Embodied Narrative and Transformative Futures Somatic Workshop

Embodied Narrative and Transformative Futures

A 2+1hrs somatic workshop

Time: Thursday April 3, 09.00-12.00

Location: Gruppesal, Sammen Studentsenteret

In academia, we tend to focus on cognitive, analytical thinking. We value the brain’s rational capacities, but often ignore the wisdom of the body. What does the body have to do with academia, or digital narratives in particular?

The body and the brain are intricately linked and when used together, offer a much broader range of insights. Using your somatic intelligence (Soma is Greek and means the person in their wholeness: mind, body, spirit soul) – tapping into your whole body’s wisdom – facilitates a holistic and aligned way of acting and being, including how you show up in your academic work and how you embody it on a daily basis.

A subject, e.g. digital narratives, viewed from an embodied/somatic perspective thus becomes much more than an intellectual engagement with various research questions or methodological, theoretical, analytical investigations. It is guided by a deeper sense of what is meaningful to you about your work, and how it aligns with the bigger questions of what actually matters to you and how you can guide your research and motivate it through this deeper sense of “mattering”.

It may sound strange or even intimidating to be asked to “bring your body” into academia. Usually, all we are expected to pack is our brain. The good news is that if you HAVE a body, you qualify for an embodied approach. The shift is to engage in academic undertakings not from the perspective of also HAVING a body, but BEING a body (including its brain!) – thus entering a much bigger playing field and possibility space, in which your work receives more support and guidance from your entire being, thus enriching your intuitive, creative and even analytical capacity. A somatic approach does not require special physical fitness. Just don’t leave your body at home when you take part.

In this 2 hrs workshop, participants are guided through a series of physical practices that foster 

• Somatic awareness: how we are DOING our BEING
• A bodily felt sense of connection to what matters to them
• Identifying their declaration – what they are a commitment to
• How to anchor this commitment in their bodies as something to experience and become, rather than something simply to be achieved
• How to move towards this commitment even under pressure
• A sense of belonging through being open, present and connected to what is, themselves and those they are in relationship with.

After these practices, there is one hour of optional debriefing and conversation, to address open questions and provide more individualized guidance on the path forward as researchers and creators of (digital) narrative.

Doris C. Rusch is a Professor in game design at Uppsala University and Professor II at CDN. She is also the founder and custodian of the Magic Circle Hut.