measured effect sizes, and no long-term follow-up. What supports it is a description of how the practice is designed, plus broad conscious-dance research that studies the wider practice family rather than Open Floor specifically. That makes its proposed benefits plausible and worth exploring rather than proven, and it should not be read as a treatment for anxiety, depression, trauma, or any medical condition.

Can Open Floor Practice help with anxiety or depression?

No, it cannot be claimed to treat anxiety or depression. No clinical trials have tested Open Floor Practice, so there is no direct outcome evidence for any diagnosed condition. It is offered only as a wellbeing and connection practice, not a substitute for clinical care.

No. Open Floor Practice has no clinical trials of its own and no direct outcome evidence, so it cannot be presented as a treatment for anxiety, depression, or any diagnosed condition. What it is designed to support is narrower and non-clinical: body awareness, physical confidence, embodiment, emotional grounding, and a felt sense of connection through movement. If you are managing anxiety or depression, treat Open Floor as a possible wellbeing support alongside, not instead of, care from a qualified clinician.

Why does moving without steps make you feel more grounded?

Likely because dropping the choreography frees attention to track inner sensation and, as you shift weight and navigate space, sharpens your felt sense of balance and body position. This is a design-inferred explanation, not a measured effect: no study has tested grounding in Open Floor itself.

The likely reason is that following your own impulses instead of set steps turns attention toward interoceptive signals, the body's inner cues like breath, tension, and ease, while shifting weight and moving through shared space draws on proprioceptive awareness, your felt sense of where your body is, and the vestibular system that tracks balance. Together these pathways are thought to register as feeling steadier and more physically present. This is reasoned from how Open Floor is built and from the wider conscious-dance family, not demonstrated in Open Floor itself, so treat it as a plausible mechanism rather than a proven outcome.

Why do emotions sometimes come up when I dance in Open Floor?

Probably because turning attention inward to body sensation while you move can surface feelings you had not consciously noticed. This is a mechanism-inferred explanation drawn from how Open Floor is designed, not an effect measured in the practice itself.

Probably because the practice asks you to track interoception, your felt sense of internal signals like breath, heartbeat, and muscular tension, while moving freely. When attention drops out of the head and into the body, feelings that were held or unnoticed can rise to the surface. This is reasoned from the practice's design rather than demonstrated in studies of Open Floor, so treat it as a plausible, design-based consequence and not a therapeutic or clinical effect. If strong emotion feels like more than you can stay with, it is fine to slow down, ground through your feet, or step off the floor.

Is Open Floor Practice safe if I'm working through trauma?

Use care. Open Floor is low-risk for most adults, but its inward attention to sensation and emotion can surface strong material, so trauma warrants extra caution. Check with a clinician first, tell the facilitator what you are managing, and use your pacing and exit options. It is a wellbeing practice, not trauma treatment.

Use care. This caution comes from how the practice is built rather than from a documented harm, because no trials have measured Open Floor's safety in trauma populations. Turning attention inward to inner sensation can heighten distress before it settles, so the prudent approach is to clear it with a clinician if you are in active care, share your sensitivities privately with the facilitator, and give yourself permission to slow down, ground through your feet, or step off the floor at any point. Open Floor is offered for wellbeing and connection, not as a substitute for trauma care.

Is Open Floor too physically demanding if I have a heart or joint condition?

It can be. Open Floor involves sustained dancing that raises your heart rate and loads the joints, so if you have a cardiac or joint condition, treat it as physically active: check with a clinician first, tell the facilitator, set your own intensity, and rest or step off the floor whenever you need. This is precautionary prudence for an active practice, not a documented harm.

It can be, depending on your condition. Continuous dance is genuinely aerobic and puts repeated load on the joints, so anyone managing a heart or joint issue should approach Open Floor as an active physical practice rather than a gentle one. The safe, practical steps are to clear it with a clinician beforehand, quietly let the facilitator know what you are working with, move at a pace your body can sustain, and pause, slow, or leave the floor at any point. This caution is reasoned from the physical demands of the practice, not drawn from safety trials of Open Floor, and it is not a treatment or clearance claim for any condition.

