“If we can reconcile ourselves to the mysterious truth that the spirit is the life of the body seen from within, and the body the outward manifestation of the life of the spirit— the two being really one— then we can understand why the striving to transcend the present level of consciousness through acceptance of the unconscious must give the body its due.”
~ C. G. Jung
This presentation explores inner-directed movement as a way to bridge the realms of conscious and unconscious, body and psyche, instinct and spirit, affect and image, memory and emergence. Our session begins with how Jung discovered Active Imagination, an overview of the four steps of this approach, and how to integrate our learnings into everyday life. We’ll explore how one of Jung’s early patients embodied this process and learn about other key pioneers in integrating the body in healing, including Mary Starks Whitehouse who pioneered the Authentic Movement approach. We discuss how dream images, symbols, and body symptoms can be used as starting points for movement, explore different polarities in the body, and the importance of recognizing “the Shadow.”
Says Jung, “My soul, where are you? Do you hear me? I speak, I call you – are you there? I have returned, I am here again.” Through presentation and a brief embodied experience we’ll explore dance/movement as a form of active imagination, with special attention to the living body in analysis, healing, and transformation.