Somatics & Photography

Somatics & Photography – 6 class series (meets alternate weeks)

This course introduces contemplative photography from an embodied, somatic approach drawing on Body-Mind Centering®. Somatic practices and contemplative photography share a fidelity to being with what is emerging and appearing, to slowing down and attending to what we perceive, in the moment.

A somatic approach to contemplative photography practice entails beginning with body-mind experience and all of the ways that we might sense our selves and our environments. Tactile and kinaesthetic awareness are developed through movement and attending to bodily sensations. As human beings, our senses of movement and touch underlie our senses of hearing and seeing. Connecting seeing back to to felt sense can help free up our visual habits – habits that can keep us at a more superficial level of seeing. Working with the camera is a way to slow down, to drop under habitual ways of seeing and moving through the world, and to discover a new fresh palette of visual experience.

How this course works: in fortnightly zoom classes experience guided somatic movement meditations that engage different aspects of sensing and perceptual process. We play with ways of attending to and framing sensory experience and evoke creative perspectives on movement and the visual world. Somatic meditation practice leads into a theme to guide your contemplative photography practice for the two weeks.

There is a shared workspace on Slack, where you can upload some of your photos from the assignment, and see the images other participants have created. Reflecting on the felt sense that the images convey is part of the process. We learn from each other and our shared practice. The dedicated Slack online workspace is a place to post your images anytime and share comments on each others’ work, and I also share articles and information for anyone who wants to explore further.

(Slack is free to join but you will need to register for an account to join the class workspace.)

Zoom classes will be recorded in case you have to miss a session, want to revisit a class, or even want to do the course asynchronously. Recordings will be shared on Slack.

Some of the themes we will touch on:

-synchronizing mind, physical presence, camera and environment
-noticing and framing the foundational elements that constitute the visual world
-shifting perspectives and points of view
-touch and presence in visual perception
-vibration & liveliness in matter
-movement in stillness and stillness in motion

Requirements:
-You need a camera or phone with enough space for photos. It doesn’t have to be fancy! Sometimes in fact, the simpler the better.
-About 30 minutes a week to practice contemplative photography. This can happen anywhere, including inside your home.
-Logging into weekly zoom sessions or watching the recordings. A little space to move or lie down during the sessions.
-Sign up for Slack (it’s free) and join the class workspace. This is where we’ll share photos and comments, resources, and recordings of the weekly video calls.

Fridays 1-2:15pm Melbourne time
3 & 17 June
1, 15 & 29 July
12 August

Fridays 11am Perth / 12:30pm Adelaide / 3pm Auckland
USA: Thursdays 8pm Pacific / 11pm Eastern

Bookings at http://www.trybooking.com/BZSRZ
Sliding scale fees $60-120 for the six weeks. Contact me if you need other arrangements.
Details for zoom and Slack will be sent out after registration.