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Authentic Movement Guidelines
for Practice
and the Role of Coordinator
for Ottawa's "Authentic Movement Open Group"
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Last Edit: August 30 2007 - Ian! D, Allen - idallen@idallen.ca
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Our collective group has existed for a number of years. Gradually it has
evolved its own set of guidelines to ensure an easy and natural flow to
its authentic movement practice.

We thought it would be a good idea to put them down in writing for quick
reference by both old-timers and new members.

These guidelines are not set in stone, and the finer points are not to
be adhered to rigidly. They exist to provide us with points of common
understanding. They could be questioned and changed at members' will,
or with changing circumstances. A new person will take time to integrate
them all. Nothing bad will happen if you forget some of the finer points
from time to time. Be safe and have fun!

Arrival/Beginning
----------------

When people enter our practice space, they do so in silence and
quiet to allow all to come into space at their own rhythm and in
their own way. This arrival period lasts more or less half an hour,
at the discretion of the collective and the coordinator. A bell ring
brings all participants to sitting in a circle in the room.

People are welcomed and introduced if needed. Facilitated by the
coordinator, the people present share how they want the Authentic
Movement practice to be structured this time: for how long, what
form it will take, how will they share, how many rings will tell
them of the steps in the process, who will ring the bell, and how
many people will hold the safe container/space.

Forms of Movement
-----------------

Authentic Movement has many "forms". Some examples of forms we might use:

* Example - Long Circle with 7 people present: We might agree to
move for one hour in a "Long Circle" format, with a minimum of two
witnesses holding the container. One bell will start the circle;
three bells will end. The witness nearest the bells at the end of
the hour will ring the closing bells.

To begin a Long Circle form, all participants start out as witnesses.
The participants move to space themselves somewhat equidistantly
around the outside walls of the room, perhaps standing or perhaps
seated. Everyone raises their arms, outstretched at their sides,
and looks around at the other witnesses in the room to establish
that everyone is alert and "this is our safe container".

When all the participants feel that the safe container is established,
arms are lowered and the witness closest to the bell starts the
circle, usually with one bell ring.

During the time period of the Long Circle, participants may choose to
alternate as many times as they wish between being an alert witness
or being an eyes-closed mover out on the floor, as long as the agreed
minimum number of witnesses is maintained.

"Minimum of two witnesses" means that at least two witnesses must
always be present. If only two witnesses are currently holding the
space, neither of those witnesses may start to move until one of
the current movers becomes a third witness. The number of witnesses
in a Long Circle is usually about one third of the number of people
present, rounding up.

* Example - "Tuesday Morning Form" with 5 people present: We will have
a single witness in what we have come to call "Tuesday Morning"
form. We agree to each take turns being the witness, for periods of
(say) 20 minutes each. One bell will start each period of 20 minutes;
two bells will signal an end and a change of witness. The new witness
will ring the bell once to start the new period of 20 minutes. The
fifth and final 20-minute period will end with three bells rung by
the fifth and final witness.

The above are just two common examples of forms; the group may pair
up in dyads (pairs of people, one mover, one witness); or, it may
invent some other system.

Witnessing and Moving
---------------------

People cease being witnesses and start "moving" by entering the
circle, making eye contact with at least one witness ("I see you"),
and closing their eyes. They are now called "a mover", even if they
do not physically move. They continue to move (or do not move) with
their eyes closed. (Our agreement is to be seen by the witness(es),
not by each other.)

The remaining witnesses may quietly redistribute themselves around
the walls of the room to preserve an approximate "circle" of a
safe container.

Moving means: internal or external movement, stillness, sounding,
singing, chanting, talking, big or small, prompted by physical,
mental, historical, emotional, internal or external impulses. Moving
may mean not moving at all.

Moving begins solo. While moving with your eyes closed, you may
(gently!) encounter another mover. Pause for a moment to acknowledge
the touch, and then decide together whether to stay and explore the
eyes-closed contact or to move away. Anyone who would not want to
move with others can gently withdraw from any contact. Respect the
wishes of others for solo practice; do not pursue a lost contact.

Since your eyes are closed, you may make your first contact with a
sensitive or unconventional place on another mover's body. Both people
should remember that this first contact is completely unplanned and
accidental; there are no "wrong" places to first encounter another
mover. The person being touched may always decide to shift the touch
to another part of his/her body, or to move away.

