The Power of Movement

The mind-body connection has long fascinated me. I carry a strong belief that there are few other ways to connect with your spirituality, than through physical movement. I discovered this as a young dance student more than 30 years ago. As I learned ways to move my own body in elegant and beautiful ways, which were also physically demanding, I found my worries and concerns for the troubles of life slipping away, and becoming less overwhelming. My self confidence increased, and my anxiety and depression decreased. Body movement can be not only a form of exercise for physical health, but also a form of creative self expression and an outlet for tapping into boundless spiritual energy. According to authors Andrew Newberg and Eugene D'Aquili, (Why God won't go away: Brain science and the biology of belief, 2001), humans possess a neurobiological mechanism for spirituality which takes place within the orientation association area located in the posterior superior parietal lobe of the cerebral cortex. The primary job of this area is perceptual judgements of a person's orientation in physical space. This area is constantly performing advanced calculations of angles and distances to assist us in navigating and maneuvering ourselves through the environment.  Without normal function of this area we would not be able to lie down or stand up, walk down a hallway or staircase safely. Interestingly enough, studies using fMRI and SPECT scans have shown this orientation association area to also be the center of furious neurological activity during deep states of meditation or prayer. Therefore, it only makes sense that refining the function of this area through proprioceptive inputs such as dance, yoga, pilates, ballet, tai chi, and other forms of movement based activities will strengthen one's ability to have a relationship with a higher power. I believe this even extends to non-dance movement such as jogging, hiking, and cycling that require balance and visual coordination. By stimulating the cortical neural pathways leading to the superior posterior parietal orientation association area, through exercise, dance and other physical activities, we gain the cognitive strength to form a deeper connection with our spiritual selves, and transcend our material existence for an inner peace that is more real.