Body Mind Centering teaching session

On Friday the 28th of April we have been asked to prepare a 15 minutes teaching session.

I've been investigating the Yield and Push Pattern and there are a few reasons for it.

First of all I have missed the class when Natalie was teaching it so I've decided to pay more attention to it, to read about it and try to embody the theory I've read. And one interesting thing happened. It felt like a deja vu. My body felt familiar with this pattern even if I never was aware of it before. I made a connection between 2 different classes I have participated to: Katye Coe morning session at ID, London and Kirstie Simson Winter Laboratory, ID London.

Katye Coe leaded a skull exploration where the partner takes the weight of you skull and supports it while moving. Between my partner and I happened a playful exchange in terms of weight given/received which implied pushing through the crown of my skull into her hands. At other times she was pushing through my skull. The exploration started on the floor by releasing ourselves to the floor, in other words yielding into the floor and then finding that moment to send out directions of energy. The moment of initiation felt like a push.

Throughout the workshop week Kirstie Simson was talking about our center as humans and dancers and its connection to the ground or Earth. There is a clear pattern in our bodies that connects our skull, center and ground. While exploring Yield & Push pattern I found this connection as I was yielding into the floor and then pushing out through the crown of my skull by being aware of my centre.
So I have decided to combine these two intentions and to put them together into a partner exploration. It has been a long process of inhabiting this pattern before the 28th. I've started by:

• reading academic information about it
• I was surprised to find other artists' blogs in order to gain a deeper understanding of the use of the patter in different situations (e.g. improvisation and set work), 
• I have been conduction little experiential sessions and reflective discussion with course mates in order to understand how the impacts of this exploration
• Reflective writing in my journal after studio sessions

I found it very captivating as I was delivering from an embodied point of view. I tried to share with the class my experiences/sensations while being involved in the exploration but also I enjoyed offering space for the students to enjoy finding their own approach to this task. I have offered different levels of awareness and I noticed different levels of engagement with the task. I have tried to use a clear professional terminology. 

I will also post some pictures and videos in regards with this teaching session. 

Mother-daughter

BMC class got me curious into a confusing phase of my life: being an embryo. So I have asked my mother to write to me everything she remembers from her pregnancy.
So at the moment I am conducting a research regarding relationship between my mother and myself. - to be explored.

Responsability

Katye opened up a possible discussion on responsibility. She also said that this word derives from 'response' and that has a lot to do with my movement. I would like to research more about it.

Body Mind Centering [24th January]

We had a very interesting reading for today that is also related with my dissertation topic. Today was a mixture of moving, discussion, group tasks and deep reflection. I enjoyed this format. 

At some point we shared opinions about Cecilia's workshop. We were asked to find the energy spot in our bodies and to associate it with a colour. (I had no pencils) While lying on the floor the only part moving was my chest-thanks to breathing; I got confused thinking my chest is the key. A few seconds later it was so obvious! Mt thought were SCREAMING!! It was obvious that the centre of my energy for that particular day (and therefore for my last few weeks- see 'Thought' post) is my skull or my brain. 

While working in partners I realized how difficult is to just listen. Shut up and listen to my partner's experience without me wanting to add, or approve, or argue. I find my lie very agitated and busy and the curious thing is that my body still asks for more physical activity, is never satisfied with a class or two a day or with 8 hours of work. I get home and I do feel tired but my body is still bagging for more jumping, thinking, analysing. I find it very hard to shut my body and mind down to quietness. Hellen Poynor was talking about the need of our bodies to be on the floor and listen to itself and the space. 'Always find a few minutes in your day an just go to the 'home position' where you can just be still and quiet' ( The Walk of Life- Anna Halprin Movement Ritual). So then why my body wants the other way round? Cecilia's session really brought up a lot of discussion and self reflection regarding this stupid need of myself.

Different people brought up different reflections: expectations, habits, choosing to hear, initiating movement from a part of the body, individuality, intimate, separating the thought and talking, uniqueness. Also there was a discussion around dance and therapy- not very interested at the moment.

Body Mind Centering [17th Jan]

Book recommendation: Amazing bodies moving by Beverly Stokes

During this class I got into thinking where yeld, push and reach offer me support in my free movement

What do I want to achieve this term?

• find a way of grounding myself more
• learning how to listen deeply to what is available and present to me
• better balance between different layers of practice - philosophical thinking - anatomy- questioning 

From this class I took away a particular type of being engaged to the world around me. How can my organs and tissues support my body?

Thought

During the technique class on Tuesday, I got a very powerful feedback from John.
He encouraged me to believe in my movement and really 'go for it'. It was exactly what I needed that morning I guess just because I am going through a very stressful period of my life.
I tend to loose my confidence and my self esteem is very low at the moment. I am not happy with myself in every area of my life. I judge myself, I want more from myself, I insult myself, I bring myself down.
Another thing that I appreciate about Andrea's class is the somatic approach to teaching a set phrase. Finding head-to-tail connections, finding navel radiation and therefore applying BMC principles to a technique class allows me to experience a full range of movement, connect my body with my thinking, find more internal space, find support from my organs and body systems, use breathing.
Open up a continuous journey in my imagination while executing a set material, finding new curiosities within.
It is a captivating approach.

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                  Turn my back

                           simply ignore what is there to be witnessed

                 choose not to acknowledge

                            let go

                 a lot of holding within this letting go still

                 look down 

                          find a pathway

                   so then I look back 

                          and see the hight-

               it's my pattern.

              Close my eyes for a second 

                    and just feel the breeze of the Danube on my face

                           intake

                breath out...

            On my way.

During the Monday morning class (13th January 2014) I got into thinking about inhabiting the silence.

The silence of the space
The scilence of the others
Her voice
Space calms me down
Scilence of my own being -  a very loud scilence
White scilence
I found a version of scilence while reaching out into the space rather than while focusing on my inner. How do I see my dancing? Is it shouting out loud? Or is it just a quiet activity ? Or maybe it is just whispering.