The stubborn “little bone”
We all have a stubborn “little bone” inside us – something our bodies learned to protect a long time ago. In somatics, we speak about conditioned tendencies: patterns of resistance, dissociation, shrinking or fighting that appear when we feel under pressure. They may limit us today, but perhaps before trying to get rid of them, we should understand what they were protecting. That stubborn little thing might also be the place from which we love, create and remain unmistakably ourselves.
Authentic Movement. What is it and where to find it
“How do I know if this is really how my body wants to move – or if it is something I have learned?” It’s a one-million-dollar question. Our bodies are full of habits, conditioning and borrowed movements. Perhaps authentic movement is not about becoming free of all of them, but learning to become still enough to notice the impulse before the movement – and allowing the body to lead from there.
Contemplating movement in Kinbaku
When we allow movement in Kinbaku, we transition from tying an object to tying a subject. Movement gives the person in ropes a voice: a possibility to respond, resist, soften, reach, withdraw or simply be seen. We can choose to restrict that movement or create space for it – two very different games, both beginning with the same recognition: movement is already there.
Trying too hard
Autumn arrived quietly on our street, with yellow gingko leaves scattered across the grey asphalt. Walking through them one morning, I found myself thinking about how much we are always doing – in ropes, relationships, teaching, learning. We push, force and try to make things happen. But what if sometimes the way forward is not to do more, but to let something go?