How do I get started with Open Floor Practice?

Start by finding a facilitated Open Floor or conscious-dance session near you or online, then check with a clinician first if you are pregnant, injured, or managing a heart, joint, or mental-health condition. Move at your own intensity, keep permission to rest or step off the floor, and let the facilitator know anything you are working with.

Begin with a facilitated session, since Open Floor is a conscious-dance practice built around guiding movement resources rather than steps, so a facilitator helps you find your way in. Screen with a healthcare professional first if a physical or mental-health condition is active, tell the facilitator privately what you are managing, and set an intensity your body can sustain, with the freedom to slow down or sit out at any point. Afterward, rest, rehydrate, and give strong feelings time to settle. Treat this as practical orientation for a wellbeing and connection practice, not a treatment protocol.

What's the difference between Open Floor and 5Rhythms?

The main difference is structure: 5Rhythms is the conscious-dance lineage Open Floor grew from, moving dancers through a fixed wave of five rhythms, while Open Floor organises sessions around movement resources, ground, centre, expand, and dissolve, and gives partnered work a more explicit place. Both are emerging-evidence conscious-dance practices with no head-to-head study.

The difference is mainly one of form and lineage, not proven effect. 5Rhythms, created by Gabrielle Roth, maps movement onto a defined wave of five rhythms, flowing, staccato, chaos, lyrical, and stillness, that dancers move through in sequence. Open Floor, developed by Andrea Juhan and Lori Saltzman out of that same lineage, keeps the improvised, sensation-led spirit but organises sessions around movement resources rather than a fixed rhythmic map, and builds in more explicit dyad and relational work. No study has compared the two directly, so this describes how each is structured rather than a claim that one works better.

A felt sense of being present in and connected to your own body, rather than living mostly in your thoughts. Practitioners often describe it as feeling more grounded and physically 'here'.

Dyad (relational movement)

Paired movement work, where two dancers coordinate, adjust proximity, and respond to each other. In Open Floor it sits alongside solo movement as a way to explore connection and shared space.

5Rhythms

The conscious dance lineage, created by Gabrielle Roth, from which Open Floor developed. It moves dancers through a sequence of five rhythmic qualities as a map for a session.

[3]other peer reviewed

Annapurny Venkiteswaran, Shobha Tandon (2021). Role of Hypnosis in Dental Treatment. https://doi.org/10.4103/jispcd.jispcd_320_20

DOI: 10.4103/jispcd.jispcd_320_20

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[4]other peer reviewed

David Cooper, Sophie M. Champion, Lauren Stavropoulos, Jessica R. Grisham (2021). How technology can enhance treatment: A scoping review of clinical interventions for anxiety and obsessive‐compulsive spectrum disorders. https://doi.org/10.1111/bjc.12279

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[5]meta analysis

Geke Romijn, Neeltje M. Batelaan, Robin N. Kok, Jeroen Koning, Anton J.L.M. van Balkom, Nickolai Titov (2019). Internet-Delivered Cognitive Behavioral Therapy for Anxiety Disorders in Open Community Versus Clinical Service Recruitment: Meta-Analysis. https://doi.org/10.2196/11706

DOI: 10.2196/11706

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[6]meta analysis

Geke Romijn, Neeltje M. Batelaan, Robin N. Kok, Jeroen Koning, Anton van Balkom, Nickolai Titov (2018). A meta-analysis of effects of Internet CBT for anxiety disorders: open community versus clinical service recruitment (Preprint). https://doi.org/10.2196/preprints.11706

DOI: 10.2196/preprints.11706

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[7]other peer reviewed

Heather D. Hadjistavropoulos, Vanessa Peynenburg, David Thiessen, Marcie Nugent, Eyal Karin, Blake F. Dear (2022). A randomized factorial trial of internet-delivered cognitive behavioural therapy: An 8-week program with or without extended support and booster lesson. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.invent.2022.100499

