Meditative Dance

Author(s): Eibach, H.

Journal/Book: Musiktherapeutische Umschau. 1983; 4: Stuttgart. G. Fischer Verlag. 281-290.

Abstract: Professor BERNHARD WOSIEN has invested old forms of dance with new needs: the desire for unity of body and soul, for imagination and religio. He recommends this as a method in hitherto unexplored possibilities. The first paper given here (by LOOS) reports on an application of the method in the field of clinical music therapy, the second (by EIBACH) sounds out the depth-psychology basis of the method from a psychotherapeutic perspective. Meditative dance makes use of the ritual both for its recurrence of familiar elements and as a premise for fear-free action in cases of neurotic, psychosomatic and early developmental disturbances. Dance is seen as the concrete embodiment of inner and outer movement and as a point of contact with coesthetic mother-and-child bonds. The ritual dance steps symbolise "stepping into the world" : the circular formation conveys maternal support, joining hands stimulates the personal experience of leading and being led. The music provides the opportunity for interaction, meditation, regression. Musical rhythm of itself has ritual content.

Keyword(s): Ritual-dance-steps, psychotherapeutic-perspective, meditative-dance.

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