She stood still as a statue, with her hands by her side and her palms facing outward. She looked into my eyes and maintained eye contact as I began to move to the music. Slowly first, and then suddenly, as though I had lost every care in the world, I was dancing, and I was free.
Today was my first Movement Therapy class, and through it I learnt how to tap into the energies that surround me, and the ones that are within me.
Let me walk you through the basics without ruining the experience for you. Picture yourself in a room full of strangers, its dimly lit, with a low yet powerful beat playing in the background. You’re barefooted, and about to bare your soul, you just don’t know it yet. You’re nervous, you’re awkward, and you’re allowed to be it. A movement therapist will guide you through the journey, yet you are in complete control. You can choose to open up, clam down, do both or do nothing; when they say no judgement space, they mean it.
Our therapist Meghna Thaker encouraged us to use our body to tell our story. We explored the tales our shoulders, necks, pinky toes and even our navel wanted to say to us – and boy did they want to share! We felt the textures of the stone floor under our feet, the corners of the room, its cool stone walls – I even heard these walls giggle today. It was freeing and overwhelming to be playful and move in a way that felt right to me but didn’t necessarily have to make sense to anyone else.
You’re on your own exploration for most of the journey, however towards the end, with the group’s mutual consent, you can choose to partner up. The partner-work was the most freeing part of the experience for me. My partner was a complete stranger. Without conversation, she assured me through her body language that I was in a safe space. We looked into each other’s eyes for over a minute, I haven’t even looked into my mother’s eyes with that much intensity, nor ever a lover. It was uncomfortable, till it suddenly wasn’t. I was allowed in her personal space, and she in mine and the mutual respect was unlike anything I’ve ever felt.
Walking into the session I was:
Awkward
Intimidated
Aware of my body
Aware of my hair, my clothes
Aware of the strangers and fearful I would make a fool out of myself
Walking out of the session I was:
Overwhelmed by the release of all my emotions Comfortable in my body Comfortable to be uncomfortable Smiling, crying and experiencing a small fraction of emotional catharsis
Would I recommend this to everyone? Probably not, if you’re not going to go in with an open mind. However, if you’re ready to listen to the music your body is singing, embrace your inner child and feel something beyond the surface – go for it.
P.S. If you’re curious, this was a one-off workshop at Sava Goodness at Altamount Road with Meghna Thaker. But they’re always doing something so if you’re from Bombay it’s worth keeping an eye open for.
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