Learning anatomy is wonderful and connects us to ourselves, but doing it through videos or textbooks adds an unnecessary layer of translation. We are convinced that the best way to come to know our bodies is through the language of touch and tactile sensing. The unique minds of each of our diverse tissues are coherent interwoven communities that await our attention.

Join Elena Lake (a mathematician-turned-massage-therapist) and Bex Naj (a somatic movement educator, dancer, and yoga teacher) for a haptic body trip that explores the myriad of ways you can experience yourself and others through touch.

First, Elena will guide the group in feeling our fascia and bones - where are they, and how does their texture stand out against other body textures? Then, Bex will help us experience our cells as our first sense organs, exploring how they respond to touch in a number of ways. We will investigate the mechanical forces flowing through them, their chemical environments, and how they use stimuli to organize themselves into the tissues we know as bones and fascia. For the last ninety minutes, Bex, as her alias Qalia, will DJ a somatic dance party to integrate and express the deep embodied learning of the first half of the class.

Attendees can work with touch and movement in groups, dyads, or on themselves. No prior experience is necessary. Come dressed comfortably in layers for optional exploratory movement, sitting or lying on the floor, and freeform dance. Bring any blankets or pillows you’d like. Other suggestions include a journal and/or drawing supplies.