I studied cranial sacral therapy in massage school. During that time, I went to a party where two friends and I began to spontaneously move together, as if tuning into each other’s cranial rhythms. Time disappeared and I felt submerged in amniotic/oceanic fluid. Hours later our movement paused, and I experienced incredible peace. Years later, when I discovered contact improvisational dance I was reminded of that experience.
Contact improv became my weekly practice and sustenance. I learned the principles of the form: weight sharing, reciprocity, curiosity, mirroring, deep listening, passion, creativity and collaboration. The dance constantly offered metaphors for relationships and deeply fed my soul. I was learning about my patterns of relating through the felt experience in my body. I could experiment with making new choices. Later in my life I would incorporate this modality into my healing practice.
