Continuum: The Jazz Of Somatic Movement Practices

Feb, 2019

Continuum is the jazz of somatic movement practices because it is improvised. Jazz musicians may riff on a theme by starting with a known song, and it can become totally transformed by their individual creative improvisation. In Continuum practice we might start our “riff” in a dive by making a figure-8 motion with our torso, moving through the center of our hearts, but the movements will morph as we improvise, based on our embodied sensations, breaths, and perceptions.

Cultivating skill to do inner-directed movement is somewhat unique to Continuum. There aren’t many somatic practices that are guided by the improvisation of interoceptive (sensing the internal sensations in our bodies) curiosity.

In our culture we rarely have a chance to explore movements based on sensation and curiosity without attaching sexual significance to the movements. Unpatterned movement has tremendous creative potential if we don’t limit its expression by judging it or making it mean something.

The improvisational quality of Continuum increases the variety, capacity, and complexity of our movements, breaths, and sounds. This expands the palette of what we can utilize when facing a health or wellbeing challenge. Having practiced breathing and moving differently and in new and unexpected ways in a safe environment, like a Continuum workshop allows you to draw on that experience when faced with life's challenges.

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