Navigating the daily stressors of our social and cultural systems while tending to the responsibilities of our lives can be a lot. How are we to stay present when our bodies tell us we are exhausted and unsafe, but the dangers in our environment aren’t easily solvable? Disconnecting from the signals of your body and “just getting through it” is a valid coping skill for a brief encounter, but it is not a sustainable long-term strategy and can breed further distress in the body and the mind. As a response to this collective dissociation, somatic approaches have risen to the forefront as “enhanced” methods for processing stress stored in our bodies. But what is somatic work and what does it actually look like?
Come explore the power of somatic practices through Body Re-Pair, a trauma-informed movement class! Together we will learn to re-pair with the sensory wisdom of our nervous systems through guided and consent-forward exercises that can be easily incorporated into your daily routine.
Led by Sofiya Ko, a licensed mental health counselor and registered expressive arts therapist, this class will involve practical learning in the form of breathwork, physical release and movement exercises, as well as some moments of reflective journaling in a group setting.
Please note: we may laugh, we may cry- you are invited to enter the space with an open heart and playful spirit so that we may alchemize our collective stress into collective catharsis.
This is not a dance class and no previous dance, yoga, or movement experience is necessary. This is an exploratory container where you will be encouraged to go at your own pace, track your own consent, and feel re-bonded with your nervous system in a shared container of compassion.
Format
In person.
Space for movement, breathwork, writing, and sharing.
This is a 3-part summer series on Saturday July 19, August 2, and August 16. You’re welcome to come to one or all!
Please bring water, a journal and something to write with.
Exchange
Pay-what-you-can: $11 to $33
Sofiya Kostareva
Expressive Arts Therapist
(she/her)
Sofiya Kostareva (she/her) is a Licensed Mental Health Counselor and Registered Expressive Arts Therapist. As a first generation Ukrainian-American and queer woman she’s passionate about helping people understand the impact of systemic trauma and intersectionality on their lived experience. She runs a private practice based in Seattle that centers women and queer people, provides supervision to aspiring expressive arts therapists, and facilitates trauma-informed writing, movement and visual arts workshops. Though she is passionate about all forms of self-expression, dance and writing are her favorite creative outlets.