Finding My Light Through Dance: How Movement Became My Path to Healing, Joy, and Connection

When You Can’t Always See Your Light

There were seasons of my life when I couldn’t always see my light.

Not because it wasn’t there but because my past, my fears, and my pain clouded my vision. Trauma has a way of doing that. It convinces you that what happened to you defines you. That you are broken. That joy belongs to someone else.

For a long time, my body held stories I didn’t yet have words for. My nervous system carried memories my mind was still learning how to understand. And there were days when simply existing felt heavy.

But slowly, gently, and one step at a time… dance brought me back to myself.

Through dance, I found strength where I once felt fragile.

Peace where my body had been braced for survival.

Passion where numbness used to live.

Each step on the dance floor became a step toward joy.

Each song became an invitation to heal.

This is my story but it’s also an invitation for anyone who feels disconnected from their light and is longing to find their way home.

Dance as a Language the Body Understands

Before I could talk about my healing, my body already knew.

Dance became my language of love and connection. A way to communicate when words felt too small or too sharp. A way to let my body speak what my voice could not yet say.

Movement allowed me to feel without having to explain.

To release without having to relive.

To connect without having to perform.

For survivors of abuse, especially women, this matters deeply. Trauma often lives in the body long after the event has passed. We may “know” we are safe, but our nervous system hasn’t caught up yet.

Dance met me right there.

Not forcing anything.

Not demanding healing on a timeline.

Just offering presence, rhythm, and breath.

And over time, something beautiful began to happen.

From Survival to Strength: How Dance Helped Me Heal from Abuse

Healing from abuse is not linear. It’s layered, cyclical, and deeply personal.

There were moments when dancing felt empowering, and moments when it felt vulnerable. Times when a simple connection with another human being on the dance floor brought tears to my eyes.

Times when being held in a lead or offering a follow required me to re-learn trust.

Dance gave me the courage to face my fears safely, in my body.

It taught me:

• How to feel grounded again

• How to listen to my boundaries

• How to say yes and no with clarity

• How to trust myself first

  
  

Through dance, I learned that strength isn’t about pushing through pain. It’s about honoring your body, listening to its wisdom, and choosing compassion over judgment.

What once felt like brokenness slowly transformed into resilience.

My pain didn’t disappear, but it changed shape.

My story didn’t vanish, but it gained meaning.

Dance didn’t erase my past.

It helped me reclaim my power.

Transforming Pain Into Power, Struggle Into Grace

There is something sacred that happens when we allow movement to move through us instead of trying to control it.

On the dance floor, I learned to stop gripping so tightly to how things “should” look. I learned to surrender, to timing, to music, to partnership, to the moment.

And in that surrender, grace emerged.

Dance showed me that:

• I could feel joy without guilt

• I could experience pleasure without fear

• I could take up space without apology

  
  

Each smile that returned to my face felt earned.

Each laugh felt like a victory.

What once felt heavy became expressive.

What once felt shameful became sacred.

My struggles didn’t disappear, but they no longer defined me.

Dance brought light back into my soul and smiles back into my heart.

Why Movement Is So Powerful for Women’s Healing

So many women I work with tell me the same thing:

“I feel disconnected from my body.”

“I don’t trust myself anymore.”

“I want to feel joy again, but I don’t know how.”

Dance offers a bridge back.

For women, especially those navigating midlife, healing from trauma, or rediscovering themselves after years of caregiving or survival, movement is not about performance. It’s about presence.

Dance helps:

• Regulate the nervous system

• Release stored emotional energy

• Rebuild trust with the body

• Create a connection without pressure

• Restore joy in a gentle, embodied way

You don’t have to be “good” at dancing.

You don’t have to know steps.

You don’t have to be healed already.

You just have to be willing to move.

When You’re Struggling to Find Your Light

If you’re reading this and feeling lost… I want you to know something:

Your light is still there.

Even if you can’t see it yet.

Even if it feels buried under years of pain.

Even if you’ve forgotten what joy feels like.

Your body remembers.

I encourage you, softly, lovingly, to move.

To dance in your kitchen.

To sway to music in your living room.

To let your body speak in ways your mind doesn’t yet know how to articulate.

Healing doesn’t always begin with understanding.

Sometimes it begins with movement.

And movement leads us home.

Dance as Connection: With Yourself and With Others

One of the most profound gifts dance has given me is connection.

Connection to myself.

Connection to others.

Connection to something greater than me.

Partner dance, especially, became a living practice of trust, communication, and presence. It mirrors life in the most honest ways.

In dance, we learn:

• How to listen

• How to respond instead of react

• How to co-create instead of control

• How to stay grounded even when things feel uncertain

  
  

These are life skills, rooted in the body.

And they extend far beyond the dance floor.

You Don’t Have to Walk This Path Alone

To anyone struggling to find their light, I want you to hear this clearly:

You are stronger than you know.

And you don’t have to do this alone.

If you need support along the way, whether that’s through dance, somatic movement, breathwork, or simply being seen, I invite you to reach out.

I would be honored to dance beside you on your healing path.

Not to fix you.

Not to rush you.

But to walk with you, step by step, as you remember who you are.

An Invitation to Begin

Healing doesn’t always start with answers.

Sometimes it starts with music.

With movement.

With one brave step toward yourself.

If you’ve been longing for:

• Deeper connection

• More joy in your body

• A way to heal that feels gentle and empowering

• A space where you are welcomed exactly as you are

  
  

Dance may be your doorway, too.

Your light is not gone.

It’s waiting for you to move toward it.

And when you’re ready, I’ll be here.

You can find my latest classes at www.DanceToUplift.com