Authentic movement enables you to:
- gently explore movement and body themes with the support of another.
- tell your ‘body story’, from what you hold consciously and unconsciously.
- process and reflect on themes present in your life now or from earlier times.
- develop insight and meaning from what you notice and experience.
- find the language to talk about what you experience.
- develop communication and relationship skills.
- be mindful of the present moment.
These 1:1 sessions give you the time and space to explore at your own pace. They take place in a clear, private studio, with blankets and cushions available. Sessions give you the chance to move or rest, and begin to learn more about what may be going on emotionally or physically. For those new to Authentic Movement, Paul offers a clear structure for the session, in simple stages, to help you begin. There’s time to speak about what you notice and receive feedback.
Sessions are suitable for:
- anyone of any age or physical condition. No experience is necessary.
- Personal or Professional Development for therapists, artists, dancers, bodyworkers, actors etc.
If you are interested in finding out more, please get in touch here.
Authentic Movement gives you the chance to follow your body. You are supported to move with your eyes closed, as I carefully witness from the edge of the space – not judging or interpreting, but tracking your movement, and my own experience. When finished, you can speak about your experience, and be guided to develop skills in differentiating how you moved, your sensations, feelings and images or associations. You might want to write or draw too.
The practice enables our ‘body stories’ to be told, as the inward attention to movement and sensation enables the expression of more unconscious material. There’s the potential for clearer ‘seeing’ and noticing. With practice we also develop our skills in the language we use to describe our experience, bringing the body’s story into consciousness. We begin to be clearer about what is our own experience, and how this is different or similar to another’s. And in doing this in the presence of a compassionate and mindful witness, there is the opportunity for clearer ‘relating’ as we connect both with ourselves and another.
Authentic movement can be useful to someone who is interested in finding out more about their body process, for their health, well-being or learning. It is practiced by those who want to develop skills and clarity in language and relating. It can be useful for many in the helping professions, as well as creative practitioners of all disciplines.
Janet Adler ‘Offering from the Conscious Body”:
May I be able:
to see what I am ready to see,
to hear what I am ready to hear,
to know what I am ready to know,
and to be as I am.
The form of this practice offers us the chance to begin from where we are. It has the potential to hold whatever may arise, and give us the chance to allow this to unfold, tapping into themes that may not yet have found words, but can still hold significant meaning for us. It guides us to have a compassionate respect for the body and what it holds. It creates a willingness to trust and follow at your own pace, as you listen to the body.
Authentic Movement can hold our body’s expression. It’s practice supports our mindful awareness and clarity. With time we learn how to refine our language – and cultivate the transition between direct experience, sensation/movement, and finding word. And as we do this, we bring our relationship into greater focus – our relationship with ourselves, another and the wider world. This is where we meet.
Authentic Movement has been a core part of Paul’s training and practice for over 20 years. He was first introduced to the form in the 1990s by Penny Greenland (JABADAO). It was a central part of his training at Moving On Centre with Bill McCully (US), and at the Authentic Movement Institute in Berkeley, with Tina Stromsted, Neala Haze and Janet Adler. He was a founder member of San Francisco Men’s Authentic Movement Group. Authentic movement has also been key to his training in Integrative Bodywork & Movement Therapy with Linda Hartley since 2010.