There is a large and growing field of somatic studies that acknowledges and supports mind-body unity with an emphasis on internal physical perception and experience rather than on observation of external shape and form. We will explore a range of somatic practices, from more ancient or traditional forms such as Yoga and Chi Kung, to the work of pioneers Alexander, Feldenkrais, Rolf, and others. We will study the embodied research of living somatic explorers including Anna Halprin, Bonnie Bainbridge Cohen, Joan Skinner, and others, and identify who today is taking the reigns in this expanding field. We will engage with primary texts, academic research as well as deep physical practice. As a group we will move together, guided by concepts and activities offered by these various practices and practitioners. Over the course of the seven weeks, we will create a family tree of historically contextualized somatic modalities, with an emphasis on the many interweaving influences. We will identify this network not only through research, but also through our own lived experience and dynamic practice. Students will gain tools for deepening perceptual abilities and sensory awareness, and our work together may increase movement capability, ease, and expressivity.

Registration: See Rebecca Brooks Wednesday, Nov 29, 11:00AM-12:30 PM in VAPA P105 (Green Room)