Moving Together Benefits Our Brains

Here's a really interesting TEDx Talk, from Sarah Aspinall (from Breaking Ballet, also @_sarahaspinall on Instagram), about how moving in dance together benefits our mood and our brains.

Sarah says, "we all know that connecting with others is important to our mental health and wellbeing and you might think that connecting with people is about talking.  This talk looks at how coordinated group movement or “collective effervescence” can connect and inspire people

The power of moving together and how our brain interprets this to leave us feeling more connected with those around us.  It’s not a new concept. The term “collective effervescence” has been around for over 100 years.  Humans have long used movement for self-expression, building a tribe, defending the tribe and to facilitate group bonding for survival.

We are literally born to dance, with the ability to bop to the beat as young as 5 months old.  Dance has been an important part of ceremony, rituals, celebrations and entertainment since before the birth of the earliest human civilizations.  But sometimes, in our modern world, we can forget the power of movement."

Yet another reason why participating in a dance class improves your mood and mental health!