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Zoé Alibert Eligible Member // Teacher
IDOCs » Exploring Skin as a Border and Gateway
Class description of a class held in the frame of WILDWEEK #2, professional training at Tanzlabor_21 Frankfurt am Main on January 22nd, 2013. Co-developed and facilitated by Aleksandra Ścibor & Zoé Alibert, this class' aim was towards experiencing and exploring the dimensions of our skin as both a border and gateway.
2014.09.27

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EXPLORING SKIN AS A BORDER AND GATEWAY

a class held by Aleksandra Ścibor & Zoé Alibert on January 22nd, 2013

in the frame of WILDWEEK #2

Profitraining at Tanzlabor_21 Frankfurt am Main

 

aims / intended learning experience:

  • amplifying the awareness of the particularity of the skin, and enhancing the sensation and awareness of the skin though particular qualities, sensations
  • exploring the skin as a barrier and as a connection, as a connective tissue that separates us from and connects us to our environment
  • understanding the skin as a point of dialogue and exploring this
  • a detailed attention: seeing what am I allowing to enter, what am I closing myself to
  • understanding what the information (accepted, received, given..) is doing to me, through the skin to my nervous system
  • how am I responding to my barrier, do I come close to my barrier or do I stay within a safety zone? is this a matter of today, or a general attitude?
  • understanding my understanding and sensation of my borders and communicating them
  • what changes? how am I evolving or revolting?
  • engaging an inward and outward focus, connecting to self and the outside
  • training one’s capacities to listen to oneself and to the other(s), and also to respond
  • training to connect to one’s sensations, and to allow them
  • arriving in one’s skin
  • stimulating dialogue
  • engaging people's self-responsibility and autonomy 

 

exercise

description

commentary

goal/intention

 

 

ESTABLISHING SKIN-IMAGE & SENSATION

Arriving. Lying down and noticing breath. Flowing into a transition of the focus of the class - skin as a means to explore individual borders and gateways.

Activating sensation of skin as a thin semi-permeable membrane covering the body in its 3-dimentionality.

Guided scanning of the skin from the tips of the toes to the top of the head, enhancing skin sensations of particular body zones.

Applying multiple references to enhance skin awareness and sensation, and to establish the image of skin adapted in the class – skin as a barrier to and a connection with the environment

e.g. bodysuit/home/blanket/glove.

 

e.g.

Sensing the skin covering the lower back, the skin between the eyebrows...

Activating awareness and sensation of the skin.

 

Drawing attention to the skin as a layer separating from and connecting with the environment.

 

Establishing the image of skin as a suit covering the body in its 3-dimentionality.

 

A

 

TACTILE TRACING OF THE SKIN

 

 

Scanning via self-touch: using the hands to trace the skin on all zones of the body via pressure and rubbing; waking up and activating the sensation of skin, defining the physical periphery.

Self-touch as a means to define individual borders and gateways.

Defining characteristics and functions of the skin in relation to the goal:

  • e.g. soft, flexible, adapting, protecting
  • double function – separating from & connecting with the outer world

Activating the skin through self-touch; establishing physical awareness of the skin. Reinforcing physically the image of a covering ‘suit’.

 

 

 

 

 

Z

 

MOVING THE SKIN

e.g. STRETCHING, FOLDING, UNFOLDING,  WRINKLING, TWISTING

 

 

 

 

 

 

MOVING SKIN ZONES

 

Applying stretching, folding, unfolding etc. to enhance the sensation of skin as a suit covering the whole body, separating from and connecting with the environment.

 

 

 

 

 

Guided activation of specific skin zones.

 

e.g.

Stretching the skin of the left armpit..., skin on the left foot, skin between the shoulder blades...

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Activating the whole body through exploring skin movement possibilities.

 

Warming up through the focus on moving the skin.

 

Enhancing the awareness of (some of) the skin`s qualities through playing with elasticity, connectivity, stretchiness and volume.

 

Drawing attention to particular skin zones.

 

Sharpening the skin sensation and refining the skin awareness.

 

A

 

MOVING THE SKIN FROM THE INSIDE

 

 

Observation of the movement of the hand and the skin sliding and stretching over the bones and tendons, bringing/translating this into other body parts/zones.

