Reflecting

    I am now about to embark on my second attempt at Module 2 and reflecting on what to do differently this time around in order to complete the module successfully. 

    This morning I started with the same writing workshop I did one year ago, held by the same man: Peter Thomas. It all felt very familiar as I pulled up the notes I wrote from before. I could place myself exactly where I was a year from now in the changing rooms, between rehearsals; I couldn't believe a year had passed. It felt strangely comforting to be reminded of the all the same information and be asked the same tasks. Peter has this real ease to his approach and makes you feel really comfortable with writing which can seem scary at a "University level". Having the same workshop and same notes in front of me, I could compare what I did last year, to now. Of course it was going to be somewhat easier, because I knew exactly what was going to be asked of me, but also I could see a great sense of improvement on how far I had come in one year. The task was "free writing" which means to simply just write about a topic without reading and editing. Before my thoughts came to the paper in very short, sharp statements and now I was able to unload more in depth sentences and find a flow, the more I wrote the more I was able to open up. 

     Revisiting this workshop gave me the confidence to approach this course one more time. I honestly still find it impossible to talk on camera and have knots in my stomach opening zoom, still not used to that part, but I am beginning to doubt myself a little less and start to enjoy unravelling my process and share on this platform. 

    Which lead me onto revisiting my inquiry topic. I still wasn't sure how I wanted to explore mindfulness in ballet but Mark Walsh got me questioning in his book "Embodiment- Moving beyond Mindfulness" on why he doesn't recognise ballet as an embodied practice. I try to approach my dance as embodied because I can feel it to benefit me greatly. I believe my chronic injuries I've had in ballet to be a result of not approaching the art as an embodied practice. As Walsh says "Any activity can be embodied, from surfing to gardening to knitting. My two criteria for a practice to be truly embodied are: 

1. That it's practiced with body-awareness. 

2. That it's aim is developing oneself. " p.35 Walsh. Embodiment- Moving beyond Mindfulness.

He then goes on to not include ballet as an embodied practice. It may not be considered as that in the grand scheme of things but all of it's "ways" and requirements point in that direction. Telling a story through the body can be one of the most powerful things, after all we experience with our whole selves and we train patterns best through our body. Reading and writing may and can help us, but we live and wholly experience through our senses and our whole organism. To his second point I believe I develop myself through ballet on a deep and high level at the intensity and high demand of the what the art requires of me. So what am I aiming at here? Am I casting an experiment to try and link embodiment into ballet and test the results? How can I run an inquiry? Am I trying to get ballet to be accepted in the embodiment world? Am I merely trying to make a point? I am not sure, but one thing for sure is I'm excited to get to the bottom of it. 

I don't doubt that embodiment is a journey, but my University Course follows a set of protocols and format that I must meet requirements and deadlines. How can I put structure to my journey to stay on task and come up with a conclusion to be proud of?

- Walsh, Mark. Embodiment- Moving beyond mindfulness. 2020 Unicorn Slayer Press.

 

Diagrams taken from embodiedfacilitator.com which can be also found in the book I quoted by Mark Walsh.