7 Steps to Embracing a Growth Mindset Through Dance: A Path to Personal Development
Helene 
How Dance rewires our brain and enables us to develop a growth mindset on our personal development journey
In today's fast paced world a growth mindset is essential for thriving in this at times unpredictable, challenging and yet also wondrous thing that we call life (many of us have struggled in recent times, and it is life-affirming to stay open to its wonder and beauty).
The concept of growth mindset, popularized by psychologist Carol Dweck, emphasizes the belief that our abilities and intelligence can be developed through dedication and hard work.
We are not 'fixed'
We are continuously evolving beings; if we allow it. When we become fixed or rigid in our minds, we see this played out in our bodies and our movements (or lack of). We see this clearly with people who may have mental conditions that are disabling (nb disclaimer, I hope I have used politically correct or inoffensive terminology here!).
And the 'body mind' connection means in turn that if we are very limited in our physical movement range - or always moving in the same limited patterns, then this will affect our ways of thinking, and in turn being.
In this post I want to explore how the principles of growth mindset can be applied through the art of dance, enabling us to embrace continuous learning, be resilient in challenging situations and have a willingness to step out of our comfort zones.
A friend once told me that I don't take the easy route, and looking back on some of the things I have done, perhaps she is right. (Either that, or like the best of us, there is a hint of 'madness' in me...)
For example, when I decided to study my MA many years ago, it involved travelling and staying out of town on weekends for several years. On top of the cost of the studies, these extra expenses seemed substantial. So I decided to get a caravan to stay in.
Embracing Challenge
When I was going up north for the first meeting of my MA studies, I was going to use my 'new' caravan for the first time. I had never towed it before, and I remember having to call a friend at the last minute, because I wasn't sure I had attached it correctly to my car...I did manage to, and ended up driving 4 hours up the motorway with it.
When I arrived in darkness at the camping destination I had booked, I had to reverse it into a tight spot, of which one side was a greenhouse. Yes, Hollywood couldn't have come up with a better story.
Well I did it, and perhaps I grew some new resilience muscles that day! Certainly I had most definitely been challenged out of my comfort zone. Has my dedication to dance helped me to embrace these challenges? Who knows, but it can certainly widen the horizons of your perceived possibilities.
What is a growth mindset, and how does it relate to personal development and self-improvement?
A growth mindset is the belief that through perseverance and hard work, we can improve our abilities, intelligence and talents over time. We embrace our challenges, and persist in the face of setbacks.
Sometimes this appears as 'criticism' but we learn from constructive feedback and see our efforts as a path to mastery. Applying this mindset to our personal development empowers us to see that our talents and skills are malleable. We stay willing to continuously learn and grow.
How can dance serve as a vehicle for developing a growth mindset?
Dance, with its seamless and alchemical blend of physical movement and mental focus, provides a unique and perfect vehicle for us to cultivate a growth mindset. By learning and practicing new ways of moving, we can step out of our comfort zones, embrace the unfamiliarity of new movements, and in doing so develop resilience to unexpected challenges and setbacks.
And the more we move and explore through our bodies, the easier it becomes to 'lean in' to these new ways of being, that expand the neural pathways of our brain. By continuing to 'practice' new movements, this also serves as a reminder and reinforces the concept that our improvement comes from dedicated effort and perseverance, as we in effect, rewire our brains.
In fact NASA has determind that we can rewire our brains in as little as 4 weeks, which means we can change the way we are in that time.
If you have ever travelled for any extended period, without a fixed timeline or itinerary, then you will know that a Lot can happen in less than 4 weeks, when we are open to whatever is around the corner. Especially when we are younger and still forming our sense of self and identity.
What is also beautiful about the embodied, conscious dance that I facilitate is that there are no set rules or structures you 'have' to follow. There are no coloured belts you must pass to grade and measure your abilities, no new targets or times to beat, no intermediate and advanced asanas to 'master'. Rather the achievement is something a little less quantifiable.
As we experience embodiment, we start to feel a little more grounded. A bit more comfortable in our own skin (this is big stuff for those of us who have experienced racism or discrimination of any kind). We are more comfortable with being uncomfortable.
At what I really love is its metaphor to life, ie unpredictable and at times messy. And there is no set definition of 'good'. Yes in classical dance you have to do things in a correct way (which became my teenage struggle with ballet), but how do you define 'good' art? Or music?
Is Picasso any better than Damian Hurst? How about Mozart compared to Dolly Parton..?
7 key aspects of dance that contribute to personal development and self-improvement
These 7 points are taken from key principles in dance, and form the the modules of a course I have created, Find your Flow with Dance Basics.
1 - Initiation of Movement: Learning to initiate movement in dance develops a proactive mindset. We are instilled with a sense of agency and we have the willingness to take the first step towards personal growth.
2 - Weight and Balance : Understanding how to shift and control our body's weight supports us to be more adventurous with our dance movements, giving us a sense of balance and control that extends beyond the dance floor. When we can find our physical balance in dance, this translates to a mental equilibrium (similar to the balancing postures in yoga). In this case we also gain tools to navigate the changing landscape of losing balance and regaining it in our dance, which empowers us to navigate life's challenges with similar flexibility and poise.
3 - Travel: Travelling in different ways in dance encourages us to expand our movement range and explore new horizons. This fuels our sense of adventure and open-mindedness. And different ways of travelling directly relates to Space.
4 - Space: How much we extend our personal kinesphere or the personal space around us, can be a direct reflection of our ability to extend into the world. After all if we are shy we are probably hiding in a corner at a social event. In extending our spatial range and awareness, we explore new perspectives and adapt to varying environments.
5 - Form: Being aware of the forms and patterns we gravitate to in our movement, we see the correlation to the patterns that we may re-enact in our lives. And free dance is the perfect way to 'pattern interrupt' our established modes of being. We also become aware of precision, discipline and attention to detail, when it serves and doesn't serve us.
6 - Dynamics: When we can modulate the intensity and energy behind each movement in dance, we become more adaptable and able to adjust to changing circumstances in lives, recognising when we may need to apply more or less effort to situations. Sometimes, it may be that we need to simply release the energy that we charge a situation with completely.
7 - Rhythms: As we explore and internalise different rhythms in dance, this trains our mind to be receptive to change and variety. We nurture a flexible and adaptable mindset.
Conclusion
So if you are ready to embrace new growth and development, in a fun and inclusive way where you rewire your brain to cultivate a mindset that thrives on continuous learning, adaptation and stepping out of your comfort zone, then I will always advocate Vitamin D for Dance!
Given all of the above what is still holding you back?
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Categories: : mental health