Dance and mindfulness studies report well-being gains, with limited evidence
A scoping review mapped recreational dance programs that included mindfulness. Reported benefits spanned emotional, bodily and social outcomes, but varied methods make firm conclusions difficult.
Based on the published abstract. The full paper may contain additional methods, results and limitations.
The 30-second takeaway
The included studies reported improvements in body awareness, emotional regulation, stress, self-compassion, social connection and well-being. However, the review mapped a small, varied research field rather than establishing a single treatment effect. The abstract does not show how much change occurred, how long it lasted or whether dance-based mindfulness outperformed a comparison activity.
The authors describe a limited and methodologically diverse evidence base. The abstract does not give study-level designs, comparison groups or effect estimates, so the strength of the reported improvements is unclear.
What counted as an intervention
Programs ranged from dance combined with yoga to group dance and mindful movement in schools or communities. Such variety means that the results do not describe a single standardized approach that every participant received.
Who the evidence concerns
Participants were recreational dancers or other non-professionals outside clinical settings. The review therefore cannot establish that these programs treat a diagnosed mental health condition or that the same results apply in clinical care.
The original publication
Embodied Mindfulness Through Movement: A Scoping Review of Dance-Based Interventions for Mental Well-Being in Recreational Populations.
Zafeiroudi A, Tsartsapakis I, Trigonis I et al.
Healthcare (Basel) · 2025
- PubMed ID
- 40941582
- Record checked
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