What is Embodiment?

              Reuniting or maintaining the unity of the mind and body is the main focus of the embodiment movement and theory. The idea that the mind and body might be one has been lost in western culture. On a daily basis, we constantly divide the mind from the body. Either we listen to our heads or our bodies, separating the two. The embodiment movement ranges from discussing embodiment in intellectual settings such as educational settings to embodiment in emotional settings such as therapy. 

              Embodiment is practically non-existent in our education systems today. Children are told to remain seated in their small square foot of desk space. They are taught to use skills such as listening or writing to properly understand and absorb information. They are being blocked from an essential tool in proper and full bodied absorption of the material being taught. Our education system needs to take advantage of this free and very effective tool of embodiment and the use of movement to educate. 

              Dance combines two essential aspects to humanity: art and movement. Art allows humans to explore their emotional side and produce a product embodying emotion and passion allowing it to be very therapeutic. Movement is proven to release endorphins and act as a stress reliever. So, no wonder when these two elements- movement and art- combine we get a practice extremely useful as therapy and in therapy. Dance benefits don’t stop there; it also enhances one's sense of self, allows a growth of individualism and allows one to become more in tune with their body. DMT( dance movement therapy) aims to bring these benefits into therapy, but one does not need to engage in specific dance movement therapy to retain the benefits it offers. By being aware of our mind-body connection and bringing embodiment into our and our children's daily lives we can obtain this multitude of advantages it provides.