Body Mind Spirit.

Body.  Mind. Spirit.

We see these linked together everywhere, with promises that one thing can affect them all.  Indeed, I completely believe that's possible, but I've found that, with trauma, while movement can feed all three at once, it is better to treat them separately.  Here is what I discovered works for me.

The Mind-
  My movement choice here is definitely yoga.  I know!  You'd think this would be about the body if anything, but my classes with ErinnEarth's Sivananda yoga brought a definite mental change.  At the time I was able to take her class, I was teaching 6-10 dance classes each week.   You'd think that would be all the movement needed to keep stress away.  But after three or four classes, I found a very real sense of calm and peace..  Stress was lifted, and I hadn't even been aware of carrying it!

The key phrase here is "after three or four classes..."  It's a practice for a reason.  If you visit once, and find your focus on aching muscles, that's because you brought your body to class.  It takes more than one visit to feel the changes a practice brings.

The Body-
Nia all the way.  I cannot stress enough how doing the practice of nia brings an awareness of the body that seems strangely intimate.   One would think that one's own body just being there was intimate enough, but after a few weeks, you really start to talk to your body. "Hey, Mr. ankle.  Why are you touchy today?" "Oh my, you thighs have certainly strengthened!  Look at how far we can plunge without pain today!"

I twist and turn and use every part of the body in every nia workout. And when I'm done, it feels like I had a true conversation with all the parts of the body, and together we jump in the shower and sing.

The Spirit-
Dance as Meditation.  We have traversed the plains of the Underworld, called the fiery energy of Kali into our joints and stirred more witches cauldrons of energy than I can count.  The people who are drawn to it seem to be those who can bring their honest self along.  After a class, it was not uncommon to talk at great length about what we saw, felt or needed to figure out.  When your whole body is expressing a simple or complex idea because words aren't enough, Spirit is nurtured.