Somatic Attunement for Change
I wanted to share some writing used for the first weekly Somatic Attunement class that has launched and is ongoing at Being/Body Somatic Arts.
My good friend, Michelle Lefkowitz and I have been holding the space together.
Michelle is a teacher of aikido and contact improv dance, as well as a space holder for Contact Improv in Burlington for 25 years, including coordinating the Burlington International Contact Jams. (For more info on CI, just google it and you will find a lot)
Recently, we’ve been participating in an online course called (the title is a mouthful), Transforming Stress into Calm and Confusion into Clarity by Embodying Key Embryological and Neural Pathways, taught by master teacher, Bonnie Bainbridge Cohen, founder of Body Mind Centering ®. We’re using Bonnie’s class as the main inspiration for our own class called, Somatic Attunement with Gravity for Ease and Healing which will become something offered regularly and developing over time.
It’s about touching our foundation…….the embryo.
When touching into our first experience as an embryo, we return to an innate capacity to be present and feel whole within. This helps heal a fundamental level of longing for clarity and ease, so many of us are looking for.
Embryology in the foundation to Rolfing Structural Integration, Rolf Movement and Craniosacral Therapy. It's the existential root of all healing. I am finding that exploring movement as a group experience gets us there more easily. It opens our curiosity and inspiration toward wholism, connection and delight.
You can discover this for yourself.
When Bonnie was asked, ‘what are the benefits of going all the way to experience Embryology?’, she replied, “I feel my ‘amness’. I know who I am. This knee knows itself. It all comes from what’s inside of us (and a whole lot of study). How much do you want to know your beingness? Please come and bring your gifts. Everyone has them, equally and differently. Thank you for being you.”
Like Bonnie, I also want to help people understand that we can arrive at the root of our experience and open access to ease and clarity within. It doesn’t have to be impossible to have a better life. We can get through hardships because movement leads to change.
When we voyage back, we are at the foundation before injury or insult occurred and we can refresh. It’s not painful. It’s awe inspiring.
For myself, I first got turned on to Bonnie’s work in college and I have been finding my way to bring it into the world ever since. I find it incredibly valuable for a better human condition, useful and beautiful. The fluid nature of our existence is filled with opportunities to grow from.
I’m grateful for how much the depth of these teachings come out through simplicity and relationship in my bodywork and dance practices, as well as my overall sense of wellbeing and healing. I am passionate to share this with more people which is why I feel passionate about Being/Body Somatic Arts.
Join us for this or some future amazing exploration that we can have together! Since you were an embryo, you already have the experience necessary to give it a try……