wellbeing
Gathering in person is not something we take for granted any longer after recent experiences and your health and well-being and that of the group are always a priority. The following set of recommendations are there for the health and wellbeing of the whole group.
Personal Hygiene: Maintain regular hand hygiene by washing your hands regularly with soap and water for at least 20 seconds, especially during longer events.
Please cover your mouth and nose with a tissue or the crease of your elbow when coughing or sneezing and dispose of used tissues properly.
Respecting Others: Be mindful of personal space and be considerate of others’ boundaries and preferences regarding physical contact. Please check before hugging people as some people prefer a more formal sense of space.
Self-care: Prioritise your well-being and make sure to get enough rest and sleep before and during the event. Stay hydrated by drinking plenty of water throughout the day, especially in warm weather or during physical activities.
Listen to your body and be mindful of your physical and mental health. If you start feeling unwell, seek appropriate medical attention if necessary.
By following these guidelines and encouraging others to do the same, you can be part of creating a deep and enjoyable environment for everyone present.
personal responsibility
Catalytic: Movement Medicine is a powerful and catalytic healing practice. In order for you to benefit from this work, you will need to be able and willing to take responsibility for yourself, emotionally, physically and psychologically whilst travelling through some deep experiences on the dance floor. Sufficient internal and external support systems need to be in place ideally before you begin so that this work that can be usefully integrated into your life.
No Dogma: Movement Medicine offers a methodology for embodied learning and self-development. It is a contemporary practice that honours the spiritual impulse without dogma. We don’t claim to be able to solve the challenges, difficulties or dilemmas of your life. Nor will we tell you how to live or what to believe. We do offer practices and perspectives that can help and empower you to better do this for yourself.
Body-Based: Our work is body-based. For those people whose histories mean that being in the body is frightening or overwhelming, this journey will need to be taken slowly and in conjunction with individual support from a professional such as a coach, counsellor, psychotherapist, mentor etc. Some people find that there is therapeutic one to one work that they need to do to make the most of Movement Medicine.
Your Sole Responsibility: It is the sole responsibility of you, as the student, to be upfront about your history and any related concerns or pre-existing life challenges when applying for an intensive course.
Adequate Support: It is important when doing this work to make sure that you have adequate support on all levels. This means taking care of your physical body and making sure that there is emotional support available for the times when you may need it. We recommend making sure that you have support structures in your life during intense periods of study.
Physical Care: If you want to dance long-term and as you get older, we recommend, if at all possible, making it a priority to care for your physical well-being as part of your daily life. Good nutrition and exercise matter as much as the dance.
Emotional Care: Movement Medicine is not therapy though it is therapeutic. On any deep journey, there are times of change and emotional turbulence. We often recommend that students get 1-1 support to integrate the experiences the dance can bring.
Mental Care: As we wake up to the layers of history and stories we hold inside our bodies, minds and hearts, it can help to have a frame of reference to understand what is going on.
The Study Hub is a wonderful resource both in terms of community, teaching and resources for your journey. There you will also find our recommended reading list of books we have found valuable on our journey. The original intention of the Study Hub was to help build a bridge between the workshop and everyday life. After four years, it has become much more than that.
