A Movement Journey: Expressing inner needs through outward connection

“When can we leave this house? I feel like I have no fun anymore!” (Raina, age 8)

Raina’s parents communicated that each day is like a heavy weight has been placed on their shoulders; the kids moan, the toys have all been played and everyone says they are bored.

In order to address the repetitive moaning and feeling of heaviness on this family, I applied the principles of quantum physics, mindfulness, psychology, and dance/movement therapy. To simplify these sciences, we took a movement journey and put the child’s feelings into action!

I lead the family in a simple (yet, necessary) movement warm-up starting with the specific areas of the face (tapping temples, ears, top of our head). We immediately found that time was passing by as there were so many specific areas on the body to wake up. We explored simple movements of rolling our eyes, lifting our shoulders, and using our tongue to rub our teeth. Each movement brought the family into laughter, each movement unlocked a personal desire to lead and be seen. I pointed out how Raina drew attention to herself by speeding up her movements, laughing and moving closer to her mother.

Being aware and present in our bodies allowed us to focus in the hear and now. The family found a space for connecting, breathing and the infinite options of moving together (no longer feeling bored).

Next, we took a movement journey. Raina led us, while I asked her reflective questions; where are we going? How will we get there? What do we see? Raina, (like all individuals on a movement journey), lead us to a place that showed exactly how she felt and what she needed.

We started to pretend to fly our bodies outside of our homes and above the clouds. Raina, took us to her grandmother’s house. On the way, we saw animals eating, kids playing at school, and cars going on vacation (each a reflection of the normalcy of life in the past before the pandemic). When we, pretended to arrive at her grandmother’s house, Raina led us in a search. We pushed our arms around us, we looked up and down, we crawled and climbed our bodies like moving up a ladder. We searched and searched. Raina, depicted emotions of curiosity, fear and unknown. She expressed feeling stuck and heavy. How would we find what we came for? Her parents offered questions and solutions, as well, but Raina kept us moving and searching. She ended up moving so close into a small space hugging her mother, father and brother. The family held onto one another very tightly.

• The therapeutic space allowed for a parallel process of feelings, a connection to the emotional landscape of this family, and a space for communication. Her parents were supported to stay in the moment that Raina had created, and rather than change it, to embrace the reality of how while challenging, they had one another and they had options.

Once they moved closely together, Raina was supported to take time in this moment and then when ready, she was instructed to lead her family back out of the journey and into their real house. As our bodies returned to her living room space. We sat together to identify how our feelings on the situation directly impacted the outcome of the situation.

By finding congruence in our body movement and our feelings, Raina and her family went inwards to find a way out of the mundane and into creativity and healing.

Everyday, I work with children of all ages and their families to support their communication styles, movement choices, and beautiful connections! During this Pandemic, therapeutic support and resources are available! For more ways to learn how to embody parenting and support your child through life, Email me at therapy@drloribaudino.com.

Please Note: These stories are based on real moments but all names, ages, and identifying information has been changed to ensure confidentiality and safety for all individuals involved. The events are a composite of related scenarios used to illustrate the work; bringing understanding to the benefits of supporting children through a mind/body connection.