DOI: 10.1016/j.invent.2022.100499

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[8]other peer reviewed

Jürgen Deckert, Angelika Erhardt (2018). Predicting treatment outcome for anxiety disorders with or without comorbid depression using clinical, imaging and (epi)genetic data. https://doi.org/10.1097/yco.0000000000000468

DOI: 10.1097/yco.0000000000000468

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[9]other peer reviewed

Andreas Balaskas, Stephen M. Schueller, Anna L. Cox, Gavin Doherty (2021). The Functionality of Mobile Apps for Anxiety: Systematic Search and Analysis of Engagement and Tailoring Features. https://doi.org/10.2196/26712

DOI: 10.2196/26712

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[10]randomized controlled trial

Creswell Cathy, Violato Mara, Fairbanks Hannah, White Elizabeth, Parkinson Monika, Abitabile Gemma (2017). Clinical outcomes and cost-effectiveness of brief guided parent-delivered cognitive behavioural therapy and solution-focused brief therapy for treatment of childhood anxiety disorders: a randomised controlled trial.. https://doi.org/10.1016/s2215-0366(17)30149-9

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[11]other peer reviewed

Michael Edmonds, Hugh C McCall, Blake F. Dear, Nickolai Titov, Heather D. Hadjistavropoulos (2019). Does concurrent medication usage affect patient response to internet-delivered cognitive behaviour therapy for depression and anxiety?. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.invent.2019.100302

DOI: 10.1016/j.invent.2019.100302

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[12]observational

Susanna Österman, Erland Axelsson, Erik Forsell, Cecilia Svanborg, Nils Lindefors, Erik Hedman‐Lagerlöf (2024). Effectiveness and prediction of treatment adherence to guided internet-based cognitive behavioral therapy for health anxiety: A cohort study in routine psychiatric care. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.invent.2024.100780

DOI: 10.1016/j.invent.2024.100780

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[13]other peer reviewed

Anthony James, Georgina James, Felicity A. Cowdrey, Angela Soler, Aislinn Choke (2015). Cognitive behavioural therapy for anxiety disorders in children and adolescents. https://doi.org/10.1002/14651858.cd004690.pub4

DOI: 10.1002/14651858.cd004690.pub4

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[14]other peer reviewed

Philip C. Kendall, Jennifer L. Hudson, Elizabeth Gosch, Ellen Flannery-Schroeder, Cynthia Suveg (2008). Cognitive-behavioral therapy for anxiety disordered youth: A randomized clinical trial evaluating child and family modalities.. https://doi.org/10.1037/0022-006x.76.2.282

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[15]other peer reviewed

Shahana C Mohamed, Suchitra Ambika, Shibu Godfrey Pereira (2022). Assessment of fear factors and practice related modifications in response to COVID-19 pandemic outbreak among dental practitioners in Thiruvananthapuram District, Kerala. https://doi.org/10.18231/j.ijpi.2022.023

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Cited in: –

[16]other peer reviewed

A. Mahdee, S. Gul, A. Abdulkareem, S. Qasim (2020). Anxiety, Practice Modification, and Economic Impact Among Iraqi Dentists During the COVID-19 Outbreak. https://doi.org/10.3389/fmed.2020.595028

DOI: 10.3389/fmed.2020.595028

Cited in: –

[17]other peer reviewed

Salemink Elske, de Jong Suzanne R C, Notebaert Lies, MacLeod Colin, Van Bockstaele Bram (2022). Gamification of cognitive bias modification for interpretations in anxiety increases training engagement and enjoyment.. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jbtep.2022.101727

DOI: 10.1016/j.jbtep.2022.101727

Cited in: –

[18]other peer reviewed

Anthony James, Angela Soler, R. Weatherall (2005). Cognitive behavioural therapy for anxiety disorders in children and adolescents. https://doi.org/10.1002/14651858.cd004690.pub2

