EFFECTS
In the application of Biodanza to groups of people with mental disabilities in Chile, Argentina, Brazil and Italy, we found the following effects:
- Recovery of the ability to move: rhythm, synergy, coordination, intentionality, flexibility, fluidity, lightness, are some of the expressions of movement that significantly improve with the practice of Biodanza; which consists of exercises inspired by the natural movements of the human being such as walking, jumping, crouching, and greeting. These exercises are applied with music that is suitable for the stimulation of each specific movement and the bodily sensations that it awakens, and are carefully structured according to the theoretical model of Biodanza. Their effects are all expected and always under control.
- The elevation of mood. Dance and encounters in an affectively integrated group generate a profound sense of well-being that rebalances mood swings, which occur less frequently and with less intensity.
- Improvement in the ability to communicate with others, or to connect with others, to enter into contact and to establish reciprocity in relationships. The gestures that are part of socialization, like looking in the eyes, listening, talking, smiling, shaking hands, embracing, caressing, have inspired a group of exercises and situations of group encounters that facilitate the overcoming of difficulties in communicating, being able to express oneself adequately and coherently with reality, entering into contact, identifying with each other.
- Increase of the judgment of reality. The person begins to perceive themself as in the “here and now”, in a word, to live. They are aware of their body and their condition. They remember their family. They manifest the desire to overcome their difficulties.
- Intellectual functions. Important progress is not always achieved in this area. But these people improve when they feel socialized, when they do expressive and creative activities, when they love and feel loved.
METHODOLOGY
Biodanza achieves these objectives by stimulating that function that relates to the connection with life. This is an archaic function that sanctions the existence of life itself and can become a conscious attitude through an internal maturation process. This function allows, in each individual; integration with his or her self, through the restoration of the psychophysical unity; integration with their similar, by restoring the original link with the species; integration with the universe by restoring the bond with nature and recognition as part of the environment, of the cosmos.
The Biodanza methodology consists in inducing experiences of happiness, pleasure, innovation, security and serenity, through:
Music; it is a universal language that can reach everyone because it communicates emotions. Each piece of music used is chosen according to precise criteria of musical semantics.
Movement; it is expression that is integrated with emotion. From this point of view, each of our movements can become dance when it is full of meaning.
Situations of group encounters: Biodanza is not feasible individually, but is effective in an affectively integrated group, which offers different possibilities for communication and functions as a protective container for each participant.
Biodanza was conceived in the 60s by prof. Rolando Toro Araneda, a Chilean psychologist and anthropologist, following his research on the combined effects of music and movement on a person’s well-being. Everyone can practice it and benefit from it. For people who need to resort to conventional clinical treatments, such as those with experience of mental disorders, Biodanza offers a complementary support system that can significantly improve the quality of their life.
MECHANISMS of ACTION
There are two main mechanisms of action that Biodanza implements with people who have mental disorders:
- Strengthening the identity:
by inducing people to connect with themselves, to discover what they want and to act accordingly, to increase self-esteem and self-confidence. - Restoring the function of an affective bond: that is to facilitate, and make it possible for them to communicate with others, to learn to listen to others and to be listened to by others, to learn to communicate with reciprocity, and to develop listening and kindness in relationships.
LIVING THE EXPERIENCE
I will briefly describe the salient aspects of an experience carried out recently with people from a Psychosocial Centre in the municipality of Rovato, in the province of Brescia. These people presented mood and motor disorders, including lack of or excess movement, alterations in expressiveness, with chronic facial expressions (sad or indifferent or fearful), impaired ambulation and altered gestures; with alterations of the psychomotor equilibrium, such as stereotypies of attitude and movement, artificial behaviour, tics, negativism; with various motor rigidities, fear and anguish, depression, feelings of omnipotence or disbelief. All these disorders are linked to the alteration of bodily perception, which implies two complementary aspects: how the person sees themself and how they feel.
The Biodanza proposal is centred on the induction of integral experiences of body perception that are able to offer well-being and safety.
