The landscape of movement in narrative practice
Elena Grebenyuk, Olga Zotova The 3d Europe+ Narattive Therapy and Community Work Conference
Iasi, Romania, 4 July 2014
Our hope for today To make the landscape of body and movement more visible and present in narrative practice
Our plan for today
1. Share some our ideas and cases
2. Practice of movement
3. Reflection
Why to use landscape of movement?
In different cultures when people are happy they DANCE
What is «movement/dance»?
Self is embodied, as well as
relational and constructed
Movement is already there
«If you don’t dance
your dance,
who will?»
Gabrielle Roth
Movement as an EXPRESSION of self
Body-mind as THE self
"Our brains take their input from the rest of our bodies. What our bodies are like and how they function in the world thus structures the
very concepts we can use to think. We cannot think just anything — only what
our embodied brains permit.” George Lakoff
Narrative view on the body From BODY-MIND as unseparable connection
…to BODY-MIND-CULTURE
as unique interplay of self in the world
Movement as an experience of self as a PROCESS
«Every time I dance I turn into a new version of me»
What does draw your own interest in this landscape of movement?
Some advances and challenges for entering this landscape in practice
Decrease the gap between “to know” and “to act”
The versions of myself are not connected
I stuck in the problem story
Non-verbal clients/experience:
words are not possible/enough
So, the landscape of movement opens the possibilities…
To find another language and entry points into the preferred story
To connect the landscapes
of action and
identity
To increase the number of alternatives
Not only rich description – rich living the
experience
And something else?
But… why don’t we use it so much?
Person is not used to this way of work, this is not his/her language – isn’t it too expert/ wierd?
- Find the relevant moment
- Explain the idea
- Ask for permission
- Invite into experimenting
- Listen to ‘No’
- What else?
There are a lot of restricting practices and ideas in our culture about body/movement (body-mind division)
- Make it visible - deconstruction
It can be too strong, painful, problematic experience
- Don’t traumatize – select what moments to embody, “find a safe territory of embodiment”
Journey into preferred spaces
Personal reflection
• When did you experience this preferred state for the first time? What was it like?
• Who wouldn’t be surprised that this is a preferred state?
• If you would be able to find the way to this preferred state more easily/more often what difference would it make?
• What/who could help you to stay connected to this state?
Professional reflection
• How could this connection to the body&movement landscape enrich your practice?
• Let's share ideas about possible entries to this landscape
Looking forward to your feedback!
Elena Grebenyuk [email protected]
Olga Zotova [email protected] http://olgazotova.com