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Awakening the Body. A Cycle of Workshops
We Are Opening a New Group and Inviting You to Join the Somatic Practices Cycle “Awakening the Body”
This program focuses on developing body awareness and cultivating kindness toward your own body.
Through extensive group and individual work, we have encountered cultural phenomena that hinder the process of retraining movement patterns and relieving bodily discomfort. These phenomena include demands, impatience, irritation, mistrust, rigidity, and sometimes even harshness. These attitudes deserve reconsideration in bodywork practice, as they do not contribute to the body’s opening but instead reinforce a rigid armor, isolating individuals from nature and their connection to others. Furthermore, the more a person strives for achievement and success, the more likely they are to develop neuromuscular tension and dopamine dependence, losing mastery over their body and life.
Most areas of the body are vibrant and full of sensations. However, some parts may feel numb or lifeless, potentially indicating unresolved issues. Certain life events associated with grief, loss, or disappointment can render specific areas of the body numb, protecting them from experiencing the same pain again.
We have found it beneficial to return to the foundational somatic principles of bodywork to guide participants toward what each can identify as their zone of health and satisfaction. The program aims to collaboratively explore, drawing on scientific advancements in neuroscience, the following topics:
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The Development of Sensitivity: Its role in releasing discomfort.
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The Benefits of Kindness Toward the Body: How gentle self-approach fosters well-being.
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The Body as an Expression of Self-Image: How our thoughts about ourselves manifest in movement and posture.
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Learning to Learn: The brain teaches itself as we engage in bodywork.
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Bodywork as a Path to Connection: Transforming isolation into understanding and fostering kind relationships with oneself and others.
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Improving Life Quality: Shifting from isolation to mutual understanding.
We hope that by the end of the “Awakening the Body” program, each participant will carry with them a deeper, more refined, and creative understanding of themselves, their potential, their innate goodness, and a compassionate approach to self.
"To understand your effort means to examine your intentions—above all, to understand the motives driving you when you direct energy in one direction or another."
Workshop Facilitators:
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Ekaterina Zilbershtein: PhD in Psychology, Certified Hanna Somatic Educator, and Feldenkrais Professional Training Program Student.
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Natalia Guseva: Movement and Somatic Practitioner specializing in emotional anatomy.
We’re happy to answer any questions:
+7(903)774-29-50 Ekaterina
+7(916)605-48-64 Natalia
More About the Sessions:
Session 1: Workshop “Awakening the Body”
The first session of the cycle serves as an introduction to the practice of mindful bodywork. You will explore the key principles of somatic work, learn about sensory-motor amnesia and how it manifests, and engage in a deep scan of your bodily sensations. This practice enhances the sensory cortex of the brain, expanding your sensory and motor repertoire.
Session 2: Workshop “Breath and Kindness”
In this session, we will focus on the somatic center and one of its key muscles—the diaphragm. People in Western cultures often develop a habit of tightening the diaphragm and holding their breath in response to any physical, emotional, or mental exertion. We will explore the connection between diaphragm function and judgmental or critical attitudes toward oneself and others. Participants will learn to relax the diaphragm and abdomen and release limiting patterns of thought.
Session 3: Workshop “Pain: An Unacknowledged Need”
This session explores how pain can reveal unmet needs and provides tools to address it through somatic awareness and movement. (Details to be expanded based on the specific focus of the session.)
Session 4: Workshop “Self-Image”
Moshe Feldenkrais begins his book Awareness Through Movement with the statement, “We act in accordance with our self-image.” Every action we take is shaped by a blend of heredity, upbringing, and self-discipline. Our self-image develops through our actions and reactions to everyday life experiences. The final workshop in the “Awakening the Body” cycle helps participants understand how their self-perception manifests in their body and provides tools to influence the most adaptable element of the self-image: self-discipline.