Tuesday 21st May marks World Day for Cultural Diversity for Dialogue and Development.
Medical Student Agshaya Mahamenan delves into the world of classical Indian dancing, exploring the importance of physical and mental health.
The definition of mental health in the UK national ‘No Health without Mental Health’ policy is that it is “a positive state of mind and body, feeling safe and able to cope, with a sense of connection with people, communities and the wider environment” (Department of Health and Social Care, 2011). It also explains how levels of mental health are influenced by the conditions people are born into, grow up in, live and work in.Upon reading this, it made me understand the significance of mental health and how taking care of one’s mental health is equally important to one’s physical health. It made me wonder why many people do not address mental health as openly as physical health – is it because people do not know how to improve one’s mental health, compared to tackling declines in the physical health? This further provoked me to investigate the factors that impact the mental health.
Factors include: childhood trauma, social isolation, bereavement, drug and alcohol misuse, unemployment and many more (Mind, 2017). A factor that really stood out to me was stress, as I was able to personally relate to this. As a person who gets lost in overthinking and anxiety, I recognise that for me stress plays a major role in provoking this.
But how do I overcome this and put the mind to ease?
For me, there is an activity that alleviates my stress, and it is something that I have been practicing for over fifteen years. It is the Indian classical dance of Bharatanatyam. This expressive form of Indian classical dance has put my mind to ease many times and I was keen to explore and delve into how Bharatanatyam dancing calms the mind.
Bharatanatyam is a classical Indian dance style that originated in Tamil Nadu. It combines intricate footwork, expressive hand gestures and emotive facial expressions to tell stories through movement (Iyer, 2016). As someone who has always struggled with anxiety, I have found that expressing my emotions through movement is a powerful tool for managing my mental health. The expressive nature of Bharatanatyam has allowed me to connect with my emotions in a way that I had never experienced before, and it has given me a new emotional outlet for processing and expressing my feelings. The storytelling aspect of Bharatanatyam has allowed me to express my emotions in a safe and healthy way. Instead of bottling up my feelings, I can channel them into my dance as this allows me to feel a sense of release.
A study by Li and colleagues (2017) found that a twelve-week Bharatanatyam dance intervention improved mindfulness and decreased anxiety in healthy young adults. Having reflected on the findings of this study, I have come to a profound realisation that Bharatanatyam, being a creative and expressive form of dance, has had an overwhelming positive impact on my mental health and overall well-being. It allows me to feel more centred, relaxed and most importantly, be in tune with my thoughts and emotions. I was able to relate to how Bharatanatyam is a creative dance form that positively impacts my own mental health and wellbeing.
Bharatanatyam provides a creative outlet for expression, helping to move past one’s intrusive thoughts triggered by anxiety and stress. There is a substantial amount of research indicating that dance can be an effective tool for improving mental health. For instance, a study published in the Journal of Psychiatric and Mental Health Nursing (Payne and Warne, 2018) found that dance can help alleviate symptoms of anxiety and depression by inducing relaxation, increasing self-esteem and fostering a sense of purpose and achievement. Additionally, another study published in the Journal of Aging and Physical Activity (Rehfeld, Müller et al., 2017) showed that dance can boost cognitive function and memory in older adults. These findings strongly suggest that dance is a valuable therapeutic tool for enhancing mental health and calming nerves. Even myself, I see dancing as an alternative form of therapy.
Bharatanatyam. Photo Credit: Simon Richardson. Image courtesy of the Akademi Archives.
Upon reflection and based on my experience, I am convinced that Bharatanatyam will play a crucial role in maintaining my mental well-being and stress relief. As a first-year medical student myself, I do at times feel stressed from the workload and content. However, I do recognise that Bharatanatyam dancing has at many times contributed to easing my stress associated with studying: whether it be the fast-paced intrinsic movements or the heavy expressional moves. I understand the significance of managing stress not just as a medical student but also for a doctor as well.
