Inside the Occupational therapy hall of Butabika National Referral Mental Hospital, a group of about 20 individuals gathered patients living with mental health challenges and their caregivers. Some came with a touch of hesitation, others with curious anticipation. Today was not an ordinary day of treatment or visitation, today was about movement, about breath. About healing, a session that lasted for 1hr and 30 minutes.
Facilitators Elvis Elasu and Nabaggala Lilian Maximilian, a seasoned dance choreographer and artist rooted in Uganda traditional and contemporary dance practices which she uses as a form of therapy, stood side by side, welcoming each participate with a warm smile and an open heart. She was not just an instructor for the day she was a steward of space, guiding everyone through a therapeutic journey called Harmony from Within. The workshop began with simple, grounding rituals, participants sat in a wide circle and Lilian softly introduced the intention of the session “We are here, she said "not to perform, not to impress, but to reconnect with ourselves and with each other".
A playful Name Game followed .Each participant said their name aloud, accompanied by a spontaneous movement some subtle, others bold.
To distinguish this workshop from others typically conducted, a key component was the integration of traditional and contemporary dance movements imbued with symbolic meaning. Participants were introduced to choreography that represented life’s struggles and the imaginative process of overcoming them. This expressive piece served as both a therapeutic tool and a creative prompt.
After learning this initial routine, patients were divided into three teams and invited to reinterpret the choreography in their own way, each group developed a unique version, which they then performed for their peers, fostering collaboration, self-expression and a sense of empowerment.
As the rhythm swelled, people danced freely. Arms floated, feet tapped, and eyes glimmered with a rare openness. Patient X, a young man battling depression, closed his eyes and swayed, releasing weeks of bottled emotion into the rhythm. A soft cheer arose when he twirled gently, smiling.
The energy gradually quieted as Lilian led the group into cool down and reflection. The room dimmed, and everyone laid or sat comfortably, a gentle stretch was followed by a moment of stillness. Eyes closed, hearts beating in soft unison, a few participants shared their reflections some in words, others in nods or tears.
"I felt free ..... like myself", whispered Patient X
Afterword
The Harmony from within workshop was more than a dance session. It was a portal a space where caregivers and patients met as equals through rhythm, breath, and embodied emotion.
Lilian rooted in East African traditional and guided by trauma-informed practice, facilitated an experience where cultural identity, emotional safety, and human connection converged.
Participants left with lighter shoulders, brighter eyes, and perhaps most importantly a renewed sense of belonging within their bodies and with each other.
In a hospital where the body is often a site of struggle, this workshop became a sanctuary of healing. Not through words but through movement. Not through fixing, but through feeling.
Harmony, indeed, from within.
