Bringing Culture Back to Wellness: The Power of Music, Dance, and Ancestral Wisdom in Healing

Moving countries and feeling isolated can trigger anxiety and stress. It is not always easy to be in a foreign country and adjust to a new culture when you must handle it alone. Stress and loneliness are becoming killer diseases as they can wreck a person’s mental health and cause an imbalance in their emotional and mental state. Anxiety, loneliness, and stress can knock on anyone’s door, be it a layman or a health worker; it does not spare anyone. Dr Uzo Nwankpa (DNP, MSN-PH, RN), an educator, facilitator, healer, public health nurse, performer, and researcher, has been in the news for all the right reasons. What could they be? She has used her ancestral knowledge and successfully integrated indigenous African practices of rhythm and movement with healing to give health and wellness to her clients.

A first-generation immigrant from Nigeria to the United States, Uzo was inspired to create the Uzo Method for individuals and healthcare workers to deal with stress and heal. Dr Uzo’s personal experience of incorporating the tools of her tradition helped her recover positively from anxiety and stress. She uses the concept of breathe, move, and shake to integrate mind, body, and spirit.

On Connecting with her Background and Culture

Every culture has its traditions and practices that can bring a sense of fulfillment and peace. Dr Uzo Nwankpa shares her story of being depressed and stressed when she first moved to the West. It was at that phase of her life that she decided to reconnect with the cultural practices of her Igbo heritage. It gave her immense joy to lean towards her ancestral heritage, and she began to enjoy the beats and movement of her African culture. Along with that, she started to eat traditional food, and she found comfort in accepting her culture, heritage, and identity. As she got involved with it more and more, she understood the power of music and movement when it came to connecting people from different cultures.

It was in 2010 that she started the Uzo Method to encourage people to incline more towards music and movement to heal from anxiety and stress. Wellness Promoters LLC started in 2021 during the height of the COVID pandemic and helped many individuals and healthcare workers understand the power of music and dance when it came to healing. It liberated them from the clutches of anxiety and stress in a positive way and took them on a path of healing and self-recovery. Dr Uzo’s mission is to help everyone connect with themselves and guide them on a journey of self-recovery and self-discovery. Her idea of using dance, music, and storytelling to help in the healing process has been a tremendous success.

Dr Uzo was awarded the Doctor of Nursing Practice - Communal Healing Established and global platform during the pandemic (2021) for Communal Healing among African/Black descendant healthcare workers. All her work has been about decolonizing patterns and reclaiming the healing process and traditions. She prioritizes people and community as they are interconnected. Dr Uzo blends dance and music to promote health and wellness, culturally and holistically. She emphasizes the importance of love through healing and service. Her Uzo Method and RICHER Model are committed to empowering individuals and healthcare workers by prioritizing their mental health and well-being.

In times when people are struggling to keep up with the pace of modern times, the role of healers and storytellers is imperative to encourage individuals and the community to help each other and transcend the barriers of background and culture. That way, they can eradicate the diseases caused by anxiety, loneliness, and stress and build an empowered community.