Emily Wishall - Final Project

1. Describe your process. Why did you choose your project? Why did you choose this method for sharing it?

 

            I am currently really curious about combining a Floor Flow loop with Animal Flow. Going back-and-forth between the two movements. I started with a simple loop & went through it on both sides twice. Then I would go through a flow I had already decided on of Animal Flow movements, going through it both sides twice. Then back to the Floor Flow loop & so forth.

            I am curious about what juxtaposing the two forms of movements helps elicit in someone’s movement as well as how it influences their emotional & mental state. Floor Flow is much more fluid, there’s more permission to move how your body desires in the transitions. Animal Flow is a very specific system with technical nuances in each movement that the body needs to do.

 

 

2.. What felt good (or provided a healthy challenge) in creating this project?

 

            I taught this back-and-forth in a recent class of mine. I found participants liked the ‘break’ that the loop provided after doing a more rigid & muscular Animal Flow effort.

            I think the challenge would be moving in & out of a more fluid flow state to a more rigid, exact movement state. The contrast between the two forms of movement might initially feel disruptive to some.

 

3. What do you think your project offers the viewer/participat? (Tools for accessing a Flow state, more awareness of the floor, etc. )

 

            I was surprised to find that after going through an Animal Flow segment, it seemed much easier for my body to drop more readily into fluid movement, more into a Flow state & less thinking about ‘getting it right’.

            I am still wanting to explore this concept of juxtaposing the 2 movements but I think the Animal Flow gives the mind an opportunity to work as you are consciously thinking of hitting each movement precisely. The fact that the mind has a ‘job’ I think helps a person access more of a Flow state &/or feel more connection from the ground when going back in their loop. I also think it has something to do with having more of a muscular response & work, meaning since the muscles just worked hard ‘were amped up’, the body can more readily let go of tension & melt into the support of the ground beneath it.

 

4. If there is ONE thing that you would do differently, what is it?

 

            Bring more attention to breath, both in myself & when participants were moving through this. In a later round, asking them to sync breath with movement.

 

5. What did you learn from this experience that you will apply to your own training or teaching?

 

            I keep coming back to simple is more. The simpler a loop is or an Animal Flow sequence is, the more opportunity there is to invite participants into exploring different qualities of movement, to explore their breath. When more & more complexity of movement is layered on, it brings folks more into their head & provides less opportunity for someone to access a Flow state or even to have a more enjoyable movement experience.

I played with combining a Floor Flow loop with Animal Flow  (Quadrupedal Movement Training). I am curious about the immediate back-and-forth juxtaposition of a more fluid open loop followed by a predetermined Animal Flow, where you are still moving in multiple planes of movement but are more specific & rigid in your positions. In the video, I go through the loop twice on both sides, then go through the Animal Flow twice on both sides, then repeat.

Emily Wishall - Loop

1. What are the easy-to-remember ingredients of your loop? (this could be movements/positions/actions/images)

-       Staggered seat

-       Back

-       stomach

 

2. Describe your process. How did you choose the parts? How was your experience leading up to filming this? What did you need to do to get in the right state of body/mind/spirit to Flow?

-       I chose these 3 positions as they are simple. I taught the loop to my mom & brother who are completely new to this kind of movement so wanted to keep it really simple & easy to help them find a bit more fluidity.

 

-       I also find myself using the staggered seat most commonly, it’s kind of my default. I am working to be more creative on how I start a loop.

 

-       Before filming this I was honestly quite tired, it was the end of the day, I almost didn’t record & was going to do it again in the morning. Instead, I decided to record myself tired.I was thinking maybe my sleepiness would help get me out of my head & trying to ‘do it right’.

 

3. What felt good ( or provided a healthy challenge) in this loop video experience?

-       What felt good to me was the entering & exiting of the floor. It feels really yummy to my body to do the sandwich that you taught us, it makes it feel so easy, fluid to go from sitting to lying on the ground & the reverse.

-       The healthy challenge is my loop was just to one side. My challenge is making the movement a seamless wave as I change directions.

 

4. If there is ONE thing that you would do differently, what is it?

-       I would have given myself more time.

-       In the future, I would play with inviting in more spinal movement. After going through the loop a few times, I would play with having my spine lead the movement.

