Unterkunft für Flüchtlinge
Wir nehmen Menschen aus der Ukraine auf und schaffen dabei einen sicheren Raum für Frauen und Kinder

Seit Mitte März bieten wir Unterkunft und einen sicheren Raum für Flüchtlinge an. Über die letzten vier Wochen haben wir insgesamt 15 Frauen und Kinder aus der Ukraine aufgenommen. Zurzeit leben noch 10 Menschen bei uns und geplant ist, noch ein paar Familien dazu zu holen. Mit 15 Schlafzimmern liegt unser maximale Zahl irgendwo zwischen 20 und 25 Menschen. Bei einer höheren Zahl müssen wir allerdings weitere Toiletten und Duschen einbauen. Für das Gemeinschaftsleben ist eine Bewohnerzahl von 15 Menschen wahrscheinlich angenehmer. Wir werden sehen, wie sich die Situation in den kommenden Monaten entwickelt. Wenn große Not vorliegt, würden wir gerne Unterkunft anbieten und uns so organisieren dass alle hier angenehm leben können.
 
Unser Haupthaus ist zwischen 1940 und 1942 gebaut geworden und hat Arbeiter von der Sprengchemie untergebracht...

Damals war Platz für ungefähr 35 Menschen. Nach dem Krieg diente das Gebäude kurzzeitig als Kinderheim. Viele Menschen aus der Region erinnern sich noch an den Ort während der NVA-Zeit, als hier Tankfahrzeuge gewartet wurden. Ab der deutschen Wiedervereinigung fiel das Gelände in die Hände des Grenzschutzes. Seit 2010 ist es in Privatbesitz. Krieg und militärische Nutzung sind, sozusagen, keine neue Erfahrung für unser Haupthaus. Es ist also eine gute Erweiterung der Geschichte des Gebäudes, Unterkunft und Schutzräume für Menschen, die vor dem aktuellen Krieg in der Ukraine fliehen, anzubieten.
 
Die Renovierung des sanierungsbedürftigen Haupthauses wird in ein oder zwei Jahren stattfinden. Wir sind nun mitten im Planungsprozess und werden bald ein Baugenehmigungsantrag einreichen. In dem Hauptteil des Gebäudes sind die Heizung und Wasserleitungen schon über 10 Jahre abgeklemmt geworden. Die LeiterInnen von KuNaKu, Manuel Hülsmann und Liz Erber, wollten aber im aktuellen Krieg helfen und wussten dass Unterkünfte gebraucht werden. Mit der Hilfe von dutzenden von Freiwilligen haben sie über drei Wochen 15 Schlafzimmern geschaffen, eine neue Küche und zwei neue Bäder eingebaut, sowie mehrere Gemeinschaftsräume eingerichtet. Jede Familie hat ein Schlafzimmer mit ein bis drei Betten, während größere Familien zwei Zimmer bewohnen. Unser größerer Salon funktioniert jetzt als ein Gemeinschaftswohn- und Esszimmer. Es gibt zusätzlich einen zweiten Wohnzimmerbereich mit einem großen Fernseher, sowie ein Spielzimmer und einen Bewegungsraum für Tanz und Yoga. Bei gutem Wetter kann man auf der Terrasse entspannen, essen oder eine Kaffee genießen. Wir bedanken uns sehr herzlich für Ihre Hilfe und die reichliche Sachspenden, die wir erhalten haben, um unseren Ort gut auszustatten. Durch die Zusammenarbeit und die Bereitschaft von vielen Menschen haben wir etwas Großartiges geschafft! Unsere Gäste sind natürlich auch sehr dankbar.

Sehe Fotos und ein Video beim letzten Blog Eintragung (auf Englisch).

Unsere Gäste sind froh, hier angekommen zu sein, und wollen länger im Haus bleiben, außer eine Gruppe, die Verwandte in einem anderen Land hatten und weiter gereist sind. Bis jetzt haben wir uns für kein Enddatum entschieden. Weil wir abhängig von Elektro- und Propangasheizungen sind, war es für uns unrealistisch, durch den Winter zu heizen. Wir werden aber niemanden rausschmeißen und wenn es von unseren Gästen gewünscht ist, hier auch über den nächsten Winter zu wohnen, werden wir eine Lösung finden.
 