DOI: 10.1002/14651858.cd004690.pub2

Cited in: –

[19]observational

Kim Mathiasen, Heleen Riper, Tonny Elmose Andersen, Kirsten Kaya Roessler (2018). Guided Internet-Based Cognitive Behavioral Therapy for Adult Depression and Anxiety in Routine Secondary Care: Observational Study (Preprint). https://doi.org/10.2196/preprints.10927

DOI: 10.2196/preprints.10927

Cited in: –

[20]other peer reviewed

Eman Ali Younis, Aman Deep, Safynaz El Saied Shalaby, Sanaa Abd El‐fatah Abdo (2023). Toward safe dental service: risk perception and practice modification among Egyptian dental students during the COVID-19 pandemic. https://doi.org/10.1186/s12913-023-10196-1

DOI: 10.1186/s12913-023-10196-1

Cited in: –

[21]randomized controlled trial

Jialin Wang, Shuyi Nie, Ruirui Wang, Yuwei He, Meng Li, Xinwen Cui (2025). Multimodal Active Physiotherapy Versus Multimodal Passive Physiotherapy for Chronic Nonspecific Neck Pain: A Randomized Controlled Trial on Dual Outcomes of Physical and Mental Health. https://doi.org/10.1155/prm/3449647

DOI: 10.1155/prm/3449647

Cited in: –

[22]other peer reviewed

Gemma Skaczkowski, Shannen van der Kruk, Sophie Loxton, Donna Hughes, Cate Howell, Deborah Turnbull (2022). Web-Based Interventions to Help Australian Adults Address Depression, Anxiety, Suicidal Ideation, and General Mental Well-being: Scoping Review. https://doi.org/10.2196/31018

DOI: 10.2196/31018

Cited in: –

[23]other peer reviewed

Raneeshan Rasendran, Farah Ahmad (2021). Mental health Apps to address inequitable access to care in specific regions of the global North and South: A scoping review. https://doi.org/10.32920/ihtp.v1i2.1425

DOI: 10.32920/ihtp.v1i2.1425

Cited in: –

[24]observational

DOI: 10.2196/10927

Cited in: –

[25]randomized controlled trial

Litvin Silja, Saunders Rob, Maier Markus A, Lüttke Stefan (2020). Gamification as an approach to improve resilience and reduce attrition in mobile mental health interventions: A randomized controlled trial.. https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0237220

DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0237220

Cited in: –

[26]other peer reviewed

Britt Klein, Denny Meyer, David Austin, Michael Kyrios (2011). Anxiety Online—A Virtual Clinic: Preliminary Outcomes Following Completion of Five Fully Automated Treatment Programs for Anxiety Disorders and Symptoms. https://doi.org/10.2196/jmir.1918

DOI: 10.2196/jmir.1918

Cited in: –

[27]other peer reviewed

Gemma Skaczkowski, Shannen van der Kruk, Sophie Loxton, Donna Hughes, Cate Howell, Deborah Turnbull (2021). Web-Based Interventions to Help Australian Adults Address Depression, Anxiety, Suicidal Ideation, and General Mental Well-being: Scoping Review (Preprint). https://doi.org/10.2196/preprints.31018

DOI: 10.2196/preprints.31018

Cited in: –

[28]other peer reviewed

Tobias Dreischulte, Karoline Lukaschek, Marietta Rottenkolber, Jana Werle, Thomas S. Hiller, Jörg Breitbart (2022). Patient characteristics and changes in anxiety symptoms in patients with panic disorder: Post-hoc analysis of the PARADIES cluster randomised trial. https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0275509

DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0275509

Cited in: –

[29]other peer reviewed

Lockwood Joanna, Williams Laura, Martin Jennifer L, Rathee Manjul, Hill Claire, Joanna Lockwood (2022). Effectiveness, User Engagement and Experience, and Safety of a Mobile App (Lumi Nova) Delivering Exposure-Based Cognitive Behavioral Therapy Strategies to Manage Anxiety in Children via Immersive Gaming Technology: Preliminary Evaluation Study.. https://doi.org/10.2196/29008

