“ .. You surrender to movement instead of controlling it. In doing so, you may also discover how your body prefers to move, which may be unlike how you habitually move. This can allow you to shift naturally out of old, less effective patterns.”
- On Authentic Movement from
Discovering the Body’s Wisdom
by Mirka Knaster
My personal WHY?
Being a yoga instructor and practitioner, massage therapist certified Hypnotist and being trained in body-centered psychotherapy, I have a high value on including the body and accessing the wisdom and intelligence of the body through inhabiting and listening to and with the body.
For my personal journey, my mind has been overdeveloped while my body has been neglected and undervalued. AM reminds me to embrace my full aliveness and drop my attention from my mind down into my whole being.
To me, Authentic Movement offers great practice and skills in:
Listening to the body (movers role)
Listening with the body (witness role)
Being seen
Seeing another
Welcoming presence
Somatic awareness and integration
WHAT IS AM?
Authentic Movement is a simple form of self-directed movement usually done with eyes closed where the attention of the one moving is directed inward in the presence of at least one witness.
HOW DO WE PRACTICE AM?
- MOVER - explore spontaneous gestures, movements, stillness, by following and listening to impulses in the present moment (welcome everything, assume nothing, presence) *there is no ideal or preconceived way to move*
- WITNESS - watch and track inner responses to the mover with intention of focusing on self-awareness (connection to self, noticing impact, presence)
Before we go into the practice a simple reminder:
Mover 3 minutes
Witness 30 seconds of “reflective movement” & close with 3 words
Switch roles and repeat
GUIDED AM PRACTICE:
Partner A {Mover} starts either standing, sitting, or laying
Both Partner A {Mover} + Partner B {Witness) take a moment to settle and arrive, both bringing full presence to now
Mover ~ listens to impulses, spontaneous gestures, movements, stillness, etc. Movements may be visible or invisible to the witness ~
Witness ~ watches and tracks inner responses to the mover with the intention of focusing on self-awareness
When time is up @ 3 minutes Partner A {Witness} offers a 30 second “reflective movement” (as a response, reflection, or expression of impact) from witnessing the mover, and offers 3 words as a closing offering to complete.
Switch roles and repeat
“Movement, to be experienced, has to be found in the body, not put on like a dress or a coat.”
- Mary Starks Whitehouse
creator of “movement in-depth” (AM)
“Body is the physical aspect of the personality, and movement is the personality made visible.”
- Whitehouse