Zurzeit stehen in Oderberg eine Reihe Wohnungen frei. Unsere Gäste haben aber gesagt, dass es ihnen ohne Deutschkenntnisse lieber ist zusammen in Gemeinschaft zu bleiben, an einem Ort wo sie leichter an Unterstützung kommen können. Ob sie in zwei oder drei Monaten etwas anderes wünschen, werden sie sehen. Man muss auch bedenken, dass die meisten Menschen, die aus der Ukraine eingetroffen sind, Frauen sind, die oft mit Kindern oder älteren Verwandten reisen. Eine Frau bei uns ist alleine mit drei relativ jungen Kindern eingereist. Gemeinschaft kann sehr hilfreich sein für Frauen, die alleine mit Kindern wohnen. Sie erleben täglich viel Stress, tragen viel Verantwortung, während sie selbst nicht wissen wie es weiter geht. Sie brauchen ab und zu jemanden, der auf ihre Kinder aufpasst. In unser Gemeinschaft erleben wir, wie jeder den anderen unterstützt, sodass auch die Mütter immer wieder paar Minuten freihaben.   

 Wie Sie helfen können:

Deutschkurs: Wir sind auf der Suche nach jemandem, der oder die einen regelmäßigen Deutschkurs, ein oder zweimal in der Woche, bei uns anbieten kann.

 
Kinderbetreuung: Betreuung ist während des Deutschkurses, ab und zu an Wochenenden, und während unseres Cafés der Kulturen gewünscht.
 
Patenpartner: ein Patenpartner bietet ihrem Flüchtlingspartner freundliche Hilfe an, um das deutsche System besser verstehen zu lernen, Formulare auszufüllen, oder als Ansprechpartner bei Terminen, für die Deutschkenntnisse wichtig sind.  Es ist unterschiedlich, was gebraucht wird und manchmal ist es einfach wichtig mit jemandem zu sprechen.
 
Sachspende: Wir können Laptops, Kühlschränke, Kleiderschränke, Wäscheständer, Kleiderhänge und Vorhänge gebrauchen. Bitte sprechen Sie mal mit uns bevor Sie etwas kaufen oder zu uns anschleppen!
 
Geldspenden sind auch willkommen. Wir können gern eine Spendenquittung für Sie ausstellen.
 
Eigene Ideen? Fragen Sie uns einfach.

Kommende Termine – Machen Sie mit!
Vorher anmelden ist erwünscht

• wöchentliches Yoga, dienstags um 16:30, Fliederweg 1, Oderberg
• 30. April, 11 – 14 Uhr: Gemeinschafsgarten Treff, Platz der Einheit, Oderberg
• 30. April, 14 – 17 Uhr: Café der Kulturen, durch Backen die Welt kennenlernen: Pyrizhky, gefülltes ukrainisches Gebäck, Kinder- und Jugendtreff, Platz der Einheit 14, Oderberg
• 30. April, 17 – 21 Uhr: Kinderabend und Kinderkino, Kinder- und Jugendtreff, Platz der Einheit 14, Oderberg

 A war begins...what to do?

A graffitied building in Berlin Mitte.

Living 7km from the Polish border, we knew that a large influx of refugees would be heading our direction. As owners of a guest house, albeit a non-functioning guest house in dire need of rennovations, as well as, a recently-formed non-profit with a welcoming-project for refugees and international guests*, the best way to respond to the situation quickly became obvious. We would make our empty spaces, nearly 20 bare, dusty, cold rooms, as comfortable as possible and build in all other necessary facilities. With no plumbing in most of the house, no central heating, and possibly non-functioning electrical wires, there were many hurdels to overcome. I must give credit to my partner/husband, Manuel, for his determination to stride beyond every obstacle, and simply say, "YES!"

I remember waking up around 7am on the morning of February 24th, the monring of the invasion, and directly opening the New York Times on my cell phone; did it happen? Did Russia really invade the Ukraine? Yes, they did. For many mornings to follow, I began the day in the same fashion, turning on the wifi on my phone and checking the news. What had happened now? In the first week, my partner and I were hoping that the war would quickly come to an end, that those who had fled could turn back home. As the days passed and the destruction of Ukrainian cities and infrastructure seemed to mount exponentially, it became clear, directly turning back home was no longer an option, there would be millions of people fleeing harms way. It seemed that Russia’s main goal became the entire destruction of a country, with little concern for civilians and those attempting to flee.