DOI: 10.2196/29008

Cited in: –

[30]randomized controlled trial

Sharma Gaurav, Schlosser Lisa, Jones Brett D M, Blumberger Daniel M, Gratzer David, Husain M Omair (2022). Brief App-Based Cognitive Behavioral Therapy for Anxiety Symptoms in Psychiatric Inpatients: Feasibility Randomized Controlled Trial.. https://doi.org/10.2196/38460

DOI: 10.2196/38460

Cited in: –

[31]other peer reviewed

Heather D. Hadjistavropoulos, Nicole E. Pugh, Marcie Nugent, Hugo Hesser, Gerhard Andersson, Martin Ivanov (2014). Therapist-assisted Internet-delivered cognitive behavior therapy for depression and anxiety: Translating evidence into clinical practice. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.janxdis.2014.09.018

DOI: 10.1016/j.janxdis.2014.09.018

Cited in: –

[32]other peer reviewed

Gede Pramana, B. Parmanto, J. Lomas, Oliver Lindhiem, P. Kendall, J. Silk (2018). Using Mobile Health Gamification to Facilitate Cognitive Behavioral Therapy Skills Practice in Child Anxiety Treatment: Open Clinical Trial. https://doi.org/10.2196/games.8902

DOI: 10.2196/games.8902

Cited in: –

[33]other peer reviewed

Kangqi Ng, Beng Hoong Poon, Troy Puar, Jessica Quah, Wann Jia Loh, Yu Jun Wong (2020). COVID-19 and the Risk to Health Care Workers: A Case Report. https://doi.org/10.7326/l20-0175

DOI: 10.7326/l20-0175

Cited in: –

[34]other peer reviewed

Newton Amanda, Bagnell Alexa, Rosychuk Rhonda, Duguay Janelle, Wozney Lori, Huguet Anna (2020). A Mobile Phone-Based App for Use During Cognitive Behavioral Therapy for Adolescents With Anxiety (MindClimb): User-Centered Design and Usability Study.. https://doi.org/10.2196/18439

DOI: 10.2196/18439

Cited in: –

[35]observational

Monika Kumal, Archana Shah, Kanaklata Karn, Kiran Kandel, Alina Paneru, Krishna Subedi (2025). Prevalence of dental anxiety and its associated factors among patients visiting tertiary care dental hospital in Kathmandu, Nepal: a cross-sectional study. https://doi.org/10.1136/bmjopen-2025-103762

DOI: 10.1136/bmjopen-2025-103762

Cited in: –

[36]other peer reviewed

Philip C. Kendall, Ellen Flannery-Schroeder, Susan M. Panichelli-Mindel, Michael A. Southam‐Gerow, Aude Henin (1997). Therapy for youths with anxiety disorders: A second randomized clincal trial.. https://doi.org/10.1037//0022-006x.65.3.366

DOI: 10.1037//0022-006x.65.3.366

Cited in: –

[37]other peer reviewed

Fahimeh Rashidi Maybodi, Vahid Herandi, Mahta Sadat Vaezpour (2025). Effect of aromatherapy with lemongrass (Cymbopogon citratus) on the anxiety of patients undergoing scaling and root planning: a randomized clinical trial. https://doi.org/10.1186/s12906-025-04834-w

DOI: 10.1186/s12906-025-04834-w

Cited in: –

[38]other peer reviewed

Emadi Ashkan, Chua Joel V, Talwani Rohit, Bentzen Søren M, Baddley John (2020). Safety and Efficacy of Imatinib for Hospitalized Adults with COVID-19: A structured summary of a study protocol for a randomised controlled trial.. https://doi.org/10.1186/s13063-020-04819-9

