Medicine Moves: Play

Play: “To engage in activity for enjoyment and recreation rather than a serious or practical purpose.” We play to circulate our life force energy, to let go of preconceived ideas of what’s “normal” or “proper,” and to joyfully connect with others.

My aim for this playshop is to help stimulate movement creativity by providing opportunities for play. After a brief intro, we will warm up by play-acting. I’ll suggest and model some possibilities and invite you to play along when you feel ready.

For example, we can pretend to move like an animal, or a fantastic creature -- a winged fairy or a zombie, perhaps. We can also imitate the qualities of natural phenomena such as wind or ocean waves, or unnatural ones like being surrounded by shrink wrap or standing on a momentarily hot floor.

Finally, we can try on various emotional states such as anger, disgust, horror, joy, and confidence. In my experience, practice with pretend-expression of emotions helps me to embody and express them authentically and safely when they occur in my life beyond my safe movement space.

Then comes the 28-minute playlist, crafted to evoke a variety of responses — somatic, imaginal, and emotional — that will vary among participants and even within individuals during a song. While the music plays, we slip in and out of movement, stillness, and witness, as we choose.

As always, when the music ends, we conclude with brief optional sharing.

If you enjoy journaling or making art — potent forms of witnessing oneself — consider bringing the items you’ll need. Dress comfortably and bring your water or tea. Ensure safety and privacy in your space. Your only real role is to relax, receive, and allow your unique responses to arise.

Questions? Ask.

Contact Kathryn to register: kathryn@wellwisestrong.com