Topic Category: SOL

PREPARATION Practice the Three Somatic Dimensions and be prepared to talk about your continued experiences with Length, Width and Depth. Review the Blank Example Course Syllabus and Example 1 Course Syllabus: Working on a Tropical Farm from the Course Syllabus topic. Go to the Materials tab above; click the links for these two documents: Blank … Read more

Kata is a Japanese word (型 or 形) meaning literally “form” – referring to a detailed choreographed pattern of movements made to be practiced alone, and can also be reviewed within groups and in unison when training. Katas are used in many martial arts as well as other traditional forms such as kabuki theater and … Read more

As preparation for exploring the elements of a Syllabus in Zoom Class 5, imagine a short course you would like to teach – 3-5 classes in length. Each class could be anywhere between one to three hours long. Remember, you do not have to create a Syllabus at this time. You are just becoming familiar … Read more

“By attending to our internal conversations, our bodily reactions and the way we shape ourselves to others, we are able to see how and where we are gripped by our historical conditioning … It is the first step to returning ourselves to center and choice.”    – Richard Strozzi-Heckler, from “The Conditioned Tendency” in The Anatomy … Read more

PREPARATION Review Presentation Skills – Part 1 and practice delivering your vision and mission statements (that you wrote in Zoom Class 3). Required reading: The Courage to Teach: pages 1-21; Introduction, Ch. 1 through topic – When Teachers Lose Heart – (page numbers may vary depending on which edition of this book you have – … Read more

Definition of Observe:– to notice or perceive (something, someone) and register it as being significant– to watch carefully and attentively– to pay attention with caring Word Origin: Latin observare – to attend to, look at, watch Definition of Observation:– the action or process of observing something or someone carefully in order to gain information– the … Read more

Presentation skills form the bedrock for effective communication while teaching or working with an individual or a group. The fundamental act of speaking in front of others to convey a specific set of information is a life-long practice. Since the teacher or leader is the living conduit for the transmission of information, the development of … Read more

Ground, Aspiration, Center and Breath Consider the diagram below. Ground, Aspiration, Center and Breath are somatic distinctions that shape our relationship with the world, both inside and outside our body. Ground relates to the Earth, connection to the place under our feet, to stability and a sense of support, our relationship with the gravitational field.  … Read more