This Somatic Self is a collection of exercises and group work that connect people with their natural body’s resources and enable a greater range of connection and support with others.
Somatic means “the body as experienced from within”. It is the fusing of “you” with your body, so your body is no longer separate, a machine you control, but used in union and harmony with your complete awareness.
Two principles involved in this work are the natural breath and simply being visible with your experience.
The Natural Breath
The first principal of the class is developing an awareness of the natural breath. The breath is an involuntary mechanism that is subject to layers of conscious control and manipulation. It is thus a gateway between the conscious and the pre-conscious. Too often the conscious control is habitual and serves to block sensitivity and the free-flowing of emotions and the body’s natural wisdom. Almost everyone in this society has developed automatic tendencies restricting the free flowing of breathing in order to not allow ‘inappropriate’ (according to our culture) emotions and impulses to come forward.
The natural breath is the breath that occurs when all conscious control and restrictions are removed. It is not a particular type of breath, but rather responsive and with enormous variation that connects to the entire body, like an infant’s. It is a link to the present moment, and a constant affirmation that what is here in the body right now– whatever it is – is absolutely fine.
Being Simply Visible
Too often we slide between two polarities in relating with others: repressing emotions in order to fit in, and emoting, which is the ‘dumping’ of emotions onto others by trying to get rid of them. The balance between them is related to having good emotional boundaries.
“Don’t express, but don’t repress” – Chogyam Trungpa
Too often, throughout our lives, we develop habitual constraints that restrict our breathing and filter what shows in our face, body and voice. And yet, it is often through allowing ourselves to be seen, simply as we are, that we can get a truly visceral experience that we are good through and through and that our human state is not a barrier to building connections and a community.
Being visible starts with the connection with the natural breath, and involves allowing the inner experience to simply show itself to the world without force or effort. It is also an invitation for others to be visible with their own experience. It at first requires a safe container where we can also experiment with being human with all the awkwardness inherently involved.
Background
This work comes from a variety of traditions: Meditation (the Buddhism and Advaita Vedanta traditions), somatic awareness exercises, acting voice training, and a touch of clownish play to not take it all too seriously. This is not about learning to act – as one past participant described it, it is about learning how not to act.
This will be an active but gentle class filled with somatic exercises, sensory exploration of the process of free breathing, some expressive play, and sitting meditation to integrate the experiences. Pacing is slow and voluntary at all times – the most important aspect of this work is to connect with your body and impulses. The exercises are constructed in such a way that there is absolutely no ‘right’ way to do them.
Matthew is a long-time meditator in Buddhist and Advaita Vedanta traditions. He has a MSc from the University of British Columbia and is a trained actor who has studied voice and breath in the Linklater, Middendorf, and Fitzmaurice traditions. He has a strong awareness of psychology, somatic work and the up to 90% of communication not in the words chosen.
“I recently attended Matthew Spears’ 4 week “Breath and Self: A Somatic Shambhala Experience” course and I found it to be extremely interesting and helpful. The class is designed to get one out of the head and into the body and it succeeds in this aim. It pairs perfectly with mindfulness practice and the Shambhala approach as it brings in-the-moment body awareness/acceptance and breath awareness into every day life. Through combining movement and body exploration with mindfulness practice, Matthew’s approach assists us in remembering our mindfulness practice when confronted with the day to day rigours of life. In the course of this four weeks, I found myself better able to respond mindfully in situations where I might before have launched into autopilot mode. Matthew taught the course with playfulness, gentleness and compassion and enabled participants to come into their own space with acceptance and self kindness. I highly recommend this course to anyone wishing to expand their mindfulness practice”