Feeling depressed? Well sway and dance away the blues. Best known as the dance of love, Tango is now being studied as a treatment for depression.
University of New England psychology researcher Rosa Pinniger says she hopes to prove the passionate two-person dance is an effective alternative therapy for depression by carrying out a six-week trial.
Ms. Pinniger says the nature of the tango is such that participants “switch off the automatic negative thought patterns that contribute to anxiety and depression”. In learning tango movements you have to focus your attention and be completely in the present moment. You need to be constantly aware of – and connect with – your partner, and so you can’t have extraneous thoughts.
If people can experience freedom from their negative thoughts for just the three minutes of a tango dance, they’ll realize that such freedom is possible. Ms Pinniger hopes tango will prove to be a viable alternative treatment for those who find meditation difficult.
Source: Go Health Daily
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