Ruth Denholm holds class for Mental Health Awareness
Wednesday 10th October was Mental Health awareness day. Ruth Denholm, one of our teachers is very much aware of this and so held a dance class with all proceeds going to mental health awareness charity, Heads Together set up by Princes William and Harry.
One in three of us will experience some form of mental health issue at some time in our life and it has been medically proven that dance alleviates feelings of stress, loneliness, depression and anxiety.
Ruth writes: ‘One on the best things for mental health issues is exercise and, as I see it, we were raising money for a mental health charity while improving our own state of mind. How often do you sit and think ”I can’t be bothered with class tonight” but once you’ve pushed yourself to get there you come away feeling great? That’s what I try and promote to my ladies… Stop and have that hour for yourself as everyone deserves a break.
So many people I know have been affected by poor mental health, me included, it doesn’t mean you have to start taking pills, it doesn’t mean you are going to have a breakdown. It means you are human. It means you are like so many others who have been strong for so long. My request is speak out. Or if you notice someone else is acting differently, or has lost their sparkle recently, talk to them. It’s amazing how a chat or any other small gesture can help.
If my class got just one person thinking about it and dealing with the fact they’ve been down for a while then it was worth every second of effort. The fact that we had great fun while helping raise awareness is a huge bonus!!
One comment made to me was that it didn’t feel like exercise just like dancing in a nightclub. Who would have thought you could end a dance class with “baby shark”
KFA classes not only provide the physical benefits of dance but our classes have a strong social aspect which is a key factor in improving our mood and mental health. Ruth’s open dance class raised a staggering £90 with more donations to come.