 

5. What did you learn from this experience that you will apply to your own training or teaching?

-       When teaching the loop to my mom & brother, I learned I have a lot of work to do with cueing. I think spending more time before teaching on having a more clear idea/ theme would be supportive to help me give more concise, simple cues to help someone find the movement in their body.

-       I mentioned earlier that I was really tired when I started filming. After the very short loop, I was pleasantly surprised to find I was more present & awake, not necessarily alert, but more capable of doing tasks that required cognitive function. That was curious to me. Moving in this way feels really accessible, it doesn’t require much effort, & could be a nice thing to play with adding into transitions of my work day. I’ve also been playing with starting my training &/or ending my training with a loop (either as my warm up or cool down).

Kristina Dobyns - Final Project

Brainstorming floor movement

for clients with eating disorders and addictions


“Recovering is a process of coming to experience a sense of self. More precisely, it is a process of learning to sense one’s self, to attune to one’s subjective physical, psychic, and social self-experience….In recovery, they ‘came to their senses’ and learned to trust their sensed experience.”

 

Sensing The Self: Women’s Recovery from Bulimia

By Sheila M. Reindl

Page 5

“One may wonder what comes first - the chicken or the egg- as in the case of the large number of individuals with eating disorders (EDs) who also suffer from a history of trauma. Dance/movement therapist and psychologist Ann Krantz believes that ‘the symptoms of EDs serve to disconnect affect from the body, particularly as sexuality, trauma, and cultural influences contribute to conflicts in the woman’s [individuals’] developmental struggle toward self identity. Individuals with both conditions are known for ignoring the experience of living in their body. By ignoring their inner feelings and sensations (interoceptive experiences), they bury their emotions and the burial ground is the body itself. In all their forms, eating disorders offer a creative form of adaptive dissociation….

Our bodies house our feelings, sensations, and our native language, movement. From the first kick in our mother’s womb till our dying breath, we participate in a dance of life. Individuals suffering from both trauma and EDs have difficulty making their “house” a “home.” They often run away from “home” in an attempt to feel safer, centering their lives on using emotional driven behaviors as a way of attempting to alleviate the often horrific anxiety they might otherwise experience. Ressler explains, “As obsessed as clients with eating disorders are about their bodies, they aren't really ‘living in’ or ‘grounded in’ their bodies.”

 

Trauma Informed Approaches to Eating Disorders

Edited by Seuvert & Virdi

Page 115

 

 

Why floor movement may benefit clients with eating disorders + addiction



1) It can facilitate embodiment

“Embodiment is a way of being (non-dualistic conceptualization self) in which being is understood as residing in and manifesting from the body as one experiences the internal (i.e., physiological, emotional, cognitive), external (i.e., interpersonal, social, cultural), and existential dimensions of life.”

Embodiment and the Treatment of Eating Disorders: The Body as Resource in Recovery

By Catherine Cook-Cottone

Page 1

 

Versus dissociation

“A disruption of/and discontinuity in the normal integration of consciousness, memory, identity, emotion, perception, body representation, motor control, and behavior, which is normally well integrated in a healthy person” (p 21 Seuvert & Virdi)




2) Improved confidence

3) Enhanced connection especially with partner and group work  (Body Keep The Score)

4) Practicing creativity

5) It is a form of self expression

6) Practicing vulnerability (Reindl p. 237)

7) It promotes attunement to oneself (Reindl p. 100)

8) Enhanced interoception

9) The potential to practice self compassion

10) The potential to practice kindness to oneself

11) Working on presence

12) Playing with and awareness of breath

13) It is a form of physical exercise

14) Being in different body positions is disarming

15) It is grounding, both figuratively and literally

16) New activities = neuroplasticity

17) It is playful

18) It is FUN!

Idea: “Think critically about what you have learned to sense and about what your socialization may prevent you from recognizing as significant. Consider what you have been socialized to think of as disgusting, beautiful, offensive, and pitiful and how these judgements relate to sensory perceptions of smells, sights, sounds, tastes, contexts, and so on.”

