The Singing Web
summer experience
Releasing into Origin and expression with Nature
July 22 -August 13 2022 with Larissa
Here we are! Alive in a world of flourishing possibilities emerging from a centerless Origin ((((((o))))))). Sometimes synonymous with Origin, is Nature. Nature is both what is perceived and what is beyond perceiving in all directions of reality, guided by principles of flow, communication, and relation-ing. In the earthly realm much of that is revealed in the way things move and the sounds they make, the way they are heard and felt. Each being, lifeway, flow system, and relationship function through resonance and movement, relying on these qualities to communicate (come closer, no thank you), affect change (where do we go from here?), and celebrate (pure joy). For most of the time that humans have lived on the planet, we too enjoyed complete and direct participation in sound and movement as daily technologies that helped us in our relationships and contributed to the wellbeing of ecosystems. In the modern human arena however, we have both suffered and perpetrated violence against this immediacy of connection to Nature and Reality, and exiled artistic expression into extremely narrow concepts of talent and beauty.
This summer excursion of “releasing into Origin and expression with Nature'' is an invitation into a creative clearing (or remembering) through an exploration of the continuity between Origin and expression. Between complete openness/potential and unique gestures of inspiration. Between the timeless/endless and the momentary and back again. Between our primordial non human non gendered Unfathomable parentage and our funny little selves, doing our best. Not only does the world seem to collaborate with us the most effectively in this kind of practice, but we can also allow some deep pattern resetting along the way.
We will be looking to Nature as our teacher and living body of feedback. It is possible to apprentice to Nature even in the most human-saturated places, because nothing exists outside of Nature, but there’s no denying the healthful effects of being in places with less human interference, where the design of reality comes to us more holistically. Each participant-artist will get to determine what makes the most sense for them.
What this will look like: We will engage in this container in a variety of ways and settings.
The cohort will be capped at around 20 people. We will meet over zoom with space built in for getting outside (adaptations for ppl who can’t or don’t want to leave their home/bed etc will be included).
There will be baseline practices for stabilizing our ability to root and listen, and increase sensitization and responsiveness without overwhelm as much as possible.
Sometimes we will be in looser, casual space, and other times it will be more like ceremony.
We will play a lot with “moving from center/origin”, where sound and movement become mechanisms of attunement.
Some reading and dialogue, and mini “lectures”.
Opportunity to form your own “art projects” or “artistic research questions.” And even a ritual-performance space or “show and tell” if that’s what the group desires.
Everything that can be recorded will be, although due to the small group size it is expected that everyone attend live as much as possible. Recordings and other course materials will be hosted on Thinkific. Please note that I may decide to offer aspects of this container and some of its recordings as an online self-paced class later on.
Other qualities of the singing web experience:
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Soften our concretized or habitual sense of “self” by syncing up with beyond human intelligences and encountering the movements of reality more directly
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Opportunity for small group/focused support around what might make communing with Nature/Spirit through sound and movement difficult or easy
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Trauma-informed design
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Melting some of our stress responses in social and public settings as it relates to sound and movement, and authentic expression in general
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Practice getting over some of the bad ideas dominant culture has given us about talent, creativity, and art
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Development of relaxed responsiveness to stimuli/our environment
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Building tolerance for hovering on the edge of spontaneity and the unknown
What is informing the design of this container?
Energy and Spirit work, ancestral blessings, non dual animism, death practice, the voice of the land, embodied trauma Counseling, certification in Ecopsychology, Viewpoints, Butoh Ritual Mexicano, Theatre of the Oppressed, community organizing, devising performance art, many conversations with other practitioners and teachers, dream practice, Kali, Black Jackal, Snake, Santa Muerte, Systems sensing, Systemic Constellations, Nature Constellations via Francesca Mason Boring
More details:
Participants need to have an established grounding and centering practice, and ideally some experience communicating consciously with Spirit/Nature, and/or improvised movement and sound. If you are totally brand new to both Spirit/Nature communion and improvised sound and movement then I recommend signing up for the next run of Between Sun and Moon, or joining the Animist Arts Playground.
Dates:
Friday July 22nd 4-7pmPST
Saturday July 23rd 10am-1pmPST
Monday August 8th small group catalysts 11am-1pmPST (group 1) 4-6pmPST (group 2)
Friday August 12th 4-7pmPST
Saturday August 13th 10am-1pmPST
Option for show and tell Saturday late afternoon/early evening
Dontation: sliding scale $350-650
To apply please fill out this google form
Once you get an email from me saying you’re good to go, please send donation to paypal.me/larissakaul or venmo @Larissa-Kaul with subject "The Singing Web summer 2022"
If you have questions you can email me at lkaulcounseling@gmail.com