Embodied Presence

The most present I felt in recent memory was after I had a Chi for Two® bodywork session akin to a craniosacral massage. I walked out of Harbor of Dreams Art and gazed blissfully at my surroundings. Did I have an urge to change (improve) my experience such as listening to music, eating a snack, or texting my best friend about how great I felt? No. My feeling of my experience being enough is what I wish we all could have access to. But in a Dopamine Nation, which is the title of Dr. Anna Lembke's bestselling book, that feeling of this moment is enough can feel almost always out of reach. One way to be in touch with what Ram Dass titled Be Here Now or if you are an EDM fan Fatboy Slim’s “Right Here, Right Now” single is to sense from our first brain, our Belly-brain. When we were born, we could not lift our large baby heads. We were like starfishes using our five limbs (head included) to sense the world from our core out, rather than from our mind down. You may or may not be wondering how to access your Belly-brain? Chi for Two invites movement practices to access our Play/Dance or social engagement system instead of dopamine-fueled fight/flight activation followed by overwhelm in the form of shutdown. Gabrielle Roth, originator of the 5Rhythms said “The fastest way to still the mind is to move the body.”

You might or might not be wondering what kind of movements, in what sequence, and at what time will “still my mind?” Chi for Two does not use prescriptive movement practices as each of our nervous system’s functioning is unique to us. Chi for Two incorporates movements that are developmental and relational. Movements we do in the womb, in the pouch, in the lap and during exploration of learning about who we are through interaction with our primary caregivers. An elbow push out from the core can promote contralateral movement, and twisting across the midline from side to side enhances communication between the left and right brain hemispheres. Contralateral movements can support directing of movement into health-oriented activities including drawing, peeling vegetables, or folding laundry. Often, presence in a group is experienced during yoga, guided meditation, or perhaps listening to an orchestra. But Chi for Two allows for embodied presence during the exchange of big ideas not just during guided movement, silence, and spectacle. Like all healing and sustainable practices, Chi for Two is not a Big Pharma obsessed and western revered quick fix or miracle pill. With Chi for Two you can find your own rhythm and move at your own pace. The Head-brain and Belly-brain flow between each other with Chi for Two creating embodied presence.