When Europe was beginning to go into lockdown at the end of February/ beginning of March I was acutely aware that friends and family in Italy, Spain and Germany were stuck at home and having to work. Furthermore some were now restricted to their very small flats, without the possibility of leaving for any kind of exercise. Maybe the ideal scenario to encourage people to ‘dance like no one is watching’!
The idea
It struck me that all those who would usually be in their office would now be at home. Having just submitted my research paper on movement in the workplace – or lack of it! – I saw this as an opportunity.
My movement observations highlighted how little we move whilst we are sitting at a computer. This combined with my MA research findings I developed ‘Move out of your headspace’ sessions. Specifically designed for creative women who are working from home, feel stuck and just want to shift out of their busy headspace, whilst connecting with their bodies, their imagination and a few other like-minded women.
The benefits are:
- Super quick
- No need to travel anywhere, just stand up from your desk and join in (no need to get changed either!)
- Get’s you out of your headspace and into your bodyspace – thus giving your mind a rest
- It’s expressive – your body gets to have a say
- It is energising – this is the most mentioned benefit by the participants. I hear it over and over again. ‘I was having such a rough morning, Gillian, but after your session it all felt lighter and I felt like I had enough energy again to get me through the day’.
- It helps you find your flow, within your body and creatively
- Connect with other like minded women, who all enjoy dancing like no-one is watching
What a ‘Move out of your headspace’ session entails
During the 15-minutes suggestions are given by myself as to how or what part of the body might be moved. A bit like a guided meditation, but you don’t need to sit still or worry about your mind wondering off. It is up to you as the mover to decide how much you want to move and ideally you should be listening to your body and follow where it wants to take you.
The feedback from the participants from across Europe and North America has been fantastic. Given that the sessions only last 15-minutes it allows people to have a structured, non-judgemental space and time to recuperate from their work during the day.
Why it’s important
Time to recuperate during the working day is so important and yet we rarely give ourselves time to do so – or we think it will take away so much time and then we will be behind. The reality is different. By setting aside 15 minutes you can give your mind a long enough break to be still and your eyes, back, neck, shoulders and arms time and attention to recoup. Furthermore we get to move our torso, hips and legs that have very little purpose in our sedentary work space. Our whole body gets to play and express how it is feeling and let go of any tension that has built up and is held in the body. The weight of what you hold in your mind and in your body is released and lifted, when you dance like no-one is watching – like magic – and all you have to do is stop, switch off, listen to your body and move.
Want to ‘Move out of your headspace’?
If you are interested in a free 5-minute prerecorded ‘Move out of your headspace’ sessions please click here.
If you are interested in joining the 15-minute live ‘Move out of your headspace’ sessions please get in touch with Gillian here.