The classes are based on the book “Body Stories. A Guide to Experiential Anatomy” by Andrea Olsen, who writes in the introduction:
“the function of a book on anatomy is not to demystify the body – rather, it is to help us embody mystery.”
According to the rhythm of the reading – in every next class we will work with a short introduction and tasks that will allow us to better understand specific areas of the body in action, such as the shoulder girdle, the knees, or the skeletal and nervous systems, but also less obvious issues for the embodiment – such as developmental patterns, or evolution.
Sometimes we will put aside reading to devote more attention to a selected issue – e.g. the role of fascia, pelvic floor, or we will touch upon the concepts of pioneers and classics of somatic thinking such as Mabel Todd, Barbara Clark, Bonnie Bainbridge Cohen, or Andree Bernard. In addition to movement and reading we will also work with writing and drawing, which will allow us to enter on other levels into an intimate relationship with our own body and movement.
The classes are for all those interested in active exploration of the body, seeking an individual sense of competence in being a body, art and non-art students, sedentary workers and dancers…
The idea came from the combination of community created knowledge within the Self Reading Group and Structural Integration (SI) practice of Gaja Karolczak, who invited Aleksandra Tasarek, physiotherapist, SI therapist and anatomy lecturer in medical school, to co-run the classes.