اتصال به زمین: نرم افزار نظری و عمل در حرکت/رقص درمانی

In dance movement therapy practice, it is customary and widespread that therapists use and apply concepts of grounding in their sessions and for assessing their clients’ movement profiles. Literature exists in Bioenergetics’ body oriented psychotherapy; however, theoretical foundation of grounding in dance movement therapy is sparse. This theoretical article revises key concepts of grounding and integrates them in the theory and practice of DMT. The clinical vignettes provide examples of grounding exercises applied to two specific populations, namely older people with dementia and adults with intellectual disability. Grounding exercises provide a therapeutic and creative tool that aims to strengthen the connection to one's body and to one's personal reality. Exercises regarding physical, emotional, sensory and social levels of grounding are applicable to practitioners of DMT and related fields. The theoretical foundation and application of grounding in DMT suggests that its use is especially beneficial, for example, in cases of depression, anxiety, stress, and trauma.

The term grounding is derived from the word “Ground: The solid surface on the earth” (Oxford Dictionaries, 2014). Planet earth supports us and all humans, animals and plants alike depend on that support. Like a tree that has planted its roots deeply, all organisms, an especially plants try to grow and extend toward the sun in any way possible (Lowen, 2006). Gravity is always present throughout our lifetime. The law of gravity is a tremendous force that rules the universe and pulls us toward the center of the earth, but also acts in the opposite direction (Scaravelli, 1991). Starting from their second week of life, babies are already trying to lift their heads against gravity, and between 6 weeks or 2 months of age, they push their heads more actively against gravity as well as through their forearms (Doralp & Bartlett, 2014). As people get older and weaker, they give in to gravity. Being bipeds, we are constantly trying to maintain a state of balance. However, when that state of balance is altered for external and/or internal reasons our body reacts correspondingly. When a person is physically, mentally and emotionally well-centered and well-balanced, he/she is considered “to be grounded” (Merriam-Webster Dictionary, 2014 and Oxford Dictionaries, 2014).