Authentic Movement is a kind of silent, dancing therapy and moving meditation. Eyes closed, you move in front of a detached, non-judging witness, each shift and sway inspired by your “creative and spiritual truth.” The idea of this practice, also known as Contemplative Dance, is to tap into “the innate intelligence of the body, psyche and imagination, and their drive for wholeness and integration,” according to the Contemplative Dance website. It’s also about “suspending self-criticism and cultivating awareness” so that “artificial boundaries between body, psyche and spirit begin to dissolve.”

You need no prior experience to delve into Authentic Movement, which is often done without music, just a willingness to focus inward and be curious and open to what may come. It's been taught at studios throughout the world since the 1950’s (Carl Jung’s teachings helped to inspire it); Naropa University, in Boulder, Colorado, even offers it as a major. Contemplative Dance, a studio based in Western Massachusetts, says they use a three-pronged approach: spiritual practice (it’s meditative and “heals the ‘split’ between mind and body”), artistic resource (“It helps to free creative blocks and renew creative desire”), and psychological narrative (“The personal history stored in the body becomes accessible”).

If it still sounds a little vague, you can test the waters––people who try it often fall in love with it quickly. At ContemplativeDance.org you can find a slew of upcoming workshops for in-depth exploration––there are several for people with AM/CD experience in April in New York, Philadelphia, and Maine; novices can try the approach in Massachusetts this fall. To find a regular class in your area, visit: AuthenticMovement-USA.com (though the Authentic Movement Institute is on “extended sabbatical,” their site is still full of useful resources). You can also learn more at MovingJournal.org

Photo: ContemplativeDance.org