Embodiment Sessions / Every Body is a Figure

Embodiment is being present with the sensation and experience of being in our bodies. Its antithesis is dissociation—or, the experience of leaving our bodies, of not being able to be present in our bodies. Dissociation is a trauma response, and is one that I and many others experienced acutely in particular at the onset of the pandemic. By focusing on the potential of embodiment in drawing from life—witnessing, observing, not judging, representing—I hope to provide an embodied opportunity to process the trauma that we are currently experiencing in relation to our constant exposure to the threat of COVID-19. As a queer person who has suffered from a history of eating disorders and depression/anxiety, I have been interested in embodiment (AKA “body confidence,” not to be confused with “body positivity”) for many years. I have encouraged it through facilitating yoga, improv comedy, art, and soccer experiences that prioritize presence over perfection. Prior to COVID-19 (and as an antidote to online culture) I was particularly interested in how in-person experiences could encourage embodiment and combat isolation (thereby helping relieve symptoms of depression and anxiety). True to the constraints of our time, Embodiment Sessions have typically been virtual opportunities to experience embodiment by drawing + painting with a community of artists all over the world.