Embodiment Practice: Mindful Movement + Stillness with Suzanne (Zan) Beahrs

Embodiment Practices is an invitation to practice giving ourselves permission to arrive fully to where we are, and gently explore movement and stillness to care for our bodies and ourselves. This event happens each week at the Alembic.

As an element of self attunement, we will practice making intuitive choices through a lens of self love, meaning that we are each making choices that are nourishing and responsive to ourselves as individuals in that moment. Part of this practice includes being very intentional and explicit about what kinds of choices we might consider, and being curious about how it feels to try them. There will be many options provided throughout, with guidance around how to navigate choice making, including if this is new to you or you are navigating a limitation or injury. There will be a corner of the room set aside in case you’d like to opt out of the facilitated structure and take a moment for yourself to rest.

Opening Circle: We'll ground and check-in with whatever feels present for each of us. We get to welcome ourselves to come as we are.

Warm Up: We'll do a guided, full-bodied warm up, tuning the instruments of our bodies and attention, giving ourselves time to shake it out, stretch, wiggle, and move through whatever feels stuck. Movements will be simple enough to follow along, giving us a chance to get out of our heads and drop into our bodies, regulating our nervous system. Drawing on contemporary dance and yoga, there will be flow, rhythm, and music.

Movement Explorations: We'll explore movements that deepen our connection with our bodies and our intuition, focusing on concepts and areas of the body that can help us settle and release.

Meditation: Finally, we'll settle into meditation and rest. Finding stillness might be sitting/standing/lying down and might include cozy props, having eyes open or closed, and suggestions to make yourself comfortable, including allowing some body movement within that quiet space.

Please bring clothes you feel comfortable to move in. It’s recommended to bring long sleeves, long pants and socks with you, in case we are moving on the floor. Bring a journal if you’d like.