Field Notes: May
My monthly round-up of reading, listening and practice. Plus, a playlist for your bones, a Bodyscapes update, and ways we can work together.
It was a somewhat ungrounded month for me that began with a family holiday, followed by a miserably, heavy cold, but was topped off by a delightful teaching trip to Vilnius. I have memories of disparate views from aeroplane windows: the classic patchwork of odd-shaped fields in all shades of green, winding rivers and shiny lakes and reservoirs, ragged coastlines, container vessels as small as lego bricks, and wide desertscapes. The planet from above is harmonious; if only it felt like that at ground level.
READING & LISTENING
Unusually, I found it very hard to get into the reading I had taken with me on holiday. I made the mistake of taking books from my TBR pile that I would be OK with leaving behind for other pool-side readers. I discovered that this selection was actually my B-list – I started three and couldn’t find momentum with any of them.
I did at last engage with one deeply moving book that was written so very well but, as the central character’s history of multiple adverse childhood experiences and their long-lasting effects became clearer, I found it difficult to sustain my attention in my holiday setting.
Lessons learned for holiday reading are 1) classify the TBR pile into an A-list of must-reads and a B-list of maybe-reads, and 2) read the back cover blurbs before packing to check the content vibe.
Back home, I dived into a reread of The Spell of the Sensuous by David Abram, which was balm for the soul. If you haven’t read it, do. And if you have, I recommend a re-read.
TALKING & LISTENING
I had the pleasure of a Zoom meeting with Yulia Bogdanova whose writing you can read on their Substack: The Breath of Life. Yulia also hosts a podcast and we recorded a conversation about some of the explorations I have written about on the theme of fat, and on the theme of deep time. You can listen in here, and you’ll also find links to relevant articles in the show notes.
MUSIC FOR BONES
In the last days of the month, I immersed myself in creating a playlist for the latest edition of Companion Notes about ribs and bone, cathedrals and stone. It took me into beautiful choral pieces from centuries ago before moving through more modern compositions. I’ve enjoyed the practice of listening with my whole body, so here is a selection for you to explore that didn’t make that particular playlist.
I invite you to notice where the music seems to resonate in your body. And, if you feel an impulse to move, write, or draw - go ahead, see where the tracks take you. Expect overtone singing, choral harmonies, and quite a lot of cellos.
MY PRACTICE
Again, I found my Substack theme influenced my movement practice, so that meant some rolling around on the floor and over bolsters to find the shape and volume of my rib cage. This, together with detailed breathing practice and some sounding to track resonance and vibration, was both ernest and fun - Lola the dog, however, was a bit puzzled by the sound content!
BODYSCAPES BOOK UPDATE
It was wonderful to know that there will be an audio version of Bodyscapes with an amazing narrator who I think will bring both the factual and the explorative content alive - I’m really excited to hear it.
And, did you know you can pre-order the written or the audio version? Here’s a landing page for the print version and here’s a link to the audiobook.
UPCOMING
One of the most influential teachers in my yoga teaching and practice is Donna Farhi (since the early 2000s) and I’m delighted to be hosting Donna in Cambridge again at the beginning of July. It’s always a bit stressful as an organiser making sure everything falls into place correctly, but I’m really grateful for the opportunity of four days of practice with Donna.
If you’d like to explore with me in Cambridge, the dates for the autumn series of in-person courses in somatic practices is live and booking: Authentic Movement, Movement Observations & Analysis, and Somatic Movement Sequencing.
And, if you are in the North of England, there is chance to explore Restorative Yoga coming in February, and Authentic Movement and Somatic Movement Sequencing later in the Spring. Email me and I’ll make sure you get full details.
ONE THING I’M CARRYING FORWARD
The permission to not have to complete every book I start!
That’s it for my May round-up. June has started very wet and grey – back to wearing long sleeves and layers – but the sun returns next week!
sending warm wishes to you until next time,
Beverley