Sensing/observing the movements of the skin generated through bones, muscles, veins, organs moving within ‘the bodysuit’.

e.g.

Touching the skin from the inside, letting the skin slide over tendons, muscles, bones...

Activating and warming up the system through the focus on the skin being moved from the inside.

Defining the skin as border and gateway from the inside.

Creating space inside the body through increasing the skin mobility.

Recognising and playing with some of the skin qualities from the inside.

 

Z

 

 

BEING INSPIRED BY OTHER SKINS

 

 

Expanding awareness for ‘other skins’ (participants). Sensing them and being inspired by them.

 

e.g.

Sensing other skins, letting them inspire you...

 

Creating a common experience.

Start of a gradual build up into partnering work.

Establishing awareness of ‘other skins’ (participants).

 

Gradually introducing partnering work. 

 

Expanding articulation of the skin through doing the impossible – “entering somebody's skin”.

 

A

 

SKIN MEETING SKIN

 

Letting the skins (hands and lower arms) of participants meet, experiencing touch of and by other people’s skin.

 

 

Establishing couples (acclimatization with a partner).

Meeting ‘other skins’ and establishing a connection between the participants through their skins.

 

Introducing varied touches – realising the variety of skins – the variety of borders and gateways.

 

Activating listening to information travelling through the skin; receiving and giving information through the skin.

 

Getting used to touching with the skin and the skin being touched.

 

T

 

TOUCHING SKINS

 

  1. SOFTER TOUCH

 

  1. MORE INTENSE TOUCH

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Hands-on work in couples with a clear division of roles: A (receiver) & B (giver).

 

A – receiving information directly on the skin through the touch, free to move, given time to digest.

 

B – giving information (covering A`s skin with one kind of touch).

 

While A is digesting, B is witnessing actively, free to respond to A`s digestion.

 

 

In couples.

Constant re-establishing of the awareness of both A and B touching and being touched - giving and receiving information through the skin (irrespective of the divided roles – receiver and giver).

 

Giving and receiving information to the system through the layer of the skin.

 

Allowing the information (both A and B) to stimulate individual responses.

 

Expanding the concept of what individual border/gateway is and where the border/ gateway of the other person begins and ends (both as receiver and giver).

 

Establishing and communicating one`s own borders/gateways to the partner - enhancing verbal exchange in couples in relation to defining personal borders/gateways. 

 

T

 

DIVERSE TOUCH

In roles as above, giving/receiving a diversity of information (e.g. rubbing, brushing, caressing, pressing, clapping, etc.), varying in intensity, duration, dynamics.

In couples: The receiver is exposed to a diversity of touch (risk of an overload of information coming in, onto the skin, into the system – over-stimulation?).

Testing individual borders and gateways through exposure to a wide range of touches.

 

Listening, communicating and understanding one’s own and other’s borders and gateways.

 

T

 

SKINS DIALOGUING

Partners entering a dialogue of the skins. Constantly giving and receiving information to each other's skins.

Responding to and witnessing each other.

 

In couples.

Immediacy of responses.

 Challenging each others' systems, reaching emotional/physical/mental barriers.

e.g.

communicate your borders/gateways to the partner...

Listening, communicating and understanding each others' borders and gateways.

 

Playing with and challenging one's own and partner's borders/gateways.

 

T

 

 

SKINS REFLECTING

 

Giving time for the couples to reflect and exchange on their experiences.

 

In couples. Space to share experiences and to clear out possible issues.

 

Sharing individual observations; verbalising experiences.

Personal reference to the skin as border and gateway.

 

T

 

SKINS DIALOGUING &

WITNESSING

 

Dividing all the couples into two groups (doers and witnesses).

 

 

 

 

Sharpening the participants' observational skills - learning through observing.

 

Taking a step out – distancing oneself from personal perspective and seeing a larger picture of other participants dialoguing through the skin about borders and gateways.

 

T

 

SKIN COOL DOWN

 

Sensing one's skin.

Reflecting on the changes to the skin and to the system through the skin – have any borders/gateways been opened/closed...?

 

 

Coming back to one's own skin sensation.

Noticing and sensing the skin.

Observation of the changes.

 

Z

 

A – Aleksandra

Z – Zoé

T – together 

 


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