I report some of my observations and experiences with this group:
The first session; spontaneously at the end of each exercise, people applauded. Evidently, they liked the proposal. Once the session was over, everyone remained in the hall, hand in hand in the circle that concludes each session. No one wanted to leave. Their educators themselves were amazed because it had never happened before; usually these people became distracted, closed in on themselves, leave the hall, etc.
The participants who initially manifested motor stiffness, lack of rhythm and fluidity, lack of initiative, a tendency to isolate themselves, during the progression of the sessions began to manifest relaxation, rhythm, fluidity, initiative, joy, pleasure in sharing. Little by little, almost everyone was able to take the initiative to propose themselves to another partner for dancing. Later on, they also sought each other after the Biodanza session had ended. For educators, this too was absolutely unexpected.
Almost all of them manifested initiative during the verbal sharing of their experiences as well: they managed to open up, to speak about themselves to others. They remembered the experiences during the session the week before well.
These people particularly enjoyed the stimuli brought by the music: “the music is very good” they said.
Another aspect that testified to their participation in these experiences was sharing the activities: “it’s very nice to do things together”. They also appreciated the possibility of exchanging affective contact, and caresses; they particularly appreciated the exchange of embraces. They appreciated the valorisation of each individual in their singularity and the stimulus to autonomy: almost all participated actively in the individual proposals in the centre of the circle. In some, already after the first sessions, the change in the care of the personal aspect was evident, giving us a clear signal of their increased confidence in themselves.
They asked many questions, showing an authentic interest to know more about the themes on which I conducted each session. This curiosity turned out to be noteworthy, as the whole group then interviewed me through 12 truly original questions (attached). This was a very rich and very stimulating experience for me.
They also managed to relax pleasurably and were able to manifest their will and determination. Someone managed to take the initiative to help a troubled companion. Someone, from time to time, someone would do whatever it took to “infect” the others with enthusiasm and sympathy.
IN SUMMARY
Biodanza has been successfully proposed as an existential rehabilitation system for people suffering from mental disorders. This recent experience that I have described confirms the results obtained by my colleagues in other parts of Italy and around the world. The overall effect was the reawakening of new motivations for life.
The modality used consisted in proposing moderate physical exercise, encounters and contact, respecting two fundamental rules: progressivity and reciprocity, within an affective integrated group.
The effects of this activity are enhanced when the health operators and family members also participate. In this way, existential rehabilitation is accomplished more effectively. Biodanza can offer a chance to value oneself and redeem their body as a source of pleasure in people who experience mental disorders. People existing in situations of serious discomfort can find relief of their suffering, spontaneous, natural integration in the community and a great improvement in their quality of life in the group of Biodanza. In this way personal well-being becomes social well-being when these people re-embody themselves with dignity in a shared life and are accepted and loved by others.
PRINCIPAL BIBLIOGRAPHIC REFERENCES
Gallese V. (2008), The Paradigmatic Body, Embodied Simulation, Intersubjectivity, the Bodily Self, and Language
https://open-mind.net/papers/the-paradigmatic-body-embodied-simulation-intersubjectivity-the-bodily-self-and-language
Lapierre A. – Aucouturier B., La simbologia del movimento, psicomotricità ed educazione, Edipsicologiche, Cremona. (not translated into English)
Villegas Alejandra, Marcus Stuck, Jun 2008, Der getanzte Weg / El camino danzado / Il percoso danzato / The danced way: Prozesse und Effekte von Biodanza / Procesos y efectos de Biodanza / … Biodanza / Processes and effects of Biodanza
Toro R. (2000, 2007), Biodanza, Integrazione esistenziale e sviluppo umano attraverso la musica, il movimento. L’espressione delle emozioni, a cura di E. Matuk, Red Edizioni, Milano.
Toro R. (2001), Biodanza as a Complementary Existential Rehabilitation System for the clinical, Module 1, edited by M. Mur, IBF Editions, Milano.
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