These contemplative movement lessons are a tool to learn about yourself and how you move. They are taught in a self-paced, non-judgmental atmosphere, respecting your body’s limits while at the same time introducing new movement patterns. They provide an opportunity to discover natural, comfortable movement and develop a clearer image of yourself. Many people report that they find themselves doing things that they couldn’t do before. No experience is necessary to start – you go at your own pace with support from the teacher.
For more details about these classes, and to pay on line, click here to visit my calendar page.
| Sundays English: 6:00 to 7:15pm Spanish: 4:30 to 5:45pm at Studio Sol | Mondays 11:00am to 12:00 noon . at Linnton Community Center |
What to expect:
In most lessons, you will lie or sit on a mat on the floor. My classes have mats or blankets provided unless otherwise indicated; if you need a softer surface, you may need to bring in an additional pad or blanket.
What to wear:
Wear comfortable clothing that is easy to move in; jeans or a skirt may inhibit your movement. Wear layers because the movements are usually very slow and you might get chilly.
What do these classes do?
- Create more possibility in movement: Every class offers a different lesson, with different movements and a focus on different parts of your body or a different quality of movement. Some lessons are very simple; others create some kind of challenge or puzzle, or may bring you smack up against your limitations. All of this is done in a gentle way that helps your nervous system to create more connections and patterns, so that you build more options in your own movement.
- Increase self-awareness and creativity: The main purpose of these lessons is to get to know yourself better – after all, it’s called Awareness Through Movement and not Movement Through Awareness! You have a chance to check in with how you are doing physically, emotionally, and intellectually. What do you do when you don’t know what to do? How do you know you are really “resting?” When you spend time paying attention to your whole self in this way, and practice bringing it into your life, new solutions can become available in your daily life or with creative projects.
- Soothe your nervous system: Many (not all!) ATM lessons are very gentle, and encourage you to look for a smooth, easy quality of movement. This kind of movement is what makes the lessons so relaxing. Don’t be surprised if you doze off for a moment. When the lessons are more difficult, the challenge is to maintain the quality of movement without pushing or exerting yourself too much.
- Take care of yourself: The main challenge in an ATM is to take good care of yourself. Whatever the movements in the lesson, you go at your own pace and range of motion. This is more difficult than you may think! In our go-getter culture, working harder is considered better, even at the expense of our own well-being. ATMs are an opportunity to step out of that way of thinking, because you get more “results” from doing less. You simply become more aware of what you are actually doing, which then leads you to find ways of doing what you want.