 

Embodiment in Qualitative Research

Laura L. Ellingson

Page 27

 


Trauma-informed environment

Disclaimers at the beginning

Spacing of participants

Lights

Noises (safe and relaxed)

Ensure doors do not open (privacy)

writhing (triggering)

Sensuality (triggering) (intake form and expectations- consent- what others may do)

Breathing (triggering)

Connecting to oneself (triggering)

Floor itself can be hard – advising in advance to wear long sleeved, perhaps cushiony clothes

DOSING  - How to contain if difficult reactions arise? What does it look like? debriefing?

Trauma-informed language

Invitations

Prompts that facilitate certain topics/experiences

(e.g. not how can we make this movement look good/look flashy? But how can we make this feel good? Feel more easeful?)

 

Invitations:

As Marlo recommends: Offer corrections/technical suggestions as possibility-seeking questions. For example, rather than “Bend your knees” “don't forget to bend those knees”, try “Bring your attention to your knees. Is there a possibility of more movement in the joint? Can they bend as well as straighten? Let’s stay with the bent position for some time…”

I want to use more words that encourage students to be in their body versus from the view of an external observer.

“check in for the part of your body that is not in pain and sit in a moment of gratitude for that.”

“Notice what part of this movement feels delicious”

Focusing on sensations

Inquiry

Neutral observations

Purposeful pauses and silence on my behalf, to allow them their experience

Give them explicit permission to modify or rest


Prompts/Questions:

Be curious about…

What and how questions

What does that feel like?

How was that for you?

The invitation is….

A suggestion…

Play with….

You have the option of…

“A crucial term is ‘a sense of,’ as distinct from ‘concept of’ or ‘knowledge of’ or ‘awareness of’ a self or other. The emphasis is on the palpable experiential realities of substance, action, sensation, affect, and time. Sense of self is not a cognitive construct. It is an experiential integration.”




The interpersonal world of the infant: a view from psychoanalysis and developmental psychology

Daniel Stern

page 71

 

Kristina Dobyns - Loop

. What are the easy-to-remember ingredients of your loop? (this could be movements/actions/images)

Reach

Relax

Move

2. Describe your process. How did you choose the parts? How was your experience leading up to filming this? What did you need to do to get in the right state of body/mind/spirit to Flow?

It was a bit more challenging than I thought, logistically. I never film myself, so at first I didn't realize I needed my computer AND phone to record myself..Then in the space I was renting I couldn't turn up the music because a yoga class was going on…then I didn't have storage on my phone…again and again my attempts were dashed, although I did get sections recorded but never felt satisfied. In the take I submitted, I still didn’t love all aspects. The self critic comes out. I’m not good enough, blah blah blah. But I decided that it doesn’t have to be perfect. It reflects me, as I am, doing my best in this moment :)



3. What felt good ( or provided a healthy challenge) in this loop video experience?

I noticed the reaching and moving segments felt more fluid for me. The “relaxing” part, ironically enough, felt challenging to demarcate. I didn't want “relaxing” to appear dead, short, lackluster, or weak. So I tried to find the balance between a sort of relaxing/retreating type of movement, that feels congruent, but also doesn’t just die in form or energy.

4. If there is ONE thing that you would do differently, what is it?

Maybe repeat the exact movements of one of the loops again. Each time, I did the loop but improvised a different manifestation. Perhaps I could have played with repeating the same exact loop multiple times.

5. What did you learn from this experience that you will apply to your own training or teaching?

Loops may not be easy but when we give ourselves grace, it is enjoyable, even in the challenge.

____

Evidence of class: Floor flow “class”

_____

Special Project Debrief

 

1. Describe your process. Why did you choose your project? Why did you choose this method for sharing it?

I chose this project because addiction and eating disorders are near and dear to my heart. I wanted to choose a project I was interested in, so I tasked myself to consider what the utility might be to have floor movement for those with addictions/EDs, and what might the facilitator need to consider when teaching a class or working with clients? I came across quotes in my research that stood out to me, so I included them.



2.. What felt good (or provided a healthy challenge) in creating this project?

It was a nice challenge to put some things on paper and think formally about this topic. I had to dig through some books of mine to find relevant passages and ideas.



3. What do you think your project offers the viewer/participat? (Tools for accessing a Flow state, more awareness of the floor, etc. )

Considerations for working with a specific population, and trauma-informed considerations that can be applied for all occasions and populations



4. If there is ONE thing that you would do differently, what is it?

All of it can be expanded and fleshed out.



