Somatic revolution

(This is a presentation text we were about to send to business idea competition, but time run out. Here’s the text anyhow, and I ask you to read it through and comment. About the content and structure if possible. I’m quite aware of the flaws in my English.)

Somatic revolution 

Our bodies are made to move. That’s a fact. Did you know, that even if we don’t or can’t, the same areas in our brain activate (mirror neurons) while watching other persons moving? 

Today we don’t often treat our bodies as we should. We sit. We sit at school, at work, at home. It may be hard to get moving. We say we don’t like, or we have pain somewhere. For some of us even the idea of doing sports causes the feeling of shame. Shame relates to our bodies (which we are’t maybe satisfied with) and our bodies and what we think about them is one of the main aspects of our self image.

Our bodies are a link between us and this world. That’s the strong belief of our team. And by losing the contact to our bodies we may lose the contact to this world. 

We want to courage the people to move, what ever suits them best. But once you’ve started to move, in a way you feel comfortable, you’ll never stop. I could promise that. We want to gather people together too. Move and share together. We want to study contact together; how to touch and how to be touched. When have you last time just laid next to someone in silence, or hugged? If you’re not a child anymore and living alone, those moments may be few. It’s a community of movement we need. 

Moving is a human right. It’s a main key for health, both physical and mental. And rights do not (at least they should not) depend on age, gender, opinion, status, profession or wealth. In our dreams we see all these different people moving together. Walking outdoors, playing games, doing contact improvisation and such - lifting weights, running and grinning if they like, but always smiling afterwards. People could gather their own clubs where they live. We are the spark, you are the flames. 

And this body image thing I mentioned? Let’s say you’ve decided to start moving. You’ll go to  gym, gymnastics class or jogging path and all you can see is this fit-craziness and competition everywhere. Of course this is just a caricature, but is has a clear point: most of us just wouldn’t dare to go to middle of those people. We are sensitive and we may be sore and hurt regarding to how we feel about our selves. Everything relating our bodies is very intimate and personal. Trust us, we know.

Our body changes all the time and it adapts to our way of life. All the time our cells are replaced by the new ones. Every body is beautiful and worth caring and every one is on your side. We recommend everyone to give up aims concerning some particular shape or number and  concentrate on something real and important. How would you take care of your friend, spouse, child? In a way, that you treat yourself? Right.

As much as we have an intention to create a club for anonymous movers, we want to welcome everyone. It’s not  a requirement that you have some difficulties or such. In ideal community people walk their own paths together: sharing and supporting.

How these ideas, which may sound a bit (or a lot) highflown to you are adapted to the real world? I must admit, that we don’t have a clear answer. Yet, I mean. Ideas we have lots. We could found organization which bases on volunteers. These volunteers could found local clubs and gather people together to walk, to talk, to do whatever they feel like doing. We could offer our help to 

corporations. We could have lectures. Internet-page, information banks, forum and information page for groups. Yet we have to make this all happen.

(Ok. So this is a sketch. Just written without a structure or anything. The competition closed already, like I said, but it would be good to have some kind of alignment for this what we’ve been thinking of. This is important and could come up as something one day. I’d like to send and spread this text somewhere when it is ready. So, give a comment.)

Selma Hopsu

P.S Pictures are from my cycling trip in the archipelago two years ago. I still had that long hair!