Like many people living in Europe, we asked ourselves what we could do. During the first week of the war and within a matter of minutes, we laid out our plan. In some ways it was a plan that we already had "on reserve." Manuel had often voiced that if catastrophe were to strike (what he imagined would be global-warming disasters forcing people out of their homes and land), we would make our plentiful space available to displaced peoples. We hadn't previously imagined that it would happen so soon and be due to war in Europe. Almost immediately, we typed up a call for help. We would need electricians, plumbers, people to build a kitchen and bath, people to clean, assemble and move furniture, and more. We sent an email out to our local "Oderartig" network of appximately 400 members, a diverse group of creatives, empaths and mostly ecologically attuned individuals who live in the Oder River region. (The Oder River is an international water border, dividing Germany and Poland.)

The response was immediate, and the next day people were at our door, tools and cleaning supplies in hand. A sandwhich board outside our house also drew in neighbors. Over a three-week period, our house was full and busy. I was accustomed to a large empty house, but now I was up early making coffee and greeting people. A whiteboard in our front entrance, which Manuel kept updated, listed all there was to be done. I spent most of my time coordinating work and workers, sending people in the right direction and connecting them to the right tools. Often, I had, Esther, my 13-month old daugter on one hip. Electricians and plumbers did show up, and worked pro bono, like all others. A friend and neighbor spent many long days building a new kitchen. A number of donations came in as well: furniture, clothes, drapes, towels, a boiler and water heater. Many asked what else they could bring, and what else they could do. A local artist, filled a number of our bedrooms with her uplifting illustrations. Selfless service became the name of the game and it was moving to see how many people showed up willing to do whatever needed to be done.

We are grateful to the dozens and dozens of people who came to help. It seemed a nearly impossible stretch to get the place in order in 3-weeks; without YOU it would have been impossible.

Here is a video showing some of the volunteers, the spaces and our guests. Further below are photos with descriptions. 

 

 

You can also watch the video via Vimeo: https://vimeo.com/manage/videos/702808983

*We founded our non-profit, Haus für Kunst, Natur und Kultur gGmbH at the end of 2020. In the last quarter of 2021, we founded a welcoming initiative, Wir Zusammen! (Us, together!), for refugees and internationals arriving in our region.

PHOTOS

 

The bathroom off the main entrance at the start of the rennovations. We wanted to add a shower and an electrical outlet, so that we could plug in an eclectrical heater. The central heating in most of the building is defunct. The radiator pictured is no longer connected to a heating system.

Two lovely volunteers help with the plumbing. There were a total of six volunteers who spent ample time in this bathroom, re-plumbing, re-wiring and tiling.

    Setting the tile for the new shower.

           

Daniel wires a new electrical outlet so that we can plug a heater in. A new wire had to be run from the basement.

 

The bathroom after its make-over! Unfortunately we still had to finagel* quite a bit with the water heater so that it stayed on while in demand; that is, continued to heat the water while running, which is very important when taking a shower on a cold day. On April 7th, Manuel and Daniel rewired the contraption, and were successful in fixing the system.      * I just discovered that finagel is an americanism from the 1920s, so here is the defintion: To obtain, arrange, or achieve by indirect, complicated and/or intensive efforts.

                          

                                                                       

Three volunteers help to move furniture from one of the industrial halls into the main house. Daniel, far right, speaks Russian fluently, and has also helped extensively with translation and communication.

Bijan hangs lamps in the bedrooms. An Electrician helped to rewire outlets in all 14 bedrooms on the 2nd floor.

Our neighbor, Lotte, helps to build a new kitchen. Wood and tools were previously stored in this location. With running water and fully tiled, this room lent itself to becoming a kitchen - and a successful kitchen at that! Lotte is also helping to build a 2nd toilet on the 2nd floor, near the bedrooms.

Andreas also spent many long days in piecing together the new kitchen.

The Kitchen before it was a kitchen: in 2021, the space functioned as a dying lab for KuNaKu residential artists: Dan Farberoff and David Beghar Perahia and their project, Common Views.

 

 

March 2022: after rennovations

 

 

Even the Oderberger Fire Department donated a refrigerator and cabinets, which went into the room just outside of the kitchen. This room offers our guests more space to store food and a second microwave and fridge.

 

 

Volunteer, Sonja Schwarze. She spent many long days cleaning many rooms.