DOI: 10.1186/s13063-020-04819-9

Cited in: –

[39]other peer reviewed

Pramana Gede, Parmanto Bambang, Kendall Philip C, Silk Jennifer S, Gede Pramana, Bambang Parmanto (2014). The SmartCAT: an m-health platform for ecological momentary intervention in child anxiety treatment.. https://doi.org/10.1089/tmj.2013.0214

DOI: 10.1089/tmj.2013.0214

Cited in: –

[40]meta analysis

J. F. Baschab, Eva Moehler, J. Hussong (2026). Facing fears in virtual worlds: A systematic review and meta-analysis on immersive VR therapy for children and adolescents with social anxiety and related disorders. https://doi.org/10.1007/s00787-025-02945-w

DOI: 10.1007/s00787-025-02945-w

Cited in: –

[41]other peer reviewed

Erik Hedman‐Lagerlöf, Tomas Furmark, Per Carlbring, Brjánn Ljótsson, Christian Rück, Nils Lindefors (2011). A 5-Year Follow-up of Internet-Based Cognitive Behavior Therapy for Social Anxiety Disorder. https://doi.org/10.2196/jmir.1776

DOI: 10.2196/jmir.1776

Cited in: –

[42]other peer reviewed

Kirli M Cakir, Kirli U (2021). The Impact of Restarting the High-Risk Procedures for COVID-19 Infection in Dental Practice on the Anxiety of Dental Employees: A Study with Repeated Measures.. https://doi.org/10.4103/njcp.njcp_659_20

DOI: 10.4103/njcp.njcp_659_20

Cited in: –

[43]randomized controlled trial

Barkham Michael, Saxon David, Hardy Gillian E, Bradburn Mike, Galloway Deanna, Wickramasekera Nyantara (2021). Person-centred experiential therapy versus cognitive behavioural therapy delivered in the English Improving Access to Psychological Therapies service for the treatment of moderate or severe depression (PRaCTICED): a pragmatic, randomised, non-inferiority trial.. https://doi.org/10.1016/s2215-0366(21)00083-3

DOI: 10.1016/s2215-0366(21)00083-3

Cited in: –

[44]randomized controlled trial

Nielsen Glenn, Marston Louise, Hunter Rachael Maree, Carson Alan, Goldstein Laura H, Holt Kate (2025). Outcomes of specialist physiotherapy for functional motor disorder: the Physio4FMD RCT.. https://doi.org/10.3310/mkac9495

DOI: 10.3310/mkac9495

Cited in: –

[45]other peer reviewed

Ana Rodrigo, Inês Morais Caldas, Bruna Carvalho, Álvaro Azevedo, Pereira, Maria de Lurdes Ferreira Lobo (2023). A ansiedade, medo e stress nos Profissionais de Saúde Oral durante o primeiro ano de pandemia por Covid-19. https://doi.org/10.24873/j.rpemd.2023.07.1059

DOI: 10.24873/j.rpemd.2023.07.1059

Cited in: –

[46]other peer reviewed

Michael Edmonds, Heather D. Hadjistavropoulos, Luke H. Schneider, Blake F. Dear, Nickolai Titov (2018). Who benefits most from therapist-assisted internet-delivered cognitive behaviour therapy in clinical practice? Predictors of symptom change and dropout. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.janxdis.2018.01.003

DOI: 10.1016/j.janxdis.2018.01.003

Cited in: –

[47]other peer reviewed

Liu Yu, Wei Xinyao, Wang Lixin, Yang Yanling, Xu Liya, Sun Tianheng (2024). Efficacy and safety of transcutaneous auricular vagus nerve stimulation for frequent premature ventricular complexes: rationale and design of the TASC-V trial.. https://doi.org/10.1186/s12906-024-04568-1

DOI: 10.1186/s12906-024-04568-1

Cited in: –

[48]other peer reviewed

Silke Stjerneklar, Esben Hougaard, Mikael Thastum (2019). Guided internet-based cognitive behavioral therapy for adolescent anxiety: Predictors of treatment response. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.invent.2019.01.003