A survey published online in the journal BMJ Open in January 2020 quoted that almost a third of doctors in the UK are under significant stress and burnt out (McKinley, McCain et al., 2020). Burnout in doctors can have serious consequences. This includes a decrease in the quality of care delivered to patients, more medical errors, reduced retention, and poorer health outcomes (Kumar, 2016). Investigating the causes of burnout in doctors and how to overcome this has enlightened my thoughts on how I could also incorporate Bharatanatyam dancing into a stress management plan as a form of therapy. I am motivated to continue this form of dance even when I am a doctor because Bharatanatyam requires concentration, focus and awareness of the body and surroundings; this can induce a state of mindfulness. Mindfulness has been found to have a positive impact on mental health, reducing stress and anxiety (Khoury et al., 2015). Even as a doctor, displaying empathy and the regulation of emotions is important – the requirement to display expressions in Bharatanatyam will definitely aid this.
Moreover, Bharatanatyam involves a lot of cognitive processing such as learning complex rhythms and movements, which can help to improve cognitive function and memory. This can be particularly beneficial for medical students, like me, who need to learn and retain a lot of information.
I believe that Bharatanatyam will continue to be an important tool for promoting my own mental wellbeing and stress management. I plan to continue dancing and exploring the expressive potential of this beautiful dance style. In addition, I hope to share my love of Bharatanatyam with others and help to promote its benefits for mental health and wellbeing.Bharatanatyam has had a profoundly positive impact on my mental health. But any frequent practice may cause injuries or fatigue which can negatively impact your mental health. This can be overcome by practising at intervals or whenever you feel like you want to dance away any anxiety-fuelled or stress-induced thoughts. However, through this Indian classical dance of Bharathanatyam, I have found an outlet for processing and expressing my emotions. I have discovered a sense of joy and purpose that has helped me to manage my anxiety. As the studies and personal anecdotes suggest, Bharatanatyam dancing can be a valuable tool for promoting mental health and wellbeing. I am grateful to have discovered Bharatanatyam to harness the healing power of movement and most importantly, a way to ease the mind.
References:
1. Department of Health and Social Care (2011) No health without mental health: A cross-government outcomes strategy, GOV.UK. GOV.UK. Available at: https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/no-health-without-mental-health-a-cross-government-outcomes-strategy (Accessed: April 28, 2023).
2. Mind (2017). Causes | Mind, the mental health charity - help for mental health problems. [online] Mind.org.uk. Available at: https://www.mind.org.uk/information-support/types-of-mental-health-problems/mental-health-problems-introduction/causes/. (Accessed: April 28, 2023).
3. Iyer, V. (2016). A Treatise on Bharatanatyam – A guide to Bharathanatyam (Book 1) Classical dances of India pp7-9.
4. Li, J., Li, S., & Cao, J. (2017). The effects of Bharatanatyam dance on mindfulness and anxiety in healthy young adults: A randomized controlled trial. Journal of Dance Medicine & Science, 21(3), 116-122.
5. Payne, H., & Warne, T. (2018). Dance movement therapy group intervention for reducing symptoms of anxiety in adults with intellectual disability: A randomized controlled trial. Journal of Psychiatric and Mental Health Nursing, 25(1), 38-49.
6. Rehfeld, K., Müller, P., Aye, N., Schmicker, M., Dordevic, M., Kaufmann, J., Hökelmann, A., Müller, N.G., & Brigadski, T. (2017). Dancing or fitness sport? The effects of two training programs on hippocampal plasticity and balance abilities in healthy seniors. Journal of Aging and Physical Activity, 25(4), 543-553.
7. McKinley N, McCain RS, Convie L, et al Resilience, burnout and coping mechanisms in UK doctors: a cross-sectional studyBMJ Open 2020; Available at: https://bmjopen.bmj.com/content/10/1/e031765 (Accessed: April 29, 2023)
8. Kumar, S. (2016). Burnout and Doctors: Prevalence, Prevention and Intervention. Healthcare, [online] 4(3), p.37.
9. Khoury, B., Sharma, M., Rush, S. E., & Fournier, C. (2015). Mindfulness-based stress reduction for healthy individuals: A meta-analysis. Journal of Psychosomatic Research, 78(6), 519-52
10. Photo Credit: https://www.akademi.co.uk/bharatanatyam/