Volunteer, Lena. She spent many long days cleaning many rooms.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Fourteen bedrooms were cleaned, electric was rewired and put in functioning order again, walls were repaired and painted, and furniture was brought in. Paintings and illustrations were added at the end of the process.

 

Sasha, one of our Ukrainian guests, with two donated illustrations from local artist and illustrator, Gabi Erne, from Hohensaaten.

Free Shop: We prepared a corner of the front entance of the house for clothing donations. Donations from dozens of people have passed through our doors. Our guests were especially thankful for extra layers of warm clothing. Germany is not the warmest place on Earth middle of March and April.

Volunteer, Anna, setting up and preparing shelves for our free room.

 

Volunteers, Cat Aman and Elsa Loy, pack the shelves with donated clothes. 

 

Elsa and I continue sorting clothes.

 

 

 

Gas Heaters: Due to old electrical wiring we can use a maximum of one electrical heater per floor. Manuel spent quite a lot of time researching heating options. He finally settled on these portable gas heaters that have a propane gas tank at the back. We purchased five new heaters. They have several safety functions, including measuring oxygen levels in the room and turning off if the oxygen drops below a certain percentage. We ask our guests not to use the heaters at night and to air the rooms regularly.

 

 

Ukrainian volkunteers help make signs for the house. The three young guests came together with their host, Evelyn.

  

 

Two of our neigbohrs, Ute and Christina, were also regulars during our house revamp. In addition to cleaning multiple rooms they put a finishing touch on all of the bedrooms: lace curtains which they bought themsleves and hung. I would have not though of the lace curtains, but must admit that the rooms looked more welcoming afterwards.

 

Volunteers bring furniture to the second floor of the main house, where most of the bedrooms are located. Here are a few photos of the second floor landing in its process of transformation.
 

After we were able to sort out the furniture and furnish 14 or so rooms, we created a couple of sitting areas and a puzzle area in this second floor landing. It has been too cold to sit long in the space, but once it warms up a bit the space will serve as an additional community space.

Our intial guests had only the toilet at the main entrance. We quickly set to work to bring a second toilet in wokring order. Our neighbor, Lotte, put in new plumbing for the toilet and for a washing machine.

Thank you for making the seemingly impossible, possible! 

We love you!

Dear Dance Enthusiasts, 

I am offering a 3-day CI workshop this coming week, Wed - Fri (Jan 30 - Feb 1), 14:30-17:30 at Magic Park. I connect somatic practices and the fundamentals of movement (how our bodies developed and are organized) into contact. Through the practice, we create a strong connection to the earth, ourselves and others, giving us the freedom to play with a wide range of dynamics: soft and strong, subtle and large movements, slow and fast; and to easily fall and soar.

Cost: 2000 Ruppees (a portion of earnings will go to animal rescue in Arambol).

Please feel free to contact me with questions and/or to register: +49 1781879427 (What'sApp); email: Lerber@gmail.com

You can find more about me here: www.lerber.com

Liz Erber has been teaching contact improvisation for nearly two decades, and is grateful for every opportunity to share her love of dance and CI with others while also deepening her understanding of the human body and human interaction. She teaches regularly at K77 Studio in Berlin, at dance festivals around the globe and in India. In addition to contact improvisation she teaches a variety of somatic, contemporary and improvisation dance styles, in addition to composition/choreography and moving and writing. Liz holds degrees in dance, theater and chemistry/biology, and has a background in somatic education, Laban/Bartenieff studies, release techniques, creative dance and improvisation, and movement analysis. She works professionally as a performer, teacher and choreographer.

CLASSES/WORKSHOPS in INDIA & BERLIN

This Sunday, 10:30-13:00 @ Magic Park, Arambol, Goa

Contact Improvisation Workshop

*Remembering we what we once knew*

In this workshop we will investigate the fundamentals of contact improvisation (weight sensing, establishing trust with a partner, counterbalance, giving/receiving weight, rolling point, playfulness) and how they relate to our early experiences in movement, body organization, and relating to one another. As children we were already practicing many of the basics of CI. learning CI, can therefore be a process of remembering rather than learing anew!

All levels and abilities are invited to participate!

Cost: 300 INR

I look forward to dancing with you!

