"In this memoir, Robert Rand tells the tale of how social dancing freed him from the grip of panic disorder. Rand was a serious man, a scholarly, shy and intense perfectionist who achieved national recognition in his career. He was a senior editor on the staff of National Public Radio's All Things Considered when, in the midst of his success, panic attacks overwhelmed him. For more than two years, he suffered debilitating effects; the disease flattened his spirits and entirely stripped him of self-confidence. He crawled through his days, barely getting by." "Then Rand discovered social dancing, in particular Cajun and zydeco dance and music. Dancing became a cathartic and liberating endeavor, helping him beat back his panic disorder to gain control of his life. Rand found on the dance floor a new compelling world where absolute strangers physically embrace; a world where that embrace can turn volatile when the strangers are of different races; a romantic and passionate world, for dancing is how Rand met his wife."--Jacket.
Dancing Away Stress: The 3 Step Method for Mastering Your Life. Decipher the stress code and free yourself from the vicious reaction cycle -- Now and forever! With the timeless metaphor of dancing, individuals have conquered debilitating stress and anxiety from their lives and embrace a more balanced lifestyle. Dr. Guess offers a practical, concise strategy actionable today. Packed with wisdom that will last a lifetime, this book has at least 25 activities to immediately melt your stress and restore balance. HIGHLIGHT OF DISCOVERY POINTS: * Recognize the symptoms of chronic and acute stress * Discover your unique set of stressors and your response options * Understand your Performance Style and your relationship with stress. * Learn culturally-based activities from the Circle of Balance to melt stress away * Review the author's experience overcoming Lyme's Disease. Delightful to read and easy to apply, Dancing Away Stress deals with fundamental concepts and life-changing ideas. There's no need to live with stress and anxiety when you can live balanced - enjoying a full, active life!
In recent years, a growth in dance and wellbeing scholarship has resulted in new ways of thinking that place the body, movement, and dance in a central place with renewed significance for wellbeing. The Oxford Handbook of Dance and Wellbeing examines dance and related movement practices from the perspectives of neuroscience and health, community and education, and psychology and sociology to contribute towards an understanding of wellbeing, offer new insights into existing practices, and create a space where sufficient exchange is enabled. The handbook's research components include quantitative, qualitative, and arts-based research, covering diverse discourses, methodologies, and perspectives that add to the development of a complete picture of the topic. Throughout the handbook's wide-ranging chapters, the objective observations, felt experiences, and artistic explorations of practitioners interact with and are printed alongside academic chapters to establish an egalitarian and impactful exchange of ideas.
Based on the author's years of experience with anxiety, both personally and professionally as a seasoned psychologist, Dancing with Fear uses a recovery approach to treating a widespread problem.
Drawing on data gathered through a three-year autoethnography, A Delicate Dance couples the author's experiences teaching multicultural education and learning to zydeco dance in order to explore semblances of intimacy across self and other. More specifically, the book looks at semblances of intimacy embodied on the dance floor and the implications such intimacy might have for thinking about curriculum and qualitative research. This lively narrative encourages readers to consider what it might mean to envision curriculum as an embodied locale - much like zydeco dancing - where the play of epistemological forces replaces technocratic force; and where students experience the relative weight of desire, fear, and knowledge, the reciprocal touch of self and other, and the mysterious momentum of the semblance of intimacy.
Throughout history and in contemporary times, people worldwide have danced to cope with the stresses of life. But how has dance helped people resist, reduce, and escape stress? What is it about dance that makes it a healing art? What insights can we gain from learning about others' use of dance across cultures and eras? Dancing for Health addresses these questions and explains the cognitive, emotional and physical dimensions of dance in a spectrum of stress management approaches. Designed for anyone interested in health and healing, Dancing for Health offers lessons learned from the experiences of people of different cultures and historical periods, as well as current knowledge, on how to resist, reduce, and dance away stress in the disquieting times of the 21st century. Anthropologists and psychologists will benefit from the unique theoretical and ethnographic analysis of how dance affects communities and individuals, while dancers and therapists will take away practical lessons on improving their and their patients' quality of life.
This unique two-volume reference is an accessible, up-to-date resource for the rich and fascinating study of human emotion. Drawing on both contemporary and classic research, Encyclopedia of Emotion explores the complex realities of our emotional lives and communicates what psychologists have learned about them to date in a clear and captivating way. The landmark work bridges the divide within psychology as a discipline between basic and applied science, gathering together in one comprehensive resource both theoretical and clinical perspectives on this important subject. In two volumes, Encyclopedia of Emotion offers more than 400 alphabetically organized entries on a broad range of topics, including the neurological foundations of emotional function, competing theories of emotion, multicultural perspectives on emotions, emotional disorders, their diagnosis and treatment, and profiles of important organizations and key figures who have shaped our understanding of how and why we feel the way we do.
Holly and Heather share their story and help to walk the reader through the painful yet necessary healing process for when life deals us its harshest blows. Dancing on my ashes soothes and empathizes with the broken heart, while sharing the truth of scripture, and the hope that comes from the heart of God.
"This book was written for everyone who has experienced severe anxiety and would like to become free from abnormal fear. The intended audience also includes psychotherapists who are called on to treat patients suffering with anxiety disorders. Family and friends of anxiety sufferers who want to understand and help may also be interested ... " -- p. [xi]
Drawing on techniques and perspectives from two seemingly different traditions, this second edition of the self-help classic Calming Your Anxious Mind offers you a powerful and profound approach to overcoming anxiety, fear, and panic. From the evidence-based tradition of Western medicine, learn the role your thoughts and emotions play in anxiety. And, from the tradition of meditation and the inquiry into meaning and purpose, discover your own potential for presence and stillness, kindness and compassion-and the tremendous power these states give you to heal and transform your life. Use this encouraging, step-by-step program to: Learn about the mechanism of anxiety and the body's fear system Develop a healing mindfulness practice-one breath at a time Start on the path to presence, stillness, compassion, and loving kindness Practice acceptance during mindfulness meditation Feel safe while opening up to fearful and anxious feelings This book is a welcome addition to the anxiety disorders field. Comprehensive as well as clearly written, it provides a wealth of information on the use of meditation and mindfulness practice in recover from anxiety difficulties.-Edmund J. Bourne, Ph.D., author of The Anxiety and Phobia Workbook and Coping with Anxiety Dr. Brantley's book is clear and warm. It takes the mystery out of meditation and explains how things that at first sight appear 'ordinary' are in fact very important. His extensive clinical experience and his empathy constantly shine through the book.-Jonathan Davidson, MD, director of the Anxiety and Traumatic Stress Program at Duke University I think the book is fantastic and believe it will fill an important niche in the treatment of anxiety disorders. The information on the physiology of anxiety and the stress response helps to demystify the symptoms for readers, making their problem seem more manageable. Beautifully guided meditations anticipate and address the questions that anxious new meditators will have. The instructions to stay present with the anxiety is powerful and healing. I know I will be recommending it to my patients and colleagues. Holly B. Rogers, MD, staff psychiatrist with Duke University Counseling and Psychological Services As a psychotherapist and teacher of stress reduction, I find this book helpful to clients and clinicians, as well as to meditators wishing to deepen their own practice. Brantley gives practical and compassionate guidance to anyone seeking skillful ways to work with anxiety and panic.
