Call me kooky, but I have been enjoying wearing a mask when out in public (which is good, since it is mandated in many municipalities). Sure, at first I felt freaked out & had to get used to breathing normally, plus my sunglasses would get fogged up – but then it offered me some new tools in communication that I had to work out. I’m a pretty soft-spoken person, so figuring out how to speak up through a mask was a challenge. I also realized I had to rely on eye contact and expressiveness more than a smile with my mouth. I started to really enjoy the exploration of it! I’ve started to pay more attention to how tension in my forehead and cheeks affect my neck and shoulders. It also helps me to become more aware of the space I take up in the world, and how that my space interacts with others’ spaces going through similar adjustments.  Life is constantly changing, and even though our brains are always searching for balance and stability, we also search for novel experiences with curiosity. There’s a challenge in itself – how do we maintain balance & stability while also remaining open to curiosity in the changes?

This week, we’ll be exploring how the movement of the eyes affects the rest of the body – especially the head, neck, and shoulders. You can get a jump on class by moving your eyes slowly to the left and your head to the right – then slowly going the other way. It’s a weird feeling!

Click here to join this week’s Somatics Restart class on Thursday.