What is Joyful Movement?
Joyful movement is a way of approaching physical activity that emphasizes and focuses on pleasure. For those recovering from an eating disorder or disordered eating, one’s relationship with movement may be influenced by toxic disordered thoughts and behaviors. By tuning in to your intuition as opposed to relying on external factors to dictate how you move your body, you can learn to engage in exercise that is both enjoyable and good for you — physically and mentally!
By: Aliesha Bryan
The conversation around joyful, or intuitive, movement has grown in recent years, marking the difference between physical activity done out of a sense of obligation and activity done for the pleasure of it. We practice intuitive movement when we listen to our body’s cues and determine what sort of movement would feel good in the moment. This differs starkly from exercising because we “should”, instead, returning us to a time before physical activity was associated with pain, struggle, or attempts to change or shape the body. For many, at some point joy was taken out of movement, but in practicing intuitive movement, you can put the joy back in!
How to get moving intuitively
To see what intuitive movement is like, you can begin by asking yourself questions like “what kind of activity do I feel like doing today?” or “what does my body need?” If you draw a blank, look more closely into how your body is feeling that day. Muscle tension or tightness might indicate a need for one type of activity; a sense of being loose or energized might indicate others. Your emotional state might provide more clues into what you need. Feeling flighty or disorganized might be a call for grounding movements, whereas feeling sad or even confined might call for a refreshing walk, perhaps alongside the nearest body of water.
Many people have no idea of what they might like to do. If you find yourself in that category, it might be helpful to build an “inventory” or “treasure chest” of different types of physical activity. A quick Google search could handle that, and you may find a variety of moves that pique your interest. Allow yourself to be curious and know that perhaps what your body needs from one day to the next may change. Maybe one day you will be interested in restorative yoga, while on another day a short walk will seem best. On yet another day you might fancy a game of virtual twister or hacky sack. Intuitive movement allows for flexibility and gives you the space to explore what feels good in your body. Try to figure out what brings you the most joy and what feels the best for your body. And remember, sometimes this can mean returning to an activity that you enjoyed in the past — even the distant past!
Shifting from obligation to choice
Practicing intuitive movement involves a shift in mindset, one that allows exercise to transform from something you feel you “should” do to something you can enjoy, something that is less stressful, and something that you actually look forward to doing. And the act of listening to your inner voice can help to nurture a healthier relationship with your body.
Know that you can choose a form of movement or exercise that you appreciate. Not everyone loves yoga, for example, so if you have a strong distaste for it, that may not be the best place to start. Remember that there are a wide variety of physical activities, from gardening, to handball, to gentle cycling or walking, housework, or playing with pets or children. There is no reason to do exercise that you dislike!
Finally, as you checked-in with yourself before your chosen activity, check-in with yourself after it, too, making sure to note how you feel — energized or drained? Uplifted or frustrated? Take all of these as clues that will inform future choices around movement. But most importantly, as emphasized above, allow yourself to remain flexible. The key to intuitive or joyful movement is in your ability to listen and heed yourself.
At BALANCE, we utilize a variety of experiential group therapies in our treatment approach, including art, movement (dance & yoga), and drama therapy. Our admissions team would be happy to answer any questions that you may have about our experiential therapies and our integration of joyful movement into our treatment approach. Schedule a free phone consultation below!
This post was written by BALANCE intern, Aliesha Bryan.
Aliesha is a second-year graduate student at Sarah Lawrence College pursuing her Master of Science in Dance/Movement Therapy. She completed her undergraduate education at Barnard College, majoring in French and Francophone Studies. She previously worked as a translator for a variety of organizations within the UN system, including UNESCO, United Nations Headquarters, and the Pan-American Health Organization. Aliesha is also a professional Flamenco dancer who has had the opportunity to perform live at venues and festivals here in the United States and internationally. As a Dance/Movement Therapist in training, Aliesha believes that the body is a repository of extraordinarily valuable information — often symbolic and potentially difficult to express in everyday language — but nonetheless vital to healing. She is passionate about eating disorder recovery and is excited to be a part of the BALANCE team.