More Info: +91 7350436757, Lerber@gmail.com

___________________________________________________________________________________

Contact Improvisation:
Beginning-Intermediate
für Fortgeschrittittener-Anfänger

8 Wochen/ Weeks, 5. Jan -23. Feb, 2017

K77 Studio, Kastanienallee 77, 10435 Berlin 2HH 3OG

Spräche/Language: Deutsch/ English

Please register here: Lerber@gmail.com

In dem 8-wöchigen Kursblöcken erfahren wir spielerisch die Grundlagen der CI, dazu gehören das Gewicht spüren/wahrnehmen, mit Gegengewicht tanzen, Vertrauen
gewinnen, Gewicht geben/nehmen, Rolling Point, u.a. Ferner gehen wir auf die menschliche Körperorganisation und Entwicklung
ein. Da wir am Anfang unseres Lebens bereits viele Grundlagen von
CI nutzen, knüpfe ich im Unterricht an vorhandene Alltagserfahrungen an. Die Klasse ist sowohl für Anfänger als
auch für Fortgeschrittene, die ihr CI Basis
vertiefen wollen, geeignet.

During this 8-week course we will cover the basics of contact - weight sensing, establishing trust, counterbalance, giving/receiving weight, rolling point, etc. - as well as, the basics of human movement and development. We will consider whole-body coordination and the way in which we grew and developed in “contact" with others. Most of us were naturally practicing and playing with elements of CI as we grew, so I believe learning CI is more about remembering early ways of moving and interacting, rather than learning anew.

In addition for those who are interested this class will take CI into a more dynamic range. By practicing and refining our understanding of the known events (lift, rides, falls, etc), we enable ourselves to dive more deeply into the unknown events.

Preis/ Cost: 90 Euro frühvogel Preis (bis/until 1. Jan 2017)
Danach/ afterwards: 100-120 Euro (sliding scale)

Liz Erber: Ich habe über 15 Jahre Erfahrung als CI
Lehrerin und schätze jede Möglichkeit meine Leidenschaft für Tanz und CI mit Anderen zu teilen. Unterrichten vertieft auch mein Verständnis für den menschlichen Körper. Ich erhielt Bachelors in
Tanz, Theater, Chemie/Biologie und bin ausgebildet als Tanz- und somatische Pädagogin mit Hintergrund in Laban/ Bartenieff Bewegungsstudien, verschiedenen “Release-” und somatischen Techniken, Bewegungsanalyse, u.a.

Andrew Wass has been investigating CI for 20 years. He approaches CI from a compositional angle, looking to balance to intentional with the accidental. He has a Bachelors of Science in Biochemistry, and MA from the HZT in Solo/Dance/Authorship. Currently he is investigating improvisation through the lenses of phenomenology and mathematics. He is a member of the Lower Left Performance Collective. Past teaching posts include the Tokyo Contact Festival, Tanzfabrik's Performance Intensive, Freiburg CI festival, SFADI, WCCIF and others. He has performed with Scott Wells, Jess Curtis, Ray Chung, Nina Martin, and Nancy Stark Smith, u.a.
wasswasswass.com

Liz Erber: Having taught CI for nearly 15 years, I am grateful for every opportunity to share my love of dance and CI with others while also deepening my understanding of the human body and human interaction. I hold degrees in dance, theater and chemistry/biology, and have a background in somatic education, Laban/Bartenieff studies, various release techniques, and movement analysis.

The ReWilding Project

A solo performance about our modern neurosis, sense of loss and

search for hope, while aiming to re-member the nature inside of us.

Performance/Concept: Liz Erber, www.Lerber.com

Video/Technology: Dan Farberoff, danfarberoff.com

Sound Design: Julia Kny

Premiere:

Di./Tues. 31. May 2016, 20:00

English Theater Berlin (Fidicinstr. 10965 Berlin)

Expat Expo Festival, www.etberlin.de

Previews:

Sa. 28. May 2016, 20:30/ So. 29. May 2016, 20:15

K77 Studio (Kastanienallee 77, 2HH 3OG 10435 Berlin)

Performing Arts Festival Berlin, Performingarts-festival.de

Photo © Dan Farberoff

Joints & Expressivity: What the two have to do with one another

Joints & Expressivity: 

What the two have to do with one another

When you think of your joints, "expressivity" may not be the first association that pops into your mind - but actually the two are closely related. To many people "joints" are merely anatomical parts that we rarely consider until they cause us problems - such as, