The Body Knows: A Four Week Embodiment Course Exploring Sense, Play, Rewilding & Rest

"The body knows things about which the mind is ignorant" - Jacques Lecoq

The Body Knows is a four week online journey of learning to listen to the innate wisdom of your body.

The intention of this work is for you to cultivate a deep and powerful relationship with yourself and the natural world, so that you may live and act from a place of truth and courage. There will be practical and easy tools shared each week for deep exploration & release. 

Through verbal, non verbal, somatic and physical embodiment practices you will tap into your body's natural urges, desires, fears and creativity to increase sensitivity, emotional awareness and confidence.

As your listening skills develop you will get to know yourself in new ways, and have a better understanding of who you are and what you need.

What we are being faced with collectively gives us the opportunity to slow down, and tune into the subtle language of the body.  

Overview: 

• Each week you will receive a detailed follow up email & video recaps of the practices we covered from each theme. 
• You will have the opportunity to share in smaller groups to form deeper connections & group support.
• There will be a mixture of embodied practices, such as movement and meditation, theatre games as well as sharing circles and rituals.
• It’s encouraged to have a movement journal to document your practice. This can be written, drawn,  recorded via voice notes or video or a mixture of all these mediums. 

“I signed up out of curiosity, not knowing what to expect, and now I am amazed by the after-glow effect it left on my life.” 

Practices we will cover

• Lecoq The Moving Body: Acting & Clown. 
• Active Listening & Journalling.
• Alexander Technique: Voice
• Contact Improvisation.
• Embodied Leadership.
• Somatic movement & meditation.

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Structure:

WEEK 1- Sensing

Opening our embodied sanctuary by turning on our senses; noticing the subtle details and unique textures that each one brings. 

This week we lay the fertile ground for our somatic - embodiment journey together. You will learn practices inspired by Feldenkrais and Taoism, and receive an in depth practical introduction to somatic movement meditation.

Keywords: Discovery, subtlety, fertility, rebuilding, playfulness, creating space.

WEEK 2 - Wild Play 

Leaping into liminal space and tasting what it means to embody your creativity!

In this session you will explore embodied creativity, connection, surprise and risk. You will playfully discover deep contact with yourself and others by learning light and playful techniques drawn from clowning, improvisation and theatre. We will celebrate our fallible and imperfect bodies as the main portal for spontaneity, authenticity and meaning. You will discover the role of body impulses and emotions in tension release, self-expression and presence, and reflect on the role and position of our inner child - like expression through learning, healing and play.  

Keywords: Wild Play, expansiveness, unblocking, clowning, transformation, release, taking space, empowerment.

WEEK 3 - Rewilding

Embodying the change you want to become. 

Here we research how malleable we can actually be & how things like self limiting beliefs or negative self-talk literally shape us. Using practices from acting methodology, authentic movement, meditation & ritual you will learn how to rewire your body language. You will dig deeper into your embodied wisdom to let go, shift and make space for your intuitive self to emerge.

Keywords:  Ritual, co-creation, staccato, meditation, reflection, harvesting.

WEEK 4 - Rest 

Dreaming and deeply listening to what our bodies truly need from moment to moment.

This week we will surrender to what it means to rest. Gentle and tender somatic movement, self massage and deep soma meditative states. We will come together in community and kinship to share our discoveries, learnings and how to take what we’ve learnt into our lives and beyond.

Keywords: Self love, softness, deep listening, stillness, somatics, lyrical, closing.

"Absolutely incredible, life changing session. Dani is an amazing facilitator who really helps you to embrace your inner child, be silly and play. She transports you to another world and I will be implementing the things she taught us into my everyday life." 

This course may be of benefit if you are

• Feeling disconnected from your mindbody and nature.
• Seeking new ways to reconnect with your body's natural rhythm.
• Are wanting to create your own embodiment - soma practice or add to your already existing one.
• Seeking new ways to unlock creative or emotional blockages that are holding you back and want to create more space for self development.
• Wanting to give your body some self love and attention, to feel fitter and healthier whilst having fun too!

About Your Facilitator

Dani is an accredited Somatic Coach in training, trained actor and dancer, activist and workshop facilitator. She has a playful and sensitive approach, combining a range of disciplines including acting, contemporary dance, somatics, alexander technique, ritual, meditation and clowning.

Dani is the founder of Wild Play Lab; curating workshops, retreats and facilitating the unfolding of play as a tool for self transformation and wellbeing.
Wild Play Lab has formed collaborations across the UK with Mind Over Monkey, The Psychedelic Society, Medicine Festival, The Collective, House of Togetherness, Noisily Festival, Antidote, Poetry Cafe, Shine Charity, Beat Charity and Bootstrap Charity.

Dani has worked as an international performer, director and workshop facilitator for over 12 years. She has worked extensively in film, theatre, radio and TV, and has toured internationally with self devised shows.

Organisations she has worked with include:
The BBC, The British Youth Filming Academy, Contact Youth Actors Company at Contact Theatre (Manchester), The Royal Exchange Youth Company (Manchester), CYAC (Contact Young Actors Company) and Blue Eyed Soul Dance Company.

Dani is currently signed with acting agent ‘The Narrow Road Company.’

Education & Training:

The Somatic School -  (Accredited Somatic Coach in training)

Alexander Technique with Trish Baillie (Manchester)

The British Youth Filming Academy

Embodied Activism by Rae Johnson 

Jon Davis Clowning School

Tough Cookie Mental Resilience Training 

East 15 Acting School (BA Acting)

Teatr Pieśń Kozła / Song of the Goat Theatre (Poland)

Testimonials:

"Absolutely incredible, life changing session. Dani is an amazing facilitator who really helps you to embrace your inner child, be silly and play. She transports you to another world and I will be implementing the things she taught us into my everyday life." Maggie.

“What a blessing to have discovered Dani’s work! I have done one wild play workshop before joining the 6 weeks course because I was totally immersed in the first experience. I signed up out of curiosity, not knowing what to expect, and now I am amazed by the after-glow effect it left on my life. I feel much safer in my body because it’s so much easier now to just be silly and intrigued by whatever arises. Everyone on the course holds space for you—you will find respect, appreciation, love, honesty, vulnerability with different beautiful beings. Whether you consider yourself a wallflower or a wild animal, this is an open environment for everyone! You show up as who you are and be reminded that there is your facilitator’s guidance but also your body’s, so just do whatever you feel. This course was my weekly joy-dose. Thank you, Dani. Much love. ” - Maram.

“It felt like a really natural way of being, of playing, allowing the child self that always sits inside the freedom to unfold without judgment. Dani's sensitivity to the whole, and the way she guided us and nudged us softly in different directions felt really natural and balanced." - Asher Sai B’Hahn

"Dani's facilitating was magical. I felt like I was softly guided into the world of play without even realising that she was taking me there, and then she held me there so gently and unobtrusively that a whole world could develop around me that was beautifully expansive, but also completely safe!" - Maddy Li

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Investment

I offer three payment options to support people on a lower wage. If you consider yourself to be a high earner then paying to abundant option helps to subsidise places for people on lower incomes. We really appreciate your support.

If you feel strongly called to come but cannot afford the low income option, or to set up a payment plan do get in touch. 

Low income - £95
Standard - £120
Abundant - £145

EVENT DETAILS

You’ll need to create a free zoom account which you can set up here: zoom.us

DATES: Four consecutive Wednesdays starting 5th May. Each session is 7-9:15pm
TICKET PRICES: £95-145
DOORS OPEN: 18: 45
NO ENTRY AFTER: 19:00 To avoid disruption to the event, latecomers may not be admitted.

ENQUIRIES: wildplaylab@gmail.com

REFUNDS POLICY: Please note, we do not arrange refunds or exchanges. When possible we encourage reselling on Ticketswap.

ACCESS:  We do our best to include everyone in our events, regardless of health circumstances. If you have access requirements please email the event organiser directly to discuss. Many facilitators are able to offer reduced ticket prices for those truly unable to afford the ticket price. If this applies to you, do please get in touch with the event organiser.

For PSYCHEDELIC KNOWLEDGE AND RESOURCES please check out the Psychedelic Society website. 

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