Here I am, the perfect example of someone impatient. I stomp my feet if things don’t go my way.

I’ve been working from home (or hotel, or rental apartment, or café) since 2005 and all my poor chairs have felt how I fidget all the time. And when I must wait for something, I’m constantly checking my FitBit. Being delayed when I travel is my worst nightmare and I’ve had some long days at times.

Unfortunately, my attempts at slowing down through breathing have only worked exactly two times when my trusty fitness band guided me.

When I went to a tango camp that also included a mindfulness meditation class, I was happy to try it. As I already knew how good it’s supposed to be for your wellbeing and mental health. Let’s just say that was an interesting experience.
I then tried to use meditation apps. I tried three of them out of which one (Aura) is still on my smartphone. And since then, Fitbit has also included two meditations in the app.

However, I couldn’t stick to a meditation schedule no matter how many times I tried. Yes, I sometimes feel the need to do a short body scan meditation. Or I just fire up Aura and do a short meditation. But I’m far from doing this daily.

But then, I discovered Argentine Tango. I started impatiently to the point of almost throwing fits during the first two classes. However, at one point, magic happened. It was as if I had an epiphany, and suddenly every time I dance, I get into a different state of mind – something many achieve during meditation. Time flows differently and I feel way better.

It didn’t take long to become interested in the benefits of dancing Argentine tango. The more I read about them and the more I danced, I discovered new feelings and the sensations took a new meaning.

The point of this long intro? With so many people switching to working from home in the past year, it shouldn’t come as a surprise that looking after our mental health should be a priority. For sure, meditation is touted to be the best tool for this. But if you can’t stick to it? (like yours truly). Then, why not try Argentine tango!

That’s why, in this article, I’m explaining more about the relationship between meditation and dancing the Argentine tango and why both are so great for you!

What is Argentine Tango?

If you follow me on social media or have come across my blog posts before, you already know I’ve been a tanguera for more than 3 years now (since September 2017). But I have never taken the time to tell you more about Argentine Tango. So, here it goes…

Argentine Tango emerged in the ill-famed neighborhoods of Buenos Aires. It went from being a dance that the high society would find too vulgar to being accepted back, with open arms, in its country of origin, after making the rounds of the Parisian high society.

Unlike ballroom dances, Argentine Tango is an improvised dance. Yes, it can seem to be quite romantic and pretty intimate (although that’s only how it looks from the outside). There are a leader and a follower who engage in a dialog using their bodies, all guided by music (rhythm and phrases). The leader initiates and navigates, while the follower receives and responds.

The dialog is non-verbal, and the dancers must be in a highly attuned state with one another. Or in other words, you need to be an active follower. The leader must be attuned to the environment (and the follower often closes their eyes when they dance, further enhancing the flow state; except in big, crowded milongas. Keep your eyes wide open as your leader will need your help to navigate, too.)

Learning Argentine Tango has been compared to learning a new language. The structure is simple: there are six steps in which you learn and then create your combos. But dancing is complex. The less you know about it, the harder it seems (from the outside).

What about Meditation & Tango?

Much like when you start to meditate, when you start to dance the Argentine tango, the initial period is of anxiety and not of calmness. Remember the intro in which I mentioned that I was almost throwing fits during the first two classes? I was very anxious and almost on the brink of tears. But then I learned to trust the process and remained present and the dialogue between me and my partner finally led us both into that “tango moment”. So much so, that at times we both closed our eyes when we danced!

In tango, dancers do not make eye contact. The follower has the leader’s chest in sight or, if they are of about the same height, looks just past the leader’s head (keep the ear in sight and it’s ideal in crowded situations). But just like in meditation, the eyes are turned inward.

If tango quickly becomes an addiction, there’s a very good reason for that. Most tangueros (tango dancers) enter the flow, the place of no time, and no clock, experiencing tango’s meditative quality.

According to a major study, “mindfulness-meditation and tango dance could be effective complementary adjuncts for the treatment of depression and/or inclusion in stress management programs”. (Source) When you tango, you must manage the rhythm of your breath, which in turn, reduces the stress levels and energizes your everyday activities.

Meditation makes you slow down, create a steady rhythm and this will help you focus on the present, observing your thoughts and breath. That’s exactly what tango forces you to do. You need to slow down through movement. As you dance, you become aware of the movement planes and body-landmarks.

You are always keeping your mind and body active when you tango. You need to focus on breathing and be present, thus cultivating mindful attention to the present.

Another study (Source) in which the brain activity of dancers was measured found out that tango dancers rely on internal focus and attention, much like the mindfulness meditation practitioners do during meditation. The more experienced the dancer, the more they can enter the relaxed states.

So next time you feel blue, you may want to put on the dancing shoes and crank up the tango music!

>>If you want to discover Argentine Tango, here are some music suggestions from a tanguera (me!)

But, Wait, There’s More About Tango…

There is such a thing as “tango therapy”. The term is used to describe the therapeutic purposes of the dance. The use of dance as therapy is not new. However, it is only recently Argentine Tango has become a new form of treatment for patients suffering from neurological diseases such as Parkinson’s and Alzheimer’s.

The coordination needed to do the tango walk (caminar) and the need to keep one’s balance as they dance have been proven effective for the above-mentioned patients. During a study that took place in Canada, researchers compared tango against waltz and foxtrot and found that “the treatment using the tango always proved either equal or superior to the other exercise methods”.

Which Should You Try First?

Ideally, you’d want to mix meditation with Argentine Tango. As you progress with your dancing, you’ll find that a quick body scan meditation can bring you in the moment.

But for someone who is a novice in both, choosing to try one of them first depends on your general preferences.
If you’ve always loved to dance, then go ahead and sign up for an Argentine Tango class. Due to the current situation in the world, most Argentine tango schools only offer private classes (as group classes are suspended because of the pandemic); but, even better, some instructors offer free classes online.

It’s certainly not the same as working face-to-face with your instructor, but it’s a start. And you’d want to move to in-person lessons when it’s possible (safe).

>>If you happen to be in Arad (Romania), drop me a line. I’m a certified dance instructor and I teach with my husband at our school: Cris & Alex Tango. We can help you learn and improve your tango!

As for meditation, give an online meditation course a try. There are plenty of choices for beginners and you can opt to either have in person (virtual) sessions or go at your own pace. As much as possible, your very first course should be in person.

The more you progress, the more you can think about joining meditation retreats and tango events. Even better, many tango camps also offer meditation classes and even yoga!

Tango Libre Budapest regularly organizes tango & wellness retreats in Hungary, where tangueros of all levels are welcomed.