It turns out that
inviting people to evoke a specific positive emotion as they move to music that has the power to induce the suggested emotion really works!
In other words,
listening to the facilitator's proposal to evoke a positive emotion + setting the intention to do so whilst moving to music that has the power to trigger that same emotion = woohoo!!! I'm feeling good!!!!
When you come to a Biodanza session, all exercises are explained and demonstrated by the facilitator. For example, after an initial circle dance designed to bring the group together you might be invited to walk evoking joy. If you are receptive to the invitation and open yourself up to the possibility of experiencing joy as you walk to joyful music then you are more likely to experience it.
What's the evidence? Two studies* by Yuna L. Fergusona and Kennon M. Sheldonb demonstrated that "listening to positive music may be an effective way to improve happiness, particularly when it is combined with an intention to become happier."
The intention to evoke happiness can trigger the experience of happiness :-)
Study 1 showed that people asked to attempt to boost their mood while listening to positively valenced music (music with a positive emotional charge capable of inducing positive emotion) "reported higher positive mood compared to those who simply listened to music without attempting to alter their mood."
This study confirm the effectiveness of accepting Biodanza's proposal of setting positive intentions as you move to highly inductive organic music, i.e. music capable of generating feelings of joy, happiness, enthusiasm, and so forth.
A 2nd study confirmed what we already knew - the importance of continuity. The more you attend Biodanza classes the stronger its positive emotional impact will be.
In this 2nd study, people who were asked to invited to evoke happiness (vs. those who weren't and therefore didn't intentionally open up to it) "reported higher increases in subjective happiness after listening to positively valenced music during five separate lab visits over a two-week period."
So, if you'd like more happiness in your life, I invite you to come along to an open class or workshop and check if it works for you too. And if you'd like that happiness to last, what about joining a Biodanza regular group?
For further information email [email protected]
* Trying to be happier really can work: Two experimental studies by Yuna L. Ferguson and Kennon M. Sheldon - The Journal of Positive Psychology, Volume 8, Issue 2013 http://www.tandfonline.com/doi/abs/10.1080/17439760.2012.747000
©PJ2016