Be mindful of stopping witnessing and entering the practice space as a
mover if your intent is to move directly toward and contact another
mover or movers. This isn't respectful of the other eyes-closed
movers, who are unaware of your eyes-open intent. As a witness,
your "eyes open" consciousness does not mix with the "eyes closed"
consciousness of movers. Always enter the practice space with the
intention of moving solo. If, by chance, you find another mover,
you both have "eyes closed" consciousness and the encouter is fair.

While the container is held safe by open-eye witnesses, each mover
is primarily responsible for his/her own safety and to be his/her
own witness while moving. Always reserve enough attention to witness
your own movement; don't fall into wild emotional discharge and
forget where you are or what you are doing. Be mindful and aware of
your movement. Be aware of your environment and the people who are
near you while you are moving.

To ensure everyone's safety and the safety of others, people should
open their eyes slightly if they are making large or strong movements
or sounds. One's own safety is one's own responsibility; however,
nobody should engage in any activity that puts others at physical
risk. Examples of safety issues:

- Be mindful of all fast movements in all three dimensions!
- Make sure you look down if you are about to stamp your feet.
- Make sure you look up if you are about to rise suddenly.
- Don't make a big noise into the ear of someone near you.

People start being witnesses (after having been a mover) by opening
their eyes from wherever they are in the room at the end of their
movement, making eye contact with at least one witness ("I see you"),
and returning to the outside wall of the room. The witnesses may then
quietly re-distribute themselves around the room walls to preseve
an approximate "circle" of a safe container.

Witnessing means: having conscious attention and energy to see others.
Except for slight redistribution around the circle, witnesses usually
remain still in one location in the room; though, the group may
vary this. (It can be unsettling for a mover to open his/her eyes
and find that a witness isn't in the same place.)

Witnessing is not the absence of movement; it is a conscious
activity. If you don't want to move any more, just stop moving and
stay as a "mover" in the container, without moving. Only return to
being a witness when you actively choose to witness.

Leaning back against a wall, slouching, lying down, or watching the
clock may indicate that your attention is waning and that you should
be moving (or in the circle but not moving), not witnessing. Only
stay a witness when you have the full attention for it.

Speaking Circle
---------------

After all the movement and witnessing is done (after the three closing
bells), people gather quietly in a circle again for verbal sharing
about the experience. When sharing verbally, people speak in the
present of how they move or what they witness, objectively and/or
subjectively. "I am the mover who...". "I am the witness who...".

No direct reference is made to others by name; people talk about
seeing "a mover who" did some action, without names. People speak
freely, without interruption or comments by anyone, until they
touch one hand on the floor briefly to indicate this paragraph in
their sharing is over. People may share several times, speaking of
their experiences as both mover and witness. In some circles, the
recommendation is to first speak as a mover, and second as a witness.

This sharing period is not a dialogue or conversation. People are
not witnessing each other while they are sharing; they are talking
only about the experience of moving and witnessing. One does not
normally make any references or comments on what others have said
during sharing, except for a simple "I witnessed that" if you saw
the movement described by the person who just finised sharing.

Sharing could be silent, verbal, written, drawn, painted or in
motion. (Details of special sharing will have been agreed upon
before the session begins.) You may share in the language you
prefer; it is not necessary that the others in the circle understand
perfectly what you are saying, and much will be conveyed by your
tone and expression. Oui; ici, on parle français.

Ending
------

When all who wish to have had time to share, the group collectively
extends all its hands together, palms down, in the middle of the
circle, and then slowly lowers them all to the floor. This process
is deliberately slow, to allow a chance for someone to interrupt
the closing sequence and have one last word of sharing.

At the end of one moving and sharing session, after the hands have
touched the floor, the group decides what to do next.

When all the sessions are over, the coordinator asks people to pay
for the rent of the space, and tells the participants of the date
for the next sessions. Any business can then be discussed, including
business relating to the process, rules, and container itself.

Sessions are confidential and limited in time. (The safe container
applies to time as well as space.) Once the session is over and the
hands have touched the floor, everything that happened is "sealed"
from further discussion. You may not refer to what you witnessed,
even to persons who were in the session. If you wish to talk to
someone who was in the session about something from the session,
ask permission first.

These are guidelines that help make the practice safe and interesting. A
new person will take time to integrate them all. Nothing bad will happen
if you forget some of the finer details from time to time. Be safe and
have fun!