May Spirit guide us . . .
— Bill Chin, 48, father of two and an IT project manager
CREATIVE MOVEMENT WORKSHOP (NE Alberta & 19th)
Find your creativity & aliveness, fun exercise, connect with self & others through playful, authentic movement MEN’S CREATIVE MOVEMENT WORKSHOP: Also check out our regular weekly . . . MEN’S CREATIVE MOVEMENT CLASS: DISCOVER THE POWER OF MOVEMENT: Two of the most dynamic, thoughtful, and compassionate movement teachers in Portland, Felix Roth & Keyon Gaskin, will be empowering men to heal & play through creative movement & music. Have fun accessing the roots of your creativity through movement that expresses your authentic impulses & desire to play. Too many men have had their movement shut down by judgments, criticism, or teasing. In this class you’ll create a safe space to rediscover how to fully express yourself through movement. Your body will also show you how to come alive, let go of depression, anxiety, chronic pain, and so many challenges associated with frozen bodies. Your body holds your energy: your fear, your frustration, your joy, your ecstatic playfulness. Imagine who you can be if you learn how to unlock this energy with simple, authentic, creative movement. WORKSHOP ACTIVITIES: 1. BEGIN WITH SELF AWARENESS: Self-guided warm-up, focusing on breath, sensations (what’s tight, sore, feels good?), breathing into and bringing energy to areas of the body that want extra attention. Generally answering the questions where am I right now, and what does my body want? 2. BROADEN AWARENESS: Moving into exploring conscious touch with a passive partner, what does my partner’s body feel like, how does it like to move? Continue warm-up with a partner, staying focused on self, moving together using each other’s body for stretching and massaging. 3. EXPLORE 5 ELEMENTAL TYPES OF RHYTHM & MOVEMENT: In many traditional systems, there are 5 fundamental kinds of rhythm and movement. We’ll guide the group through 5-elements based movement improv exercises with music. One solo and one partner/group activity per element. 4. MOTION MASSAGE: Ending with introducing contact improv as bodywork. Using each others weight, and gravity to apply pressure to the body parts that want it. Learning to use the whole body as a massage tool. No hands! Emphasizing taking responsibility for self, being selfish, asking for what you want, honoring boundaries, and staying in a playful space with it all; experimenting freely. Don’t think, trust your body! CO-FACILITATORS: Felix Roth (see photo above) is a Licensed Massage Therapist, founder of the Motion Massage School of Bodywork, one of the founders of Portland’s renowned Sacred Circle Dance, and a long-time teacher and practitioner of various forms of movement, healing touch, cranio-sacral balancing, Thai Massage, and ecstatic dance.
Keyon Gaskin has danced professionally for a variety of companies across the country with a focus in modern, tap, ballet, and African dance. He became interested in contact improv and using movement as a form of healing approximately 4 years ago, and has since become infatuated with the power of movement in our lives. He developed a Creative Movement Class in Chicago 2 years ago and has worked with diverse groups to get people more comfortable with their bodies and using their movement as a form of expression, meditation, and therapy. SPONSOR: Manifest, a non-profit men’s wellness community, empowers men to pursue their wellness visions & passions together in more than 50 events monthly; no one turned away for lack of funds; work-study available if you call in advance to schedule. INFO: Keyon or Felix at 503-223-8822 x1 |
