YES/NO & Letting Go - a new kind of workshop
And a personal (recent) testimony to the magic of movement in the healing journey
It’s been a good long while (over 6 months) since I sat down and wrote one of these newsletters from a genuine, sharing-my-heart kind of place. But I started these newsletters not to simply convey news and events as a practitioner and studio owner, but also to convey my journey as a human just like you who goes through life’s ups and downs, joys and struggles. I was privileged to learn, years ago, the immense value of involving the body when navigating the roller coaster of life and when seeking to heal from past trauma, which of course led to this career. But I didn’t only come across it as a bodyworker and practitioner; I encountered it in a very deep and personal way that eventually led to a lot of personal healing. It’s out of that intense personal experience with somatics that I am who I am today and can share with others the gift of engaging the body when seeking to heal.
The last several months have taken me back to that place of needing to intentionally engage the body in order to heal. A crisis suddenly occurred in our lives, and for a while there my world was flipped upside down, and everything stopped. I halted seeing 1:1 clients, as my mental and emotional bandwidth was fully consumed by the crisis. I wasn’t able to engage with the world in normal ways anymore. I just wanted everything and everyone to stop, to pause with me… but it didn’t… ‘cause the world continues on, as it does. We could isolate ourselves and ignore the world, consumed by what happened and sitting in the relational aftermath of it all, but only for so long.
At some point, I felt my system ready to engage with it all in a different way, from being an “aftermath squatter” to a “recovery path walker”. Bit by bit, starting with just small, intentional movements, in the form of slow walks, looping and re-looping my neighborhood, and in the presence of my somatic therapist, it would come. Impulses that wanted to come up and out of the body to self-protect. Movements, postures, and words to feel and express my shock, anger, grief, and pain. Oil pastels and paper to convey what was lost, and also to foretell what was ever so slowly becoming mine—life post-trauma: Joy. Power. Presence. Strength. Resilience.
Embodiment (being fully grounded in the present moment) is a tricky thing in that it’s only in gaining more of it that we’re able to look back and have an ah-hah! moment and realize just how much embodiment and presence we weren’t experiencing previously. We can’t feel what we can’t feel, right? And so in any given moment, we’re naturally duped into thinking that we’re “fully” present, until something happens that ushers in more presence, and then it clicks (“Oh! This is what more embodiment is like!”). My experience of healing from the trauma of the last several months led me to such a moment. It was quite profound. I considered myself to be embodied before all this happened. But then the crisis entered, we suffered, and then I began the work of healing—letting my body and emotions move through it all—and one day in my therapist’s studio I had an experience of embodiment in a way I never had before. I was definitely treading on new ground—it felt unfamiliar but oh so welcome, and was like a feeling of sweet relief and ease mixed with an undeniable solidness. It felt so good! I was more “here” than I had ever been. More rooted and stable in myself and in who I am, available to all that was in the moment. I think I recall verbalizing it with “OH!….. Woah!!!”
Embodiment. Thanks to all the movements—big and small, structured and free, guided and spontaneous—I am more “here” than I ever have been. And I am grateful to be back. 🙌
Sidenote: I hope this story serves as a reminder that when something traumatic happens, we are NOT supposed to be calm. (I was not! I was a mess at times!) Our body responds to trauma and overwhelming experiences via emotions, movement, and impulses, and those things can be so dominant and consuming that it leads us to feel like we’re not okay (“regulated”)… and that’s okay! Don’t listen to the prevailing cultural message that we’re supposed to be “zen” all the time. We are not. Being in a fight/flight is a highly active state designed to protect you and get you back to safety, and you may feel agitated, angsty, panicky, confused, etc., when it’s happening. Let it be! Let that serve as information from your nervous system about what it’s dealing with and what it needs. 💜
Okay, off my soapbox 😁… and in closing…
So while I have not been the most *chill person ever* the last several months (which is another reason why I stopped seeing 1:1 clients), I shouldn’t have been, considering what was happening in my life. People that are working through the aftermath of trauma and are still resolving the internal fight-or-flight may not be the fun-est people to be around all the time—that’s the truth, and I’ll own that. I’m grateful for everyone’s patience with me as I was processing through stuff. 😆 But I hope that I served as an example of how to move through trauma well, with integrity and authenticity, showing up as best as I can to my commitments, stepping away from certain duties that I didn’t have the capacity for, and taking the time needed to heal.