5. What did you learn from this experience that you will apply to your own training or teaching?

It is a nice starting point for me. In the future, I would like to continue this project either academically or as a teacher and/or both.




3C. 1-3 Sentence Summary of your project.

What did you do? Why should anyone watch it?

(use this opportunity to entice others to check out your work). We will be loading your projects into a “gallery” and these few sentences will appear under the cover image for your work.

Brainstorming the utility of floor movement for those overcoming addictions, compulsions, eating disorders, maladaptive patterns, and trauma. Considerations for teaching a trauma-informed class.



Jillian Frayne - Final Project

My Journey to Juicy

(Connecting with the ground, my breath and continuity.)

 

My final project represents my journey to juicy floor flow movement.

 

Before this training, I wasn’t all that sure how to use the floor in a meaningful way apart from the usual pole low flow based items.

 

I found it quite difficult at the beginning to do a loop as I could feel the hard floor, not to mention my hard stiff body. It was all very far from juicy. I think I pulled an abdominal muscle at one point earlier in the year doing the spiral exercise that the lovely Leah Woods taught us in her guest workshops. Nonetheless, that movement concept stuck with me.

 

Initially, I just lay down. I had little clarity on what I was going to do. The first thing I noticed was that I held my breath almost the second I was there. I did many sessions of writhing and rolling around the floor before I felt I could start my project to Juicy.

 

Eventually, I decided to adopt a “see what happens” approach for the first recorded session (Music: Sweetbox - Everything’s Gonna be alright). In this session there was variety in my movement with spiralling, writhing, level changes, stretching and contracting and threading although it didn’t feel clean nor thoroughly comfortable.

 

In the second session I applied the instruction to “push and pull the floor with different contact points” (Music: Doja – Control). There was a significant difference in the quality of some movements. My body felt lighter and I felt more attuned to and supported by the floor.

 

In the third session, (Music: Cannons- Temporary Romance) I recalled the initial piece of homework we submitted “entry to the floor” and remembered how awkward this whole piece felt so I decided to return to this concept to play with my entry. I experimented further with “driving into the contact points”. I had removed socks for this session so that I could use my feet for “sliding and pushing” while my hands did more “reaching” resulting in a luscious lengthening. Another area of focus was on slowing down my movement and really paying attention to what was happening in my hips (writhing)

 

 

In the fourth session, (Music: Meg Myers - Desire) I returned to my starting place on the floor and played with seated crossover slide as well as “gliding across the floor” “using up space” and “taking pauses”. I noticed an improved ability to use pressure in my feet despite wearing socks for gliding. I feel that my movement became more expansive in this session. I definitely felt really comfortable in parts.

I felt completed rooted in the process, my body and mind felt open to the floor and to the flow. I utilised a lot of slide and glide in this session and as a result found new pathways to shapes I hadn’t really explored in great detail before. I also focused on driving into the hands as contact point which provided lots of opportunities to create air between me and the floor and as a result consistent level changes. I made more use of my knees on the floor in this session.

 

In the fifth session (Music: Dadju & Anitta – Mon Soleil). I attempted to use more “sweeping and reaching” and felt a difference in contraction and lengthening movements

 

In the final session,(Music: Johnny Rain…F**k) I did some warm up movements on my feet to lead into my entry to the floor, I felt much more comfortable entering the floor into flow having included this at the start. I enjoyed this final flow so much I continued seen though the music had finished as it didn’t feel like the right time or place or position to exit the floor and for this session, I had cued and entry AND an exit. A “melting to the floor” to enter and an “Unsticking” to exit.

 

The result of these sessions is that I have “slided” and “glided” and “pushed” and “pulled” and “twisted” and “turned” “contracted” and “lengthened” through a wide range of moves from the programme to find what would become my loop. Throughout this journey, I took the opportunity to share some of these learnings with our studio client base. It was interesting to receive their feedback as well as watch them execute the movements I had demoed and provided cues for. For the most part, they enjoyed the experiences and like myself reported feeling strange and uncomfortable on the floor until they felt themselves flowing into the cues.

 

I feel like throughout this journey I have been learning about my body as well as the relationship a learner develops with the floor.

