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The Power Of Dance & Movement For The Mind®

By Francoise Netter

In celebration of The Movement For the Mind Practitioner Certification Program beginning in June, 2015, I wanted to invite you to participate and explore some of the philosophies that so powerfully discern and exemplify this unique form of integrative movement.

The Power Of Dance & Movement For The Mind®

Physically, dance is the creative translation of what we do in this body: move. Dance speaks to every aspect of our being.  It challenges us physically and at the same time satisfies the human need for self-expression, communication, and meaning. It demands that the mind be clear, focused, and attentive. Each movement must be birthed from emotional integrity, so that when people dance, they may experience the oneness that mystics speak of reaching in the highest spiritual state. Yogis refer to the creation of the universe as the Dance of Shiva. French author, Anais Nin, coined the phrase “life is a dance,” and countless poets and philosophers have made similar analogies between dancing and living.

However, in Western culture dance has been less accessible to the general public than perhaps any other art form (not withstanding the current craze of the TV Reality show, “Dancing with the Stars”). When I was a child, everyone was encouraged to draw and learn to play a musical instrument whether they showed specific artistic talent or not. Although I was offered ballet classes as a child, my brother never took dance lessons. After I stopped taking ballet, I don’t remember taking any other class in school that encouraged creative self-expression through the medium of the body.

The purpose of all art is to communicate. Dance communicates through the language of movement. The dancer needs only the body as a vehicle for creative expression. All content comes from the inside and is brought into form through the body. Dancing, singing, and acting are the only art forms that can stand alone without any other embellishments or supportive props. But even the singer and actor need words. Silently, the dancer uses what connects us all to this earth, the body.

In ancient and primitive cultures, symbols and rituals were significant components of everyday life. These cultures, which revered and lived closely with the earth and nature’s cycles, utilized movement intentionally as a metaphor for living. They did not rely solely on words to communicate, but understood the power of the symbolic and the power of living in the body. Dance, through its use of gestures, incorporates the symbolic in the acting out of movement. It also allows man to embrace the sacred within his own body.

The Movement For The Mind® technique I created integrates the symbolic value of dance with the healing legacy of dance therapy, and includes Modern Dance’s vision of authentic expression. It brings back the power of dance to the individual and provides a vehicle for creative self-expression, integration, healing, and for better understanding ourselves and connecting to others. Since there is no audience, the process of expressive communication accentuates an internal experience. Here is a simple exercise to experience your innate rhythm and movement.

Stand up. Close your eyes and take four complete breaths and then continue breathing normally. Remember to keep breathing through your nostrils. Now begin to listen to the rhythm of your breath and see how your body responds energetically. You may begin swaying or rocking. Let movements occur spontaneously. Go with any impulse. If your body does not move, continue listening to the breath for a few more moments. Do not strain or try to make anything happen. The point is to let go and become more sensitive to the subtle rhythms inwardly.

If you felt your body moving at all, you may have also become aware of your heartbeat and the rhythm of that pulsation. Listening to these simple rhythms helps us to connect to ourselves and to the moment. In Movement For The Mind®, we can use this awakening to move and respond more spontaneously and with less restriction and judgment. We use the rhythm of the breath to quiet and focus the mind, to awaken us to the subtle energies within us and to relieve the effects of stress. From that place the outer movement process is birthed. —Adapted from Movement For The Mind—Dance That Awakens Healing, Inspiration & Wisdom ©2015, Françoise E Netter

Become a Movement For the Mind Teacher

Powerfully integrate this creative and dynamic methodology in your personal and professional life. Movement For The Mind is the ability to integrate ones awareness, attitude through creative embodiment and actualize the results in daily life.

The program offers a way to deepen your awareness of the mind, emotions, body & spirit and how to integrate creativity and movement into practical realms of life and also offers you opportunities to augment your career or start a new one. This program is especially relevant for those interested or who have (had) careers in Teaching, Yoga, Fitness, Dance, Psychology and Counseling. It is the unique opportunity to take this work and find your own voice in it and train others.

For application and early bird discounts and full description and details email: or call 303.960.6000.