64 asiaSpa India March-April 2016
M
MOVEMENT THERAPY
FOOTLOOSE
Dance therapist and founder of Original Movement Therapy
Devika Sekhar explains the intricacies of the unique therapy that
addresses a variety of mental and physical problems through
music, drama and movementD
ance therapy, otherwise known
as movement therapy, is a unique
approach to therapy, which,
unlike ‘talking therapies’, is
worked through movement, art
and sound. It is not a dance class, and no prior
knowledge of dance is necessary. The therapist will
be working alongside you to help you to express
yourself. You will be looking, taking chances and
experimenting together.
There is something for everyone in movement
therapy. It is suitable for both adults and children,
both individually and in groups. Some issues that
can be worked on through movement therapy
include behavioural issues including anti-
social behaviour in children and adults; autism;
emotional issues; relationship problems; anger;
and crisis management, among others. Every
individual’s objective for choosing this therapy may
differ. Some might use it for self-exploration, while
others might feel it could help them communicate
better with others, be it even their children. It is
especially beneficial for families that have children
with special needs or those going through some
form of emotional ordeal. For the child who could
be at the risk of being labelled a ‘problem child’ at
school, this therapeutic help is a chance to break
that cycle of negative behaviour and replace it with
more positive alternatives.
The way we walk, sit and move our hands and
arms, and our gestures become a habit, and we
give out messages that might contradict what we
communicate verbally. For instance, a man may
walk with slouched shoulders, his tummy out andchin stuck out and lowered, in a manner that may
indicate ‘depression’ or ‘no self-esteem’. And he
may not even know that he’s giving out that signal.
Once he’s made aware of this through movement,
he and the therapist can work towards getting to the
root cause of the problem to bring about a change.
Over time, the changes become internalised and
the person undergoes a transformation. By slight
modifications in movement, one can actually learn
to change certain behavioural patterns.
Movement is truly a part of our everyday lives
and is present in everything we do and say. It might
be in the flailing gestures we make with our arms,
or the shaking of our legs, or even the batting of an
eyelid; every movement brings with it a story of its
own. Original Movement Therapy (OMT) comes
from the thought that all true movement comes
from within. The movement sessions are not about
the ‘formal’ meaning of dance at all. They are, in
fact, inclusive of all elements of sound, art, music,
drama and movement.
The mind and body are interconnected, and
what reflects in our bodies is sometimes deep
rooted in the subconscious. That’s one of the
reasons why this work fascinated me and brought
me to do what I do – study and understand
movement. Movement therapy over time, if done
as part of a routine, allows you to discover yourself.
It allows you to slowly unwrap those layers to
recognise why it is that we do what we do when we
do it. This newfound sense of awareness can help
us in situations and spaces in our lives, and give
us the capacity to deal with, work through and, in
time, understand ourselves.