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0 appreciations This IDOC is a class documentation of my Body awareness and movement class for people struggling with an eating disorder. I was co-operating with The Eating Disorder Association of Eastern Finland and working there during the year 2013 – 2014 with work grants by Arts promotion Centre Finland. Purpose was develop body awareness, and through that provide way of express individuals repressed feelings and affect positively to people who often have body image dissatisfaction.
I found out that using the space as a part of the tasks helped individuals to focus on the task instead of focusing of body image issues. It seemed that for the participants it was often easier to concentrate to space than oneself or each other. We worked lot of in specific spots in the training space. Training place was usually art gallery so it provided a lot of opportunities. We were also working outside, on the river shore and in the forest.
This documentation is about class which topic was “Spaces, spots, places”. It was kept on the river shore in Joensuu, Finland. Because of the nature of the class I don’t use video or photographs about the people.
Structure of the class:
1. Everyone looks for the place to be and takes time to listen to the sounds that are taking place around us.
2. Starting to observe how does it feel to sit, stand or lie down (depending on in what position everyone is). When it feels like, they can change the position. Moving at the space happens by changing position. Everyone chooses is there slow or quick changes, maybe both. It is possible to go near to other people if it feels comfortable. Specific position of hand is our mark what means “I don’t want you to come closer”.
We continue this for a while. Eventually everyone is standing and looking to the water.
I think that is the point where to move on:
3. Starting to see and watch beautiful or interesting things like logs, rocks, plants, flowers (or part of those) and placing themselves so that they are somehow related to their choices (with the touch or without). There are three levels: earth, middle and high where to move when they change their places. Mosquitos are a bit disturbing and I say that “you can use also mosquitos as a helping tool”. One girl begins to place herself near the different mosquitos. Everyone start to take part of the “mosquito game” and it seems to be fun. My experience as a leader was, that now there is moment what I’ve been looking for. Group is really present in time and for the moment they have lost the certain control that belongs to people who has eating disorder. That is very touching and happy moment. They move quite quickly and we need to take a rest after the game.
4. One girl says that: “Mosquitos have beautiful wings I hope that I would have also”. Sometimes I wonder can participants sense what is coming or is it just a coincidence. We continue so that everyone thinks, what are beautiful body parts of their own body. That is the point where movement begins and that part leads moving. We take 5 point. It can be every time, but if it is possible, it could be interesting to change points every time. People are improvising with this idea. It seems working. They are concentrated and tired. I ask them to find an ending to the stillness.
5.Finding relaxinglaying down or sitting. Everyone is laying down. Breathing, allowingit to be as it is, without resisting or clinging to it. “Breathing in, allowing, Breathing out, letting be.”
6. Ending: Sharing experiences about the class with each other through the talking. I ended every class so that everyone got opportunity to share their thoughts. That was very significant moment for the participants. When we met first time they hoped especially the possibility to talk. Sharing was important part of the process that helped to create trust between us.
In the end of class we had interesting discussion about the beauty. Environment was inspiring and participants enjoyed. Sharing was a little bit more open than earlier. Moving in the river shore created lot of meanings of life and provided somatic experiences for the group. This class had special meaning also for me as a teacher, because it revealed so strongly how important this kind of doing can be.
Pictures below:
1.Place where we were working
2.Drawing where are points from where people started to move (part 4 in the structure of class). I asked them to mark those points to paper that I had with me (if they want). Nearly everyone put there some points.
Here is link to my other IDOC: A general description of my Body awareness and movement class for people struggling with an eating disorder
http://www.idocde.net/idocs/890
 river |  Marked body parts |
This project has been funded with support from the European Commission.