 

I did demonstrations of spiralling and gave them the opportunity to try this movement for themselves.

I included the “paint the floor” cue as well as “lead with your top hand”, “follow with your eyes”

The day I recorded my final loop, I did demonstrations of side slide to floor with instruction to “writhe” once they found their way to their back.

I wasn’t entirely sure I would be able to record my final loop in one go but I did and for this I am extremely grateful for my Journey to Juicy Project as it was this consistent showing up on the floor that led to the loop. I am excited to keep moving into the future with floor flow practice. My recordings have shown me opportunities to work on new loops using the material from the programme.

 

Thank you

∞

Jillian Frayne - Loop

1. What are the easy-to-remember ingredients of your loop? (this could be movements/actions/images)

Side Slide (Lengthening through side body)

Weight transfer

Shoulder roll

Bring the Breathe…exhale

 

2. Describe your process. How did you choose the parts? How was your experience leading up to filming this? What did you need to do to get in the right state of body/mind/spirit to Flow?

 

I feel like these parts chose me. In each session where I have gotten to the floor and actually recorded myself, the pathway to these parts gradually opened up. I feel I needed the right music to assist me to get in the right state to flow slowly and consistently.

 

3. What felt good ( or provided a healthy challenge) in this loop video experience? 

 

I feel like the found the wave in this loop. Using the breath helped me to sense more and as a result my movement quality changed. My movement was slow and consistent (for the most part). I felt as I was moving from sleepy to alert as I transitioned between side slide through shoulder roll.

 

4. If there is ONE thing that you would do differently, what is it?

I wouldn’t do anything different in this loop, I really enjoyed it, it challenged me and felt good in my body.

 

5. What did you learn from this experience that you will apply to your own training or teaching?

I realise that I need to slow down in my movement, so that, I can actually gain a holistic sense of what part of my body is doing what movement at a given moment and what comes next. This is key learning for me in going from awkward to getting really comfortable with the floor as a tool to experience my body and its movement patterns.

Mansha Imtiyaz - Final Project

Project Topic: Bringing FLOW to yoga classes

 

Using gateway practices in Yoga classes to help people arrive and regulate their nervous system before teaching the yoga sequences. For the actual sequencing part, I played with the option of taking a well known yoga flow (such as a sun salutation A or B) as most are aware of what the components are and letting them FLOW and vary their pace, intensity, speed through that. I didn’t explore the distance option in this video (I forgot :D). The other option was to teach a 3 component loop as we did in the training and use that as a base for moving, with a focus on breath, active contact points, varying the distances, depth and noticing the weight transfer.

 

3B. Written Overview of Your Process:

1. Describe your process. Why did you choose your project? Why did you choose this method for sharing it?

I initially wanted to explore the 3 component teaching as a learning mechanism. Due to time constraint I couldn’t do justice to that project. So I took the same concept and applied it on a yoga class setting. I choose this because I have been a yoga teacher who likes teaching creative sequences which can be something hard to pick up for others. I felt this could give me a framework to work everytime I have to teach a new sequence and help folks LAND in their body.

 

2.. What felt good (or provided a healthy challenge) in creating this project?

Doing a well known yoga sequence (I have done a LYT yoga training which is very neutral based, dont move your spine much and posture is everything is their motto) and making it fluid and flowy felt amazing.

 

3. What do you think your project offers the viewer/participat? (Tools for accessing a Flow state, more awareness of the floor, etc. )

This would give an overview of the concepts I have tried to incorporate floor flow teaching tools in a yoga class setting.

 

4. If there is ONE thing that you would do differently, what is it?

I would have liked to teach a full class based on this demo and then report on the experience. Might do that for the next testing session.

 

5. What did you learn from this experience that you will apply to your own training or teaching?

That I can take anything from anywhere and make my movement whatever I want it to be. I respect the rules of different movement practices such as yoga but I don’t have to fully adhere to the same standards that haven’t evolved since ages. an

 

3C. 1-3 Sentence Summary of your project.

 

The project demoes a brief showcase of how the floor flow teaching principles can be incorporated in a yoga class setting, while keeping the familiarity aspect but also elevating their FLOW experience.

Mansha Imtiyaz - Loop

1. Submit a video of you slowly moving through a loop and provide a written or verbal explanation of your process (more info on what to film, where, and how to submit below).

2. Teach the same loop to 2 or more people with the intention of helping them access Flow. Report on the experience, and ask them for feedback

3. What are the easy-to-remember ingredients of your loop? (this could be movements/positions/actions/images)

 

The loop has 4 components:

-       Thread under

-       Lift up to kneeling

-       Slide across the floor

-       Roll over

 

4. Describe your process. How did you choose the parts? How was your experience leading up to filming this? What did you need to do to get in the right state of body/mind/spirit to Flow?

 

I knew I wanted to keep a kneeling component in the loop - something that could transform to wild thing while flowing. While moving on the floor, I initially connected the thread under and lift to a kneeling position. For a while it was just these 2 components. After our group checkin, I was inspired to add a rollover (like a wind pushing you over). And to connect those pieces, the slide felt amazing (also the floor was very slippery when I first tried it). Leading up to filming, I only had access to the carpeted floor so the experience felt different. I was able to get in the right state once I acknowledged that the floor is not the same and requires a different effort from me to fully enjoy it. I ofcourse missed the slippery floor but enjoyed the different experience of flowing on soft cushiony carpet.

 

5. What felt good ( or provided a healthy challenge) in this loop video experience?

The slide felt great as I could pause there in a stretch and the lift up provided lots of option for variety.

 

 

6. If there is ONE thing that you would do differently, what is it?

I would have probably adapted the loop for the experience on the carpet. Used the cushion underneath to my advantage for more time on the knees or a soft roll.

7. What did you learn from this experience that you will apply to your own training or teaching?

 

The experience of doing the loop on the hardwood floor vs the carpet gave me an insight on how I can lead people through the same loop on different surfaces.

 

Wendy Chen - Final Project

3B: Written Overview:

1. Describe your process. Why did you choose your project? Why did you choose this method for sharing it?

 

I chose this project because I wanted to combine my love for movement and kids. I’m saddened that as kids grow up, they slowly lost that sense of playfulness and curiosity which is so so precious. My younger cousin(8yo girl) attends gymnastics classes, and the older cousin(12yo boy) is on the school’s basketball team and is into strength-building things these days(“toxic linearity in fitness culture” oh yay). Though the sports themselves have the space for play, little encouragement for improvisation/feel-good movements is offered by the teachers. I wonder if floor work classes could be the anchor that helps kids keep their curiosity and playfulness as they grow up. So I wanted to bring floor work to my two kids at home and see their reactions.

 

I chose this method for sharing because it just seems the most straightforward to see the kids’ reactions.

(p.s. the last minute is both of them on the spin pole lol, I’m nurturing the next generation of polers, so you are welcome)

 

2.. What felt good (or provided a healthy challenge) in creating this project?

 

The initial challenge was how to get the kids interested. Like how do I explain “floor work” and a “loop” in a way that they can understand and also finds fun? Kids don’t understand fancy jargon like, "using floor work to deepen mind-body-soul connection,” so I had to think about ways to make them excited. When I was getting ideas from Marlo’s YT channel, the first video was to introduce more swirls into floor work. I thought that would be perfect to teach the kids because who doesn’t like to spin on the floor?! So I just asked them if they wanna learn some cool tricks which will help them spin and swirl on the floor, and they said yes!

 

Then the challenge was also the space. The only wooden floor space we have at home is very limited, and their parents were walking around, and there were other distractions like toys. The kids were leaving the activities and coming back multiple times, so I had to gently ask them if they’d like to continue what we were doing before.

 

Another challenge was their age difference(i will elaborate on q4)

 

3. What do you think your project offers the viewer/participant? (Tools for accessing a Flow state, more awareness of the floor, etc. )

There was definitely no flow state lol, the limited space and their age difference created a lot of distractions. There was a lot of pause-and-resume. I did try to bring them more awareness of the floor, not sure if this 30mins movement session ignite anything within them because both of them already like to play on the floor (kids doing kids' things). It was for sure a fun time, with lots of laughters as always!

