Movement Matters: Using Movement to Shift Through Emotions

Movement matters, because movement is integral to our internal and external wellbeing. Humans are not designed to be immobile! Have you noticed when you spend too much time in bed or slumped on the couch that your emotional state is often lethargic, unmotivated, uncreative and let’s be honest with ourselves, laziness breeds laziness. An increasing issue in today’s society with the ever-changing environment, jobs and restrictions of the rat race, leaving us spending less time in movement, confined in smaller spaces, faced with social environments that push us beyond our comfort zones, as well fast paced; living a year in a day. Stimulation overload! Emotions are running wild, and never more has it been more imperative to learn tools for emotional regulation.

Emotional regulation is a person’s active attempt to manage their emotional state by increasing or decreasing specific feelings and is an essential part of a healthy psychological function. Emotions have movement too! On average a person will experience 400 emotional changes every day and unfortunately, we often are hardwired to give our emotions the upper hand over our logic and rational thought. The most readily available and underutilized strategies for emotional regulation are the use of movement and conscious physical posture changes.

Emotions are generated through input to the brain from our muscles and joints, as well as thermal, metabolic and hormonal changes. How we carry ourselves has a significant impact on our brains, changing the release of hormones that dictate our level of self-esteem, motivation and stress.

There are different types of movement that can be utilised for different intentions, so it pays to experiment and find what works for you. In dance/movement therapy, being guided to move in certain ways can evoke and regulate your emotions, and within a safe environment, you can learn about yourself without the external pressures and judgement of others. Exploration and practice of new and unfamiliar motor patterns can help you experience new unaccustomed feelings. This is not to say we need movement therapy to explore this! It very well may come in the form of ecstatic dance groups, who gather to free flow and allow their creative energies to be expressed without constraints. If the group thing isn’t your vibe, flick some tunes on in the privacy of your home and dance like no one is watching!

Changes in our motor behaviour through increased intensity and/or duration of muscle activity through exercise, produce autonomic nervous system activation (increased heart rate), which generates a myriad of physiological changes that elevate your mood, and contribute to the reduction of stress and anxiety, as well as depression. Exercise has been shown to be effective in reducing mild and moderate depression in both clinical and non-clinical populations. It has been increasingly recommended as a natural, safer, low-cost alternative to medications. There is a multitude of lone or group activities you can do that are low impact on the body and you can increase over time. You could find a beautiful nature reserve or national park to take leisurely walks, swim gently in a natural body of water (or pool if you are a city dweller), and my personal favourite… practice yoga either at home or in group classes (or both).

It’s not just because I’m a yoga teacher that makes it my favourite! Yoga has been shown to lower stress hormones in our bodies while simultaneously increasing beneficial brain chemicals, it encourages you to listen to your body and mind, increases your self-awareness and prompts a deeper understanding of your emotions and thoughts. Through the practice of yoga, individuals have greater control over their emotions, thus correcting their physical, mental and emotional dimensions. Yoga utilises breath work, meditation and movement to give you an entire mind, body and spirit practice.

Progressive muscle relaxation and specific breathing patterns are often taught and used for stress reduction as a part of the strategies in cognitive behavioural therapy. This shows the importance of breathwork in all movement, breathwork itself being its form of movement. With the intention of shifting our emotions and practicing emotional regulation, often this will begin with the breath before changes in our motor behaviour.

There are other tools we can use for homework that will almost immediately let our emotions flow on, helping us regulate. Since our body is always in some type of posture, whether we lie down, sit stand or are in movement, the posture that we assume and the type of movements we engage in have a constant and continuous effect on our emotional state. Have you heard of the superhero power pose? It’s exactly how you imagine it. Scientifically it has proven to increase testosterone which is our power hormone and decrease cortisol, which is the body’s stress hormone. Power posing for just 2 minutes before an important event or difficult task will increase your confidence and elevate your self-esteem. Every day we can make small changes to our posture that will drastically change our emotional state. Begin by avoiding looking down, slumping your shoulders and chest and keeping your head erect, gaze directly forward, back straight, chest raised and expanded. Resist the urge to fold your arms or legs and keep your body language open and confident. But most importantly, smile! Fake it till you make it, because I guarantee if you smile for long enough, your mood will lift.

Leila Verban, Our Expert

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Leila Verban is a creative writer and a qualified Yoga teacher who is the sole owner of Earth Side Yoga. Situated at the base of the Eungella Range, she continues to evolve her practice and refine her skills to incorporate counselling, meditation, energy healing and positive manifestation.