In this class, we begin by exploring in standing how we can initiate rounding and arching, side-bending and rotation from our connection to the earth through the soles of our feet. Sensing how as our head moves away from our centre axis we can anchor ourselves to the earth through the relation of our belly centre to the earth’s centre
On the floor, we play with changing our internal architecture so that pressure increases and decreases between different regions of ourselves and the earth – sensing how every change of tone is a shapeshifting of all of ourselves
Returning to standing, we listen into the earth beneath us and into the air around us, and letting ourselves move to harmonise with what we sense there.
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00:00:00 – Arriving in walking
Noticing how it feels to be here – both the emotional tone and the sensory experience of being here – in this place and in this body
Sensing the air we move through and the support of the earth
Noticing how it feels to bring ourselves over the leg which swings ahead of us – do you fall onto it, does it push you away from the earth or do you float over it?
00:03:22 – Standing Explorations and Walking
Listening to ourselves as we stand – sensing weight and support flowing through our structure
Considering our bodies not as objects but as fields of activity
Extending our attention from our centre axis along the line of gravity to the centre of the earth and to an imaginary star above
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Exploring the asymmetry of preparing to take a step – shifting the axis from side to side – zeroing in on the middle
Turning around our centre axis – transitioning into normal walking
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Playing with the image of support like water flowing up from the centre of the earth, through us and out through the top of the head – becoming a human fountain
Bringing attention to the belly centre – sensing how it stays connected to the centre of the earth as we take our head away from the axis
Exploring one hand/arm at a time, then both – shaping the flow of support out through the fingertips – sensing the smallest reconfiguration that produces a weight shift under the feet
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Turning around our centre axis – initiating from the eyes, from the feet gripping the skin of the earth, from both together
Initiating rounding and arching from the feet – pushing back through both heels brings us forwards and into arching – pushing through our toes takes us backwards into rounding – sensing how the belly centre stays connected to the centre of the earth as we round and arch
Initiating side-bending from the feet – pushing sideways along the skin of the earth
Tipping the head off the axis until a step arrives
00:39:00 – Floor work
Sensing how we balance on the earth behind us as we lie down – sensing our inner volume – allowing our asymmetries to be there
Rolling our heads – sensing how far through ourselves this movement reaches
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Playing with the image of the breath like a wave through an internal sea – sensing the skin stretching and relaxing throughout its surface with our breath
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Pressing and lightening regions of ourselves – changing our internal architecture so that pressure increases and decreases – behind the head, the heels, the pelvis, the chest, the elbows, the shoulder blades – sensing how we shapeshift to do this
Imagining ourselves lying on a glass table and watching from below how the pattern of connection shifts as we play with the tone throughout the whole of ourselves
01:01:30 – Returning to standing and walking
Re-tuning our centre axis to the line of gravity – reinhabiting the image of the human fountain
Sensing if there is a weight shift under the feet that goes with the breath – a wieght shift underneath the balancing activity
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Listening into the earth beneath us – all that churning magma – sensing what of this movement passes through us
Listening into the air around us – full of dust, microbes, sound, light, chemical information – sensing what of this movement passes through us
Harmonising with what we sense – not fighting, not going against – but allowing the movement passing through us to inform how we shape ourselves
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Imagining antennae emerging through the top of the head and through the hands, and roots emerging from the feet into the earth – feeling for information in the world around us also creates information there – broadcasting and receiving