 

4. If there is ONE thing that you would do differently, what is it?

Having different activities for them because the older one is at the age where he can follow rules and focus on what I’m saying. But the younger one, as you can see from the video, she’s in her own zone playing a lot of the time, or she was distracting us😂I didn’t realize this before teaching them, but now thinking back, duh. kids and teenagers are in two very different stages of life. We did end up playing games like bumper cars after I realized the little one wants to play.

 

5. What did you learn from this experience that you will apply to your own training or teaching?

For teaching - Always plan a class from the perspectives of the attendees. There are no one-size-fit-all classes, as people come from different backgrounds and have different interests. What this means for me as a teacher, is to widen my movement choices in my own training. As a dancer, many of my movement patterns are influenced by the elegance of ballet, some hip hop, some contemporary, and now the sensual slithery movement. I want to challenge myself to move into places I don’t go often, so I can also teach people from all walks of life.

 

Also, the ability to change class activities on the spot based on feedback I observe in the class is also important. I included more play time on the floor after noticing the younger one couldn’t focus well on the techniques. Though it didn’t end up being a “floor flow” experience for them, it's more like “floor play,” but both of them still had a great time. I don’t know what this would look like in an adult class, but I think similar to the last point, expanding my own movement repertoire will help me to adapt to challenges in class.

 

As for teaching movement to kids(or maybe a child play therapist, idk yet), this experience has shown to me that kids would definitely enjoy movement on the floor as long as it’s suiting their developmental stage, meaning planning for activities that will keep them engaged. It will probably look very different than a floor flow class for adults, but I’m excited to read more books about children education and flow state.  I’ve bought the below books to further research!


3C: Project Summary

I taught my two little cousins because I love kids! Many kids grow up doing some physical activities(sports/dance), but most of those are taught with strict structures and allow limited play or improvisation. And our society’s conditioning and rules just further shape kids into rule-following adults. I wonder if floorwork could be a safe space/anchor that helps kids keep their curiosity and playfulness as they grow up.

Wendy Chen - Loop

1. What are the easy-to-remember ingredients of your loop? (this could be movements/positions/actions/images)

Downward dog(face-down position), supine X(optional pandiculation)

 

2. Describe your process. How did you choose the parts? How was your experience leading up to filming this? What did you need to do to get in the right state of body/mind/spirit to Flow?

 

I wanted to pick some positions that are opposite to each other, so I picked a face-down position and something with the back on the floor.

 

This was filmed in the Branch Museum in Richmond VA where my friend was having her wedding(I was a bridesmaid). I actually filmed this once in the gym I usually go to, but I was so excited when I saw such a gorgeous and spacious space with a beautiful wooden floor, I decided to film again! At first, I was a bit self-conscious because people were passing by to prepare for the wedding, and I also needed to get my makeup done so I didn’t have an infinite amount of time to just roll on the floor. But in the end, I decided to just be fully present for half an hour and move. I started with some freestyle dances and I rolled on the floor for a bit (not shown here) before I started this loop. The free play helped me drop into my body and I was able to flow through the loop.

 

3. What felt good ( or provided a healthy challenge) in this loop video experience?

 

The space felt really good - it’s a very special space because not every day I can free dance in a historical museum with so much space and no visitors walking around. The healthy challenge was also the location. Because I was in a completely new environment and also with people who can see my every movement when they walk past, I had to ground myself first before I can move with ease. Some feel-good free dances helped! I also didn’t have music because I had only my phone with me, so when I record videos, I couldn’t play music. It was special to move in silence and just listen to the sound of my body interacting with the floor and my own breathing.

 

4. If there is ONE thing that you would do differently, what is it?

I would experiment with more traveling. I usually explore more with speed/size/texture of movement. I want to be more creative with the ways to travel in the loop either vertically or horizontally.

 

5. What did you learn from this experience that you will apply to your own training or teaching?

Being able to ground before teaching a class/doing anything that requires a focused state is important. Maybe I could do some quick feel-good movements or breathing before I start a class.

(I recorded using Zoom so the audio was pretty bad ://)

Rachel Nunez - Final Project

Overview

I wanted to center my final project around exploring the implications of Floor Flow on scoliosis. Using floor flow as a way of posture correction, encouraging vital fluids to my spine, expanding my back's range of motion, and gaining muscle tone to support my spine.

This video shows my movements as I've learned from Floor Flow training, and how they might be implemented as an extra form of physical therapy. This experiment will continue, and I have already noticed so much improvement since I've started.

