This is a brief 4-minute practice inviting you to connect with the sensations of tension and release through breath and some simple movement prompts. As a movement teacher and artist, I am interested in all kind of tension— physical, mental, relational. I’m curious about the really private tensions that we keep to ourselves deep within our muscles and dark corners of the psyche, as well the public ones we can sense in shared room or online.
It can be hard to articulate certain types of tension we may be experiencing or witnessing. Tension isn’t bad or wrong, per se, though it can be an uncomfortable and generally isn’t a place we want to stay in forever.
Coming home to the body can provide us with a rich source of wisdom for navigating waves of tension as well as release. Release may feel like softening, opening, settling, returning. When in relationship with one another, both tension and release can be a pleasurable sensorial experience. I have noticed this myself the more I pay attention to my breath.
I’ll describe the practice below, though i am really interested in how we process things differently through audio - hence the audio recording above. Give it a listen and let me know how it lands for you.
Tension & Release, a micro-practice
Start where you are
Notice your breath
Begin to deepen your breath, inviting in a bit more breath into belly and chest, and exhaling fully
As you breathe, bring awareness to one or both or your hands
As you inhale, slowly tighten your hand into a fist
As you exhale, slowly soften and open your hand, returning to a neutral-ish shape
Continue for some breaths
Optionally, you can invite other parts of the body into this tension and release practice — scrunch your face up or engage your full arms
Continue for a few more breaths or so
Exhale and let go of your movement, settling into a moment of stillness
Return to natural rhythm of breath
