Cathy Underwood is an inspirational yoga and movement teacher working near me in Enfield. I’m sharing her blog post here because she is so right, dancing is incredibly good for the body and soul even if it is just around your kitchen!
Dance like nobody’s watching!
By Cathy Underwood
One of my New Year resolutions was to get back to teaching dance-inspired sessions, because at my core, I’m a dancer. It’s truly who I am – like a stick of rock, if you sliced me in two, you’d find “dancer” inscribed all the way through!
My dance journey began when I left the Isle of Wight at 17 to study at the prestigious Italia Conti Academy of Theatre Arts in London. I went on to enjoy a prolific career as both a dancer and actress and later both became the foundation of my wellness business.
However, this time around I decided to focus on the therapeutic aspects of dance rather than the performative.
Discovering Flow Dance Meditation
So, in April, I jumped at the chance to up-skill and train as a Flow Dance Meditation instructor. FDM is the brainchild of Lindsay Jay and Nathan Burroughs and the form is truly special. Forget learning choreography or remembering intricate steps. Instead, FDM invites you to tune into your own internal rhythm, consciously connecting with your body and your breath so you begin to move intuitively.
The goal? To hold yourself in a safe space without judgement or expectation. To witness and experience feeling states and to be comfortable with those sensations. Regular practice helps release negative self talk, rumination, stuck emotional patterns, psychophysical stress and in doing so, creates more space for self awareness, spiritual growth, healing and the capacity to embrace life and experience love.
Dancing to music is a portal to freedom. It’s an opportunity to discard the masking we adopt in our daily life and instead allow ourselves to be who we authentically are. An invitation to let our soul shine in all its diverse and complex ways – a chance to dance between the light and the shade!
And the best bit? Because dancing to music brings you into the present moment experience your mind takes a break. It can just step back, observe and relax. All you have to do is connect and enjoy Nathan’s specially curated music, dance, release, restore and embrace yourself with unconditional loving arms.
Why Moving to Music Matters (Even for Kitchen Dancers!)
It’s pretty amazing how much good can come from just moving your body. So, whether you’re a seasoned pro or just a kitchen dancer grooving in your own home, there’s science to support why it’s so beneficial:
1. Physical Boost
Moving to music is fantastic for your heart health, making every day feel easier, improving cardiovascular function and stamina (Psychology Today, 2025). You’ll also see improvements in your flexibility, coordination, balance and posture, with rhythm boosting overall motor performance (Maynooth University, n.d.).
2. Mood & Mind Benefits
Beyond the physical, music and movement are powerful for your emotional well-being. Amongst other things, the combination helps release endorphins, the bodies ‘feel good’ hormones, that help elevate mood and reduce pain (Relief Mental Health, 2024). It’s a wonderful way to express yourself and feel more alive.
3. Connection
Whether you’re dancing with others or just by yourself, moving to music can foster social connection and positive feelings, improving daily interaction and relationships not only with others but with yourself (Psychology Today, 2024).
Flow Dance Meditation Classes
So, why not try something new and explore the health benefits of dance? I promise you’ll feel like a new vibrant person. Let’s not be that proverbial stick of rock. Instead…let’s break it open and find the dancer within!
CU on the FDM dance floor, Cathy
Click here and dance with Cathy
About Cathy:
Cathy Underwood is an award winning somatic practitioner, yoga and dance therapist with a passion to support community health and wellbeing.
Interesting references:
- Maynooth University. (n.d.). Health benefits of music, rhythm and movement.
- Psychology Today. (2025, February 3). How Music Keeps You Moving and Makes Exercise More Fun.
- Psychology Today. (2024, August 26). The Power of Rhythm.
Relief Mental Health. (2024, February 21). Dance/Movement Therapy for Depression and Anxiety.