 

Why I chose this project

I grew up with scoliosis, where my spin not only curves in multiple areas, but also twists. After years of going to chiropractors, using machines for spinal correction, and physical therapy, I have not seen or felt any improvements. The limitations of my spine includes lack of range of motion, lack of strength, and inability to bend forward or to my left side. It kept me from achieving dance goals, as well as kept me from feeling comfortable in every day life.

As my dancing evolved i began to see slight improvements, but it wasn't until I discovered Floor Flow and started experimenting with these movements and including them in my everyday lifestyle did i start to actually see a visible difference in my spine. I not only feel happier and more comfortable, but i can actually see my body alignment changing and my range my motion becoming less inhibited. Even the pain I use to feel in my spine has dissipated.

 

Process

I used movements that encourage the following:

·       Blood flow

·       Gentle spinal twists

·       Spinal curve correction

·       Vertebrae extension

·       Extend my spine's range of motion

·       Muscle tone to help give spinal support and structure

 

 

Description of video

·       I started with small warm up movements

·       Moved into circular and bend movements

·       Added a bit of stretch in between movements

·       Remembering to breath out fully on the moments of pause

·       I started finding loops within loops as I let my hips move in circles

·       I played with a couple of loops that morphed from time to time

·       Back to lengthening my spine

·       After feeling warm, I started applying more tension and muscle

·       Ending with a very free form movement, in which I allowed my spine to be more free and understanding how the rest of my body responds

·       Ending with some gentle stretchy melts

 

Notes

The Incorporation of flow movement into my therapy is supplemented with other forms of therapy, such as hot/cold therapy, back rolling/massage, sitting in spinal extension positions, stretching, and drinking plenty of fluids. This is important to know because when using floor flow, my spine is experiencing new movements. If I have a more intense floor flow session, it may end up a bit swollen or sore. With time, consistency, and the above supplementation, my range of motion has improved and I can see corrections in my spine little by little. It will never be perfect without invasive procedures, but with Floor Flow, it has improved and may help slow down any deterioration in the future.

 

How it might help others

I hope that this will help others understand how healthy Floor flow can be for their body and for their mind, especially when it comes to scoliosis and other back problems. The spine is filled with many nerves and connections to the rest of our body. Making sure we take care of it and do all we can to have adequate blood flow and spinal health will go a long way to having a happier life. I also want to help others understand how they don't have to be a dancer to be able to implement healthy movements for their back and body into their lifestyle. Knowing these things can help ensure the continuous use of movement to improve their spinal health and happiness.

Rachel Nunez - Loop

My loop: standing, kneeling, sitting

I chose positions instead of movements/actions/images because I wanted the other ingredients to be more free and personal. Within these positions, I found many ways to move and create images and feelings which changed over time.

My experience leading up to the loop was a bit forced at first. After trying and trying each day to get the right loop, it just never felt good or easy. During the time before the loop, I wasn't as active as normal, so I didn't feel as creative or energized. This made me lean more toward movements that are more basic and used in everyday life.

I was feeling a bit frustrated after several attempts of trying to come up with something more unique, so I just stood up and started spinning, almost like letting my momentum pull me out of my own head. It took my mind off of my task, made me a little dizzy, and I felt more relaxed. This helped me get in the right state of mind, and I was able to find a loop that was natural for me in that moment. (It is a weird process, but I used to spin a lot as a child and that feeling is comforting to me)

What I like most about my loop is that I was able to add and take away tension in my movements between each position, which always feels good for me. I also like that these positions are regularly used in everyday life, so they are easily transferred to people that may not feel they have the time to move as often as others.

As I moved through this, I kept finding new ways to roll easier or more dynamically. I found I could add more movements in each position, add and decrease tension, change directions, travel, add spinal twists, lead with different parts of my body, change levels and contact points, and change my speed.

I learned in this experience that it's okay to be basic. Because the basic movements, at least for me, end up giving the most creative opportunities.  Starting basic and evolving into creativity is sometimes easier than struggling to find creativity at the start.

This is the video of me teaching the loop to others.  I cut out the portions of the video where we took small breaks, as well as my greeting.  On the silent portions, I sped the video up.