Begin by gathering people you feel safe in your body to be with. These can be trusted friends, family members, or people who are about to become trusted friends.
Create clear community agreements for your time together. This can include guidelines like: Everyone who attends this experience agrees to keep the participant list confidential and the experiences that unfold during this time confidential. We agree to come to this place with curiosity and not judgment, for both ourselves and others. There will be no disagreeing with others when they share their stories. We understand that no one else knows what it feels like to live in our bodies. We agree to not contact the other participants in this group without invitation or consent.
Whenever possible, open with an acknowledgement of the Indigenous people of the land you are on; this is a respectful way to be in right relationship with the earth as you begin….
Begin with a time of breath work, poetry, or guided meditation to help ground you in the present moment….
Give an opportunity to set your intentions for the experience. If you have come together for a specific purpose or to release a predetermined emotion, now is the time to bring mindfulness to this chosen topic.
Slowly begin to incorporate movement. Remind each participant to notice what is happening in their bodies as they give safe space for these emotions to release. We listen with our whole personhood to the ways our body seeks to speak to us when we let go.
Go only where your body is leading. This is not the time for performance or choreography. Don’t focus on how it looks; focus on how it feels.
Take breaks for water and breath. If at any point you feel discomfort or pain, listen to what your body is telling you. There is no need to go at anyone else’s pace than your own.
After about thirty minutes of Embodied Movement Meditation (if you are using music, you might consider approximately fifteen minutes of slow songs and fifteen minutes of active songs), return your breathing to a normal state with a song or two of stretching and slower meditation.
Finish with a sharing circle if it feels safe enough. Everyone has an opportunity to share as they are fully heard and embraced by the community. You can choose to split this time up any way you’d like. Here are two explorations for your sharing: What did you come here to release? What did you learn here that you will take with you?
Thank each participant for their presence in the community and send one another on your future journeys.
Close by reminding each person to transition slowly from this space back to “normal” life. Hydrate and nourish your body. Be kind and gentle with yourself as you go.