FLOW STATE: movement+meditation

Photo by Allison Harp

 This mind-body practice hones a trust in the innate wisdom of the body, using movement as a bridge to access a broader scope of creativity and intelligence in the mind. Through diverse movement, breathwork, and other meditative practices, we will strive to establish a deeper integration between the physical and the mental. The intention is to help students reorganize and reorient themselves within the greater context of their lives, and to enhance the quality of their other various practices.

These classes are my favorite thing to teach. They have reminded me how to play inside of the practices I take seriously. They are designed for everyone. Come move/be moved.




OBJECTIVES

  1. Participants will find a “flow state,” which takes place when the brain’s default mode network quiets and we more fully interact with the complexities of our physical environment through the five senses.

  2. Participants will learn to notice a wider range of sensations in the body. These observations will be used as a toolkit for self-expression and further reflection.

  3. Participants will learn how movement can connect us to our instincts, and help to express an idea when our words fail us.

  4. Participants will learn to engage with their bodies in a meaningful way. This research will also help them better understand the physical narratives seen in performance, making dance more meaningful to them. 




SETTING INTENTIONS, GROUNDING IN THE BODY

I’ll open each session with a relevant quote or short reading. This is my chance as a facilitator to state my intentions, and to provide context for participants.

Intention setting is followed by a warm-up: a set, full-bodied sequence timed with the breath.




TRIGGERING MUSCLES

We will use active stretching and mobility exercises to wake up and connect to as many different body parts and muscles as possible. This gives a larger scope of possibilities for the exercises that follow. This is our introduction to our “toolkit.”




IMAGERY

Using everyday prompts, I will guide participants through a range of experiences in the body, increasing sensation and awareness. Examples include: moving the body as if immersed in water, using effort and connecting to a sense of weight in order to push a wooden log underwater, falling with the speed of gravity, moving as if your skin is hardening like cement.




ICEBREAKERS

We’ll move through 1-2 icebreakers in each session. Below are a few examples I’ve used:

“Pass the Ball” is a group exercise where we pass around an imaginary entity, like a game of catch. As each person receives this “ball,” they can reimagine its weight, size, and other properties before passing it to the next person. Without words, they must communicate these changes clearly enough that the next person can have the same experience before implementing their own changes.

“Mirroring” is an exercise where partners serve as mirrors for one another, executing movements for their partner to follow. Eventually, the intention is to blur the lines between leader/follower, and to move with effortless synchronicity.

“Untangle the Knot” is a team building exercise where we all begin in a circle, and reach across the circle to hold two different people’s hands. Once we are all connected, we work together to untangle the knot without letting go. The exercise ends in an untangled circle with hands still connected.

“Hand, Lunge, Jump, Ball” is a partner exercise where I call out 4 different simple movement directives at random, “Simon says” style to the class. One directive, “ball,” indicates that the partners must race their partner to retrieve their tennis ball before the other person reaches it. We will leave time for reflections and debriefing throughout, as this exercise reveals a lot about how we navigate competition, community, and tangible goals. This is always an exercise that generates laughter!

“Object Memory”: Working in pairs, one person will lay down and close their eyes. The other person will lay 5-10 small objects with varying properties on their partner’s body (coins, pebbles, etc). After one minute in silence, they will ask their partner to recount where the different items are placed. This activity will be followed by group reflection/debrief where we share personal insights.







COLLABORATIVE EXERCISES

LOOPING

Participants make a closed loop with their arms, interlacing their hands together, and are instructed to hold this loop together while moving as much of the body as possible. The restriction invites a focused attention to the rest of the body, and promotes creative problem solving. After working alone (5 mins), we will work in partners (15 mins): each pair begins in a hug, so that each loop is now containing the other person. Participants learn to observe sensations in their own body while being sensitive to the presence of the other person. After each 2-minute pairing, we will share observations and feedback as a group.

CREATING WORLDS

This exercise is an opportunity for us to collaborate in order to build worlds together. Each iteration will begin with 1-2 participants entering the center of the space, using movement to convey that properties make up the world they are in. Is it anti-gravity? Are they non-human? Is the ceiling suddenly two feet above the ground? As other participants begin to understand the properties of the world being built, they can enter with a “yes, and” mentality, acknowledging what they have learned about this world while contributing their own creative interpretations of the experience. This process will repeat multiple times, with space to share observations and give feedback after each iteration.

ENERGETIC MIRRORING

Two people enter the space, and the practice begins in stillness, just seeing each other. In the process of seeing someone else, we inadvertently see ourselves. We project our fears, hopes, ambitions, desires…and if given the time and space to do so, we bring attention and sensitivity to all those invisible threads that connect us to every living thing outside of ourselves. We recognize behaviors we see in others, because we have felt them as our own. We directly experience the body’s response to stillness, and notice all the sensations and narratives that emerge as a result. 

And then, as that relationship organically evolves into a movement study, our bodies are a vessel for authentic communication. As this silent conversation progresses, we witness this ever-constant, harmonious wholeness, as is represented by the vibration of the sacred syllable “om.” We shed the “doing” state that defines some of the warm-up exercises in the Flow State practice, and get to the root of things…we see the inherent beauty from a place of being. It’s a moving meditation that happens in direct relation to another person. I’m doing my best to describe it, but really you have to be there to understand it.

This is my favorite part of the Flow State offering. Not every student opts in to participate directly, and some have even voiced that they had a more profound experience watching. The role of a witness is equally as important when we’re asked to do something vulnerable, because the way we build a strong vibration in the space directly affects the outcome, and we are all players in that game. 

Even in witnessing the exercise from the outside, though, I’ve received the feedback that “this is the thing that’s missing from the world.” That makes my heart sing.




MEDITATION

Every session ends with seated meditation. This technique is done in stillness, and is informed by my Vipassana studies. We’ll bring attention to the entire body, part by part, observing sensations in a non-reactive way.








From the bottom of my heart, these classes mean so much to me. It’s the most authentic way I’ve found to express myself and share what I feel I’m meant to share in this life. The classes continue to fill my cup, and I want to thank everyone who has attended one (or more than one) for helping me build this practice. I have so much gratitude, and am so excited to see where Flow State takes me. I’ve found so much clarity as the facilitator of these sessions. Yes, the practice is a way to witness ourselves through the lens of the body…but it’s also become a study of how we can use each other as mirrors to connect more deeply to ourselves. 

Currently, Flow State classes are offered 1-2 times per month in the format of a 2-hour workshop.

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