I spent this morning with a group of parents at Embercombe – offering a session on Developmental Movement, as part of their Sustainable Families project. My first time at Embercombe, and great to meet and be hosted by Joanna Watters, who facilitates this group, and be part of the mindful approach the group had. It felt really worthwhile to offer a brief taster of what Developmental Movement can offer parents.
Amongst the themes we explored was the need to return to source, to rest, breathe and recuperate. As adults, and busy parents, allowing time to come back to oneself is often off the radar. So I hope the session supported some of this recuperation.
We also touched on how the resting, yielding, receiving support from the earth, relates to the impulse to push, separate and move into the world. This offers some insight into children’s evolution – from bonding with a parent, and in time, finding the impulse to push away, to separate and feel oneself, distinct and out into the world. This can be tricky territory for both parent and child to negotiate. It holds so much in terms of feelings, needs, and wants for both, that aren’t always in sync. Finding ways that adults can get what they need, so that they can be available and present to what their child needs, is part of the picture.
Working with the body and movement to explore the territory can help with this process – to bring more conscious awareness, and body knowledge, as resources to draw on.
This brief time with Embercombe parents has left me knowing that there is lots more that developmental movement & somatic material can offer our society, in supporting parents, babies and children reaching their potential. It was great to link with Sustainable Families today.
http://www.embercombe.co.uk/