Every Wednesday we have a fun filled dance movement therapy session with patients and staff of the hospital. We always endeavor to go with people who have never been to the hospital so that they have 1st hand interaction with the patients and vice versa, a welcome break from the monotony of doctors and other staff. By the end we are all happy and freely chat with the patients to understand how their stay is and also talk about the reason they are there, how they feel about returning home. It’s always amazing to see the transforming from how we interact before the dance to the openness to share after the dance and this is noted both ways because the friends of Soul Foundation first time visitors are first a bit unsure about how to react or respond to the patients but after the dance, everyone of on the exact same elated page. Always such a joy to see their faces light up as they share their stories with us.
One patient told us that these dance classes are special because they allow them a glimmer of hope in the outside world because they feel that they are not understood and often ridiculed when back in their communities so because we too are from outside the hospital, they are hopeful that things will get better.
Over the years, we also noted that more and more staff joined the dance sessions. Of course, the nature of their work is such that they too really need the release, to be able to avoid burn out and to release any pent-up stress.