DOI: 10.1016/j.invent.2019.01.003

Cited in: –

[49]other peer reviewed

Barnhofer Thorsten, Dunn Barnaby D, Strauss Clara, Ruths Florian A, Barrett Barbara, Ryan Mary (2025). Mindfulness-based cognitive therapy versus treatment as usual after non-remission with NHS Talking Therapies high-intensity psychological therapy for depression: a UK-based clinical effectiveness and cost-effectiveness randomised, controlled, superiority trial.. https://doi.org/10.1016/s2215-0366(25)00105-1

DOI: 10.1016/s2215-0366(25)00105-1

Cited in: –

[50]other peer reviewed

Silfee Valerie, Williams Kelly, Leber Brett, Kogan Jane, Nikolajski Cara, Szigethy Eva (2021). Health Care Provider Perspectives on the Use of a Digital Behavioral Health App to Support Patients: Qualitative Study.. https://doi.org/10.2196/28538

DOI: 10.2196/28538

Cited in: –

More Open Floor Practice in Insight Timer

Editorially curated. Tracks are not themselves clinically studied; evidence on the page applies to Open Floor Practice as a technique.

4.9

Guided

16 min

Creating Space for Overwhelm & Inviting Flow

Stephanie Nash

Explore Open Floor Practice

Open Floor Practice effort level

How hard is Open Floor Practice?

Hard

Open Floor Practice should sit in the middle tier because the structure is real, but the method is usually more regulated than cathartic.

Mental Effort

3 / 4

▾

Emotional Depth

2 / 4

▾

Physical Intensity

2 / 4

▾

Prior Knowledge

2 / 4

▾

Popular Search

Orientation

What is Open Floor Practice?

How Much Open Floor Practice Should You Do?

Related Techniques to Open Floor Practice

Common questions about Open Floor Practice

What does the research say about Open Floor Practice?

Who is Open Floor Practice good for?

Is Open Floor Practice safe?

How does Open Floor Practice work?

For clinicians, researchers, and curious readers

What does a Open Floor Practice session involve?

How does Open Floor Practice work?

Possible Mechanisms

Interoceptive Awareness

Motor-Sensory Integration

Proprioceptive Awareness

What does Open Floor Practice do to the body?

Interoceptive Accuracy

Interoceptive Network Sensitivity

Interoceptive Cortex Activation

Vestibular Function

Postural Muscle Engagement

What is Open Floor Practice used for?

What does the research say about Open Floor Practice?

Which studies have tested Open Floor Practice?

Where does Open Floor Practice come from?

Is Open Floor Practice safe?

Who should practise with care?

Heart or joint conditions, pregnancy, or injury

Working with trauma, grief, disordered eating, or addiction

How does Open Floor Practice compare to similar techniques?

Other questions readers ask

Do I need dance experience to try Open Floor Practice?

What actually happens in an Open Floor session?

Glossary

Conscious dance

Movement resources (ground, centre, expand, dissolve)

Interoception

Proprioception

Sensorimotor integration

Vestibular system

Embodiment

Full References

Open Floor Practice Tracks & Video

Creating Space for Overwhelm & Inviting Flow

How to practise safely?

Clear it with a clinician if a condition applies

Tell the facilitator what you are working with

Set your own intensity

Keep the exit open

Notice emotional surfacing and respond gently

Rest, rehydrate, and reintegrate afterward

Medical Disclaimer

Does Open Floor Practice actually work?

Can Open Floor Practice help with anxiety or depression?

Why does moving without steps make you feel more grounded?

Why do emotions sometimes come up when I dance in Open Floor?

Is Open Floor Practice safe if I'm working through trauma?

Is Open Floor too physically demanding if I have a heart or joint condition?

How do I get started with Open Floor Practice?

What's the difference between Open Floor and 5Rhythms?

Dyad (relational movement)

5Rhythms

More Open Floor Practice in Insight Timer

Creating Space for Overwhelm & Inviting Flow

Explore Open Floor Practice

Open Floor Practice effort level

Hard