Ecocentric and Indigenous Cultural Approaches to Mental Health & Well Being

Ecocentrism is a philosophical term which intrinsically places the natural environment at the centre of moral consideration and not only anthropocentrism. It encompasses the concepts of extended biocentrism, recognizing the fact that species develop together over time and coexist in harmony. In the modern world, scientists, researchers, educators and artists are more inclined towards introducing new artistic ways of connecting to the environment to promote and encourage ecological balance. One such artistic way is the form of environmental dance and music which has always been an integral part of the environment since ages, conceptualising ecocentrism in somatic practice. Gestures and movements are considered to be the root of all human concepts, thus, ‘dance’, is regarded as the closest form of art of being human and to understand humanism (Best, 1999). Environmental dance is regarded as dance and somatic practices which establishes a relationship between the body and the whole environment, including the landscapes, flora and fauna (Stewart, 2010). Many indigenous dances offer healing and coping mechanism, allowing many youth and elderly person to open their mind and experience the imaginary feeling in actual physical movement. The aim of the paper is to understand the importance of ecocentric indigenous dance, music and cultural factor as a modern psychological tool to support mental health practices.