Yes/No & Letting Go Workshop - November 8
I am so pleased to announce that this long-awaited somatic workshop is finally happening! This is years in the making; you can find it in my journals from years ago, me dreaming up a day-long workshop devoted to helping people discover their boundaries by simply learning to listen to their body and tend to what it’s revealing. It’s so empowering to discover these things! (My own somatic “encounter” with boundaries long ago was dramatic and eye-opening.) Despite me dreaming of this workshop for years, though, other endeavors kept taking priority, for various reasons. But then certain events in my personal life that happened this year (see above story) brought this topic front and center once again, and renewed my conviction that these things MUST be taught, practiced, and embodied. So here it is! Woot woot! 🥳
So, what’s this all about?? It’s about bringing your awareness to how your body is speaking, constantly saying “yes” and “no” to things as you move through life. And it’s about giving you the tools to know how to listen to it.
Whether you know it or not, all of the following things involve the body on a very deep level:
how you make choices
how much space you feel you’re allowed take up (or not) in the world
the sense of personal autonomy and self-ownership that you experience
what you consent to
where your boundaries lie and how you communicate those boundaries
how much access you have to a sense of power
So whenever those things are unclear or need strengthened, we can turn to the body for answers. And that’s exactly what this YES/NO & Letting Go day-long workshop is all about. It’s designed to deepen your connection with yourself and specifically your body, as we explore themes of autonomy, choice, and boundaries. I’m thrilled to be bringing in Dr. Michael Trexler, my dear friend and colleague at Peace of Mind Counseling Services in the Nora area of Indianapolis, to co-teach the workshop with me. You will discover on a whole new level your body’s role in holding and expressing both your YES and your NO in response to things. You will be guided in noticing your body’s signals and will have opportunities to put it into practice in a playful and safe environment. Embedded into the curriculum is recognizing and tending to the natural emotions of anger, grief, etc. that arise in response to these topics.
This is perfect for anyone who wants to gain clarity in their decision-making, deepen their personal sense of self, explore the idea of taking up space, find their healthy power, discover or deepen their ability to draw boundaries (with self and others), reclaim ownership over their body, or understand the concept of consent at a new level.
Informed by a deep understanding of trauma, Polyvagal Theory, attachment science, interpersonal neurobiology, human anatomy and physiology, somatics, and emotional intelligence, this workshop is sure to provide a space for deep work to take place in a gentle, safe, and effective environment.
This will take place on Saturday, November 8, 9:30am - 4:30pm at the studio. The price is just $139 for this full day of learning, and right now there’s an early bird discount, making the price $125 until Oct 11 (with coupon code YNLG-EB). We can only take 14 participants, so sign up quickly if interested!
Learn more about this one-of-a-kind workshop, see the schedule, and register here. Bring a friend!
Studio A to be featured at women’s conference in Fishers
We’re thrilled to have a vendor table at the upcoming event Nourish: A Women’s Health Conference, presented by the Indiana Association of Naturopathic Physicians (INANP) on Saturday, November 1. The theme for this year’s conference is Nourish Your Nervous System, which so perfectly aligns with the work we do here at Studio A. We are excited to be a part of this local conference!
Besides the vendor table with goodies and info, I (Allie) will also be leading a breakout session titled The Bracing Body. I’ll cover how the body's fascial system tightens, tenses, and binds down when we lack the ability to draw (and hold) healthy boundaries in our life. Participants will learn how chronic tension and pain can serve as valuable information about our emotions and relationships, and what we can do to find relief from the bracing.
If you are interested in women’s natural and holistic health, join us at this high quality, affordable event and come see me! You can learn more and purchase a ticket for this all-day conference here.
Openings in this Saturday’s Release & Refresh class
Whether you’re wanting to try nervous system work for the first time, or are well-versed in nervous system work already, the Release and Refresh classes are a great opportunity to drop into your body, gain awareness of how/where you’re holding activation in your nervous system (fight/flight and freeze patterns). We have lots of openings still in this Saturday morning’s class, taught by Callie from 9:00-10:30am. Decompress from the work week and start your weekend out right! Involves gentle stretching to open up the fascial system, and guided somatic exercises to gain awareness and clarity so you can move forward from a more grounded, open, and regulated place.
5 Stars for Callie!
Did you know that Callie has never received a review on Google that is NOT a 5-star review?! And she has a lot of reviews! I’ve always known she’s amazing, and it delights my heart that the community is discovering that too! She truly knows how to cater to each individual client that walks in her door in a trauma-informed, sensitive way that puts people at ease instantly. If you are looking for a new routine in your self-care regimen, or have a special day coming up that you want to celebrate/honor in a special way, we invite you to come get a massage from Callie. You will not regret it!
Offering Myofascial Release, a gentle and yet very effective way of engaging the fascial system to relieve chronic tension and pain, as well as traditional Swedish massage, plus pre-natal, Callie is well-equipped to handle whatever you’re bringing “to the table”. She often has same-day and next-day openings, which makes booking a breeze via our online scheduler.
Want to read more about the approach we take that earns Callie such high praise? You can do that here.
Friends, enjoy the rest of your week. Be well!
~Allie