Virtual Retreat: Creating a Somatic Sanctuary: The Liberating Power of Movement

Bodies are the means by which we engage with the world and all that surrounds us. They give us the ability to take powerful action: to make meaning of the mundane; to think deeply and to ask important questions; to create beauty and meaning; to care for others and the planet.

Our bodies tell a story of their own, and their language is movement. Movement has the ability to transform, transmute and liberate. The body is the storehouse of our experiences and exploring movement gives us insight into our action, our emotions and our thoughts. Fuller knowledge of our own complexities gives us insight into our relationships, the groups we are a part of and of the much larger whole.

Through exploration of the liberating power of mindful movement, we will gain a greater sense of well-being and health, and will strengthen our collective capacity for compassion and altruism.

Please Join us on Saturday December 4th for this virtual workshop with yoga teacher and musician Nichol Chase and honored guest teacher Arawana Hayashi,  to explore the healing and integrative power of movement.

This workshop will include a rich discussion and practice in the tradition of Social Presencing Theater, a series of embodied practices developed by Arawana Hayashi that invites us to tap into our natural creativity and ability to fully embody the “performance” of being human. The series of embodied practices that live within Social Presencing Theater are accessible to newcomers and deepen understanding for anyone interested in the wisdom of both the individual and social body. The aim is to reconnect with the fundamental human goodness that invites us to make the true moves to create a society of brilliance, warmth, and strength.

We will explore a plethora of practical tools in this workshop, including:
• Movement practices: Social Presencing Theater, yoga, free-form dance 
• Movement in silence and movement to music
• Discussion about movement and the ability of movement to build resilience, heal trauma, and gain insight into our individual and social bodies
• Journaling
***No prior experience with movement or mindfulness practices required.

 Garrison Institute Fellow Nichol Chase is a teacher, musician, and yogi for whom singing and movement is integral to life. Nichol’s yoga practice is informed by a vast and eclectic set of influences that blend invigorating flow with precise and insightful instruction and extensive study with a variety of innovative teachers. She is a faculty member and teacher trainer for The Mazé Method, where she has worked for several years, and is currently on the faculty for a teacher training partnership between Yoga International and the Mazé Method. Nichol’s artistic experience includes more than a decade of Royal Academy ballet training and specialization as an operatic Coloratura Soprano, earning the Bachelor of Music degree with a major in Vocal Performance from the University of the Pacific Conservatory of Music. Nichol’s study of yoga piqued an interest in Kirtan and Indian Classical music resulting in the addition of the harmonium to her repertoire for accompaniment. She continues to study Northern Indian Classical Music, Mantra, and Kirtan along with a vast array of Western musical styles. For more information on Nichol’s work, please visit her website.

Arawana Hayashi’s pioneering work as an innovator, performer, and educator is deeply sourced in both improvisation and traditional Japanese dance. She is currently on the core faculty of the Presencing Institute where she heads the creation of Social Presencing Theater. She brings her background in performance artmaking and meditation to the creation of an embodied presence practice that makes visible both current reality and emerging future possibilities within organizations, schools, and community contexts. Arawana teaches meditation and creative process in Shambhala, a community committed to the creation of enlightened society. She is the author of Social Presencing Theater: The Art of Making a True Move published by PI Press. Information about Arawana’s work can be found on her website. 

This virtual retreat will be conducted through Zoom on Saturday, December 4, from 1:00 p.m. EDT to 3:30 p.m. EDT. The virtual retreat link will be emailed to participants within twenty-four hours of your registration. Please email us at events@garrisoninstitute.org with questions.