Movement is a Silent Healer and a Powerful Uplifter

When words alone fail to heal, movement becomes the second "best friend".

Sometimes we need a simple dance or a stroll to feel the heaviness in us lift.

I’ve actively engaged in physical activity for the past 15 years. Throughout that time movement has aided and comforted me through experiences and helped me find a glimmer of happiness in moments where it seemed hopeless. About 15 years ago, I started a long journey to rebuild my life, and I discovered that movement also helped me heal. What began as a means to a physical end, gradually transformed to a source of emotional and psychological happiness. Now, there are times when sadness pays a visit, I choose how long I let it stay. I’ve learnt to put things into perspective and respond to sadness using movement to find my center again.

I have treasured an emotional connection with movement for as long as I can remember. Dance and being active have always been a way for me to connect and express my emotions in a way I can’t through words. I have learnt through movement how to tap into my sense of happiness.

I have learnt that feeling alive doesn’t always mean having something extraordinary happen.

The more I became aware of the transformation the movement brought in my life, the more I integrated movement into my daily life. Sometimes, I used to organize community sessions, to come together to have fun, enjoy and experience being active. Sometimes, I used to go alone, and dance in the wild and beautiful areas of the Yukon. I used to feel positive changes in my mood and energy. Heavy feelings that used to follow me, started to lift slowly. I began to feel I was turning back to the person who used to be positive and energetic.

Sometimes sadness used to capture and fill up so much of my emotional space that happiness felt out of reach. With the help of movement, I learned that joy was still there and my emotional struggles used to decide and define how I used to experience everyday life.

Physical activity has always been by my side, and it has played a crucial role during the different phases of my recovery. Many times, it has helped me feel I am back to reconnect with my feelings and emotions. I have learned to find relief and hope for the future and happiness in the midst of all the chaos of life.

Movement helps manage my thought processes. I think about lots of things at once. I can go from one idea to the next, and not realize how quickly time passes. Sometimes my thoughts can get so scattered that I can’t focus on anything. I’ve relied on physical activity to interrupt this and to help break my focus from being internal.

Other things like breathing exercises and meditation can be really valuable, and people may prefer those, but I prefer movement. There is something about giving your body the opportunity to move when your mind is unwilling to slow down.

Things are the same or have gotten worse since last year, and people are feeling it. Unrest and conflict in different countries is on the rise, and tensions between nations are growing. Ideologies of peace and cooperation are progressively weakening. Mistrust and confrontational politics are negatively affecting how nations interact, fostering uncertainty and concern about the future. Everything is becoming more divisive. Some politicians and religious authorities worsen division for selfish purposes, creating anger and fear. The values that mostly induce people to be more compassionate, respectful, loving, and kind are being disregarded. Stress is the new norm, because everyday there are more issues to be concerned about, from the rising cost of living and personal health issues, to political instability. All this is chronic and debilitating, and gives a sense of a hopeless future.

Physical activity can provide an opportunity to feel better and more emotionally stable, especially in the current situation when negative emotions are constantly frustrating us and making us feel useless. Practically speaking, moving our bodies will not solve the problems or the conflicts immediately. Nor will it change the world around us. However, it will support us being in high spirts even in the middle of those situations.

Physical activity gives us the opportunity to be more kind and patient to ourselves when everything seems to be failing.