Movement, Music, and the Permission to Feel Joy Again

Caregiving often trains the body to stay still.

Still through exhaustion.

Still through worry.

Still through responsibility.

So when music invites movement again, it can feel almost surprising.

Recently, I attended a live performance by Lindsey Stirling, and it was one of those rare experiences that reminds you what it feels like to be fully alive in your body. Her performance blends music, motion, emotion, and play in a way that bypasses the thinking mind and speaks directly to the nervous system.

That matters more than we sometimes realize.

For caregivers, joy can quietly slip into the background. Not because we don’t want it, but because duty often comes first. Fun can feel indulgent. Rest can feel earned only after everything else is handled. And expression, especially physical expression, is often postponed indefinitely.

Watching Lindsey Stirling move freely across the stage, violin in hand, I felt a simple but powerful reminder. Joy does not need justification. Movement can be medicine. Feeling uplifted does not mean you are neglecting your responsibilities. It means you are human.

Caregiving asks so much of the heart. It can also disconnect us from our own bodies. Experiences like this gently restore that connection. They remind us that it is allowed to laugh, to feel awe, to let music carry us somewhere lighter, even if only for a night.

At The Caregiving Corner, we believe support isn’t only found in resources and conversations. Sometimes it’s found in moments that wake something back up inside you. A song. A shared experience. A reminder of who you were before caregiving took center stage, and who you still are underneath it all.

If you’ve been holding a lot lately, consider this your permission slip. Seek out moments that move you. Let yourself feel joy without explaining it away. Those moments don’t take from your caregiving. They sustain it.