"Dynamic Embodiment - An Educational Tool for Health, the Arts and Community-building"

 

Dynamic Embodiment is a form of Somatic Movement Education and Therapy that seeks to awaken a person, group or organization to their humanity through the lens of bodily awareness. Educational research has been confirming the need for Socio-emotional intelligence in developing improved cognitive capacities. Somatic Education - a holistic form of embodied education includes socio-emotional-physical-cognitive integration.  Furthermore - in this day and age when injustice has surfaced as topic to be discussed, especially as a key deterrent in to equity in education, health and work,  somatic processes are of value. Through somatic explorations all humans touch in to both discomfort and comfort at a physical, social and emotional levels. This awareness is the starting point for dialogue - the dialogue of 'more than one story' as well as of difficult conversations. Communication based in somatic education can also serve as a bridge or passageway to interconnectedness, finding support,  developing tolerance and perhaps empathy, and discovering new choices that can enhance resiliency, and which if developed within a  social justice framework can lead to intensified caring of those who are different. 

 

 

The DE-SMTT process is deeply steeped in a Socio-Emotional Learning (SEL) paradigm, inclusive of a social justice lens.  It does this by claiming biases while attempting to use non-judgmental multi-sensory witnessing of self and others. The tools for this process include a primary lens of Body-MindCentering with Laban/Bartenieff Studies and secondary awareness of all the somatic movement systems outlined in Mindful Movement - the evolution of somatic arts and conscious action.  Another focus is on the place of white hegemony (and fragility) in this field. Through the use of diverse post-positivist Somatic Research methods together with the art of dancing and/or physical theatre DE-SMTT finds expression in one-to-one student work, classrooms of varied sizes and populations.  ít also underlies the systems of BodyMind Dancing (including BaBoMiDa- Baby BodyMind Dancing) and Moving For Life DanceExercise (originally for cancer recovery and now also for older adults and any person concerned about cancer).  Learn more about how elements of DE and the experience of DE as a whole address intersectionality and stuck places in education. 

 

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About Martha Eddy
Dr. Eddy has a long career in the instructional areas of somatics and movement science, including anatomy and physiology, and has been involved with medical research related to dance, therapeutic movement, and adherence to physical activity. She brings to all of this work her academic studies in curriculum development using the movement sciences within biobehavioral studies and health promotion. As a founding member and early conference coordinator for the International Association of Dance Medicine and Science, she holds a strong belief in advocating for creative career development in somatic dance and dance science. She is known for her work as a Registered Somatic Movement Therapist and as founder of the Dynamic Embodiment – Somatic Movement Therapy Training (DE-SMTT) program, which integrates skilled touch, movement, and compassionate dialogue to help people of all ages and abilities to relieve stress, find enhanced expressiveness, and balance all aspects of the body and psyche.

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See: 

http://drmarthaeddy.com/

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See also: 

http://desmtt.movingoncenter.org/

https://www.mmm.edu/live/news/3123

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From 8th-12th July Martha is leading her Dynamic Embodiment training at UCC. For further details contact r.ogorman@ucc.ie 

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