STOP DRUGGING OUR CHILDREN!–dance therapy studies and ADHD

common daily med for one-third of America's children

Where have we gone as a country, a culture, a society, to see that one-third of America’s children are taking some sort of medication or drug to counteract the so called “Attention Deficit and Hyperactivity Disorder”?  Besides the fact that there are countless side effects to many of these drugs, including violence and suicide, it is commonplace for public schoolteachers to be recommending the drugs to the families of  students who seem to “fidget” in the classroom, or have a “hard time concentrating” during school lessons.

Is it possible that, rather than these children being seen with a problem and a disorder, we can see them as guides or teachers that are trying to let us know that something deeper is in need for change?  Is it possible that not every single person is supposed to be good at mathematics, social studies or highly competitive physical education classes?  Maybe instead of medicating the children that are often labeled as ADD or ADHD, we can look at the systems they are in and possibly provide a more suitable environment for them, where they can move and fidget as much as they want or need.

I searched the web for any studies that may have been done regarding movement and children diagnosed with ADHD or depression, and this is what I have found thusfar:

Sweden

6 boys labeled with ADHD ages 5-7

the boys were allowed to let out all there energy through dance, then added in new components that had the boys listen, mimic, play roles, and perform slower and slower movements.

the results?  The boys calmed down.  They did their school work better, stopped getting into fights, and improved their social skills.

11 teenage girls labeled with depression ages 13-17

unlike regular therapy which would hardly ever succeed with these sorts of cases, the dance therapy showed big improvements in increasing their energy levels and their joy for living.  Flamenco dance for example gave the girls an increased sense of pride and self-confidence.

overall results?  The girls were happier and the depression was alleviated.

increased pride and self -confidence

What does this say about our culture now?  I think it says that we are involved with some very lazy, and greedy leaders that decide that drugging our children would help them, when ancient ways like music and dance have been here all along, and would easily help children flourish.  What can we do as parents of children who may have challenges and barriers such as depression and ADHD?  I say, first do not take them to a psychiatrist, and do not medicate them.  Find dance therapy and movement therapy to get them started on a new road to self love and healing.

for more information and an inside look to the problem in America with drugging our children check out the following documentaries:

Generation Rx

The medicated Child (PBS Frontline)

The Vision

My vision is to take my tools and education in film and shoot documentary type films that reflect the indigenous ways of healing through movement, shaking, and dancing.  I then want to take these tools and show children (especially those who have been diagnosed with various psychiatric mental disorders and are taking multiple (up to eight) different medications, and increasing dosages all the time) how to use movement, shaking, and dancing as a way to heal the symptoms.  Studies show that the medications are not having much effect on children with these types of behaviors.  So why give them to them in the first place?  Kids deserve healthy fresh organic diets that they learn to grow themselves, they need space to practice martial arts and move and dance freely and create their own music.  We can document their reactions and/or progression with these practices.

I would like to show how cultures all over the world relate to each other in the sense that indigenous cultures have certain relationships with music and dance (in some cultures the word for both is the same) in which healing and celebration takes place.  Some cultures involve music and dance in their daily lives.  I would like to remind the youth and children that we are connected the same way that the indigenous people are.  We are allowed to practice singing and dancing in nature every day.  It would be fair to give the indigenous people a voice on the state of the world and how we treat our children, how we care for our elderly, and what we can do to humble ourselves and take natural care of our people.

Through film we can use the documentation as a path into action.  The action can look like organizations and hang-out spaces for youth to get together and make music and dance and move their bodies… every day.

Sound Healing, Indigenous Ways

Ani Williams, Sound Healer

Within the links tab there is a link to watch an interview with Ani Williams, who has traveled the world finding the relationship of many different ancient and indigenous people with music.  She mentions that there is always an aspect of music in their rituals and ceremonies to connect with the source, earth mother, and beyond.  With the modern ways of using music as modes to control the culture, we have become more and more disconnected from our ancient connection to music and dance.  Music and singing has had a place in our homes and churches and personal lives for many years, yet the overstimulation of the more Western World has made it seem that sharing such music and connection is out of the norm.  By using our voices and understanding the healing powers of bringing music back in to our lives (especially C and C# for women), we can re-correct the frequencies within our world and our cultures, to activate and stimulate the natural flow of rhythm and sound that is inherent in each and every one of us.

“Every religion on the planet has a tradition of singing to bring people, not only together, but to bring them to a higher state.” ~Ani Williams

From the circle of your heart

European Rainbow Gathering

There have been prophecies from the indigenous sacred keepers that describe the “rainbow people” coming to help planet earth.  The rainbow gatherings that happen worldwide may just be the gathering of these prophetic people.  The indigenous of the world seem to share the practice of singing and dancing and performing ritual in circles.  An event that occurs at these Rainbow gatherings is a huge circle of people who all chant “OM” together at the same time.  The trailer for the film “We Love You”- a documentary on the Rainbow Gathering – interviews a man who describes the gatherings as ‘an accupuncture needle for the earth”.  With these circles of light, dance and music, we create a healing “accupuncture needle” or healing stimulation of that part of the earth’s body.  We can do this anywhere and everywhere if we so wish.  The rainbow gatherings are another example of the raising of awareness around the need to help our earth re-adjust itself for a long-term relationship with the human race.  Check out the trailer for this documentary in the links tab.

