Dancehall as Medicine
Releasing Stress from the Body, One Riddim at a Time
Disclaimer: This post is for informational purposes only and not intended as medical advice. Always consult a qualified healthcare provider for personal recommendations. This post also includes affiliate links, meaning I may earn a small commission if you choose to purchase through them, at no additional cost to you.
What if your body is holding on to stress you don’t even realize is there?
Not just the daily grind, but years of fear, pressure, and emotional weight your nervous system never got to release.
You might not feel stressed.
But maybe you wake up tense.
Maybe your shoulders are always tight.
Maybe you’ve been stuck in a cycle of fatigue, injuries, or health issues that don’t quite make sense.
I know that story well.
I’ve been on a healing journey — one I didn’t plan for, but deeply needed. After years of pushing through, I learned that the stress I was carrying was showing up in my body in ways I could no longer ignore.
And Dancehall?
It helped bring me back home to myself.
Let’s talk about how.
How I Learned Stress Was the Root of Everything
I used to think I was just "tight." Tight shoulders, tight hips, always needing my back cracked. I’d been dancing for years, so I figured it came with the territory.
Then I got injured — my neck, then my back, then my shoulder… all compounded. I’d start to heal, then randomly regress. Nothing made sense. That’s when my physical therapist looked at me and said, “This might be stress.”
I spoke to a friend of mine (who’s a doctor), who helped me connect even more dots.
Suddenly, it all made sense.
The sleepless nights.
The jaw tension.
The acne outbreaks.
The irregular cycles.
The loop of injuries that just wouldn’t stop.
I had been carrying stress in my body for years — silently, invisibly, constantly. And I didn’t even know it.
Stress was disrupting my hormones.
Messing with my heart health.
Keeping my nervous system in a loop of survival, even when things were fine.
All those moments I thought I was just being lazy or dramatic was actually my body begging me to slow down.
When Dance Becomes Work, You Have to Find Your Way Back
As a dance instructor and business owner, even the thing I loved most had become “work.”
I wasn’t dancing just for joy anymore. I was choreographing for classes, creating content for social media, performing for others. And somewhere along the way, I forgot what it felt like to just move for me.
So I started small. Headphones in. Music loud. Bass thumping.
I stopped trying to “get it right” and started letting the riddim lead.
Sometimes I’d choreograph.
Sometimes I’d wine slow with my eyes closed.
Sometimes I’d laugh at myself mid-move and keep going anyway.
It was the first time in a long time I felt free.
No judgment. No pressure. Just release.
Why Dancehall Works When Nothing Else Does
Dancehall is more than a genre. It’s a release valve.
It invites you to soften your knees, loosen your hips, and let go — physically and emotionally. And it’s rooted in resilience.
In joy.
In resistance and release.
🎶 The music helps regulate your nervous system
🧘🏾♀️ The grounded movement opens tight hips and lower backs
⚡ The energy shakes off heaviness
💃🏾 And the culture invites you to show up fully, flaws and all
You don’t need to be perfect.
You don’t need to be “on.”
You just need to move.
What My Stress-Relief Practice Looks Like Now
It’s not just Dancehall. It’s a whole ritual.
I move with more intention now.
I rest without guilt.
I listen when my body whispers, so it doesn’t have to scream.
Here’s what helps me:
Dancehall warm-ups & freestyles — No choreography. Just what feels good.
Breathwork + bass — Music calms me down like nothing else. I love to listen, breathe, and maybe gently stretch.
Journaling — To process the thoughts and emotions swirling in my head.
Aromatherapy — Oils to lift me up, ground me, calm me, or shift my mood.
Affirmations — Because soft doesn’t mean weak. It means alive.
I still run a business. I still have goals.
But I’m not letting stress run me anymore.
If You’re Carrying More Than You Realize…
...this is your reminder:
Stress doesn’t always show up as panic. Sometimes it shows up as tight hips.
A short fuse.
Injuries that won’t heal.
Or a deep, persistent exhaustion you can’t explain.
You’re not imagining it.
You’re not broken.
And you don’t have to hustle your way out of it.
You can move your way through it — gently, powerfully, and on your own terms.
Ready to Start Releasing?
I created a free Dancehall class preview to help you do just that.
💃🏽 It’s a short, feel-good session that includes:
A warm-up to unlock your hips and wake up your body
Two beginner-friendly 8-counts you can make your own
A soothing cool down to help you reset and release
Do as much or as little as you’d like. It’s about movement, not performance.
Because your body deserves joy.
Not just recovery, but radiance.