from the circle of your heart

the white bird flies

from life to life she rides the wind

never born and never dies

sweet soul your journey has just begun

sweet lover of the light

your time has come

your time has come to shine on

bright

Keep the Dreaming Alive

There are countless people, cultures,  social groups that seem to be naturally stepping into empowerment and justice through dance and music.  There is a list of films and documentaries that prove that even in situations in which privileged people may consider extreme and hard there can be celebrations, rituals, artistic expression and well-being found through music, dance, and shaking medicine.  I will be adding to the list of films to keep it updated.  Find the list in the links tab.

It’s almost as if we are needing to step into our dancing and singing, celebrating selves in order to survive the hardships that this world contains.  It is an ancient way to transcend the mind-thought-stream that is easily our enemy, yet with focus can become our greatest tool.  How have we evolved to the human race that we are representing today? Dance has played a subtle yet extremely valuable role in our evolution, and I feel it is time to honor ourselves as a human race and especially to all of the indigenous people who have kept the dreams alive and continued to dance their prayers into the universe to keep our hearts connected and whole.

Ancient Future, Dance as the Outlet

Lil' C getting Krumped

There is an awareness of the connection between dance and the way to use it as a tool of surviving the hardships of life, staying away from going down the path of self-destruction, here in the U.S. as well as in other industrialized nations.  This awareness has been growing especially since David LAchapelle’s film: RIZE.  The documentary captures the extraordinary dance of the poorest parts of Los Angeles, who seem to re-define themselves as some of the richest people in America because of their ability to surrender into the flow of their rhythm and their dance.  It’s a testimony to the fact that we are born with the ability to connect to a higher power through our dance and our music.  With a “mistaken re-invention” of painting their faces before they dance, they happen to reveal an ancient connection to their African ancestors and the way they celebrate and express themselves in their dance.  We are reaching a new place in space/time where the line between ancient and future are becoming more and more thin.  Welcome to the new and old ways of healing our lives through dance!  Get Krumped!

Global expression template

Before the internet, there was barely even a notion within most of us that there would be such easy access to our brothers and sisters across the globe. It is now more easy than ever to pass on information and facts from different cultures everywhere, and it is up to us to use some of this information to help our fellow humans adapt to a a new earth and way of living that we have not yet come into fully.

Shake Dance Heal is a template that will help us grow into our new selves more smoothly and comfortably. Dance has been used for this for thousands of years, and it is our right to use our bodies and music to express ourselves more fully than we, as a collective, have known for a long time.

There are countless opportunities in our communities, everywhere to join into the celebratory healing dance and express ourselves and pray. If you are not aware of something like this in your community, then start something! There is always room for people to dance, we just need to make it!

Awaken to the news

There is a possibility that all cultures and people of every continent gather in praise and celebration through dance and music. Truly, it’s been happening throughout the ages of humanity, underground and religiously all over the world. Now seems to be the time to reflect this glory and medicine of movement in ways that remind each and every one of us to shake our bodies and remember the joy of life! Forget anti depressant pills and television shows, and recall the wisdom and information inherent in our blood and bones through rhythm and dance.

Bradford Keeney comments on many different forms of this divine expression which really has been used as the most ancient form of medicine and healing since the beginning of mankind. No wonder it continues to re-appear throughout history, even when it was banned and controlled by governments and patriarchal groups. Jazz clubs, Raves, Concerts, and Festivals, to name a few are modern ways of creating space for the universal oneness to connect directly through the individuals and the group as a whole.
In Religion, there are churches that work with dancing and singing and shaking to feel the spirit and are wonderful examples of groups and/or cultures that have survived the suppression of this form of movement and connection.

It is time to awaken to the news that we are stepping into our Ancient futures, we are carrying the torch on to our newest generations to openly express and communicate, heal and change through music and dancing.  It is free, it is who we are!

Have you ever?

Welcome to Shake Dance Heal, your first resource into the many healing traditions found all over this globe and all throughout the human story, of shaking and dancing. Have you ever felt so ecstatic and so beyond the beyond while in a deep state of movement or dance? The incredible bliss of moving or shall I say being moved, can be a life altering experience for just about anyone. No matter how much money you have, or what country you’re from, the art of healing through dance is a part of who we are.

There are cultures all over the planet that honor and live their lives surrounding the sacred dance and medicine of shaking, and drumming. It has been practiced as the most ancient form of medicine known to humankind. It is also referred to as “Shamanism”.

Wikipedia describes: “Shamans engage various processes and techniques to incite trance; such as: singing, dancing, taking entheogens, meditating and drumming.”

Shake Dance Heal is a project dedicated to bringing more awareness to these practices that are occuring around the world even today amongst the globalization of the planet and the hidden culture of dance and movement medicine happening in urban cultures all over the world. Check out this site for current updates on research, recordings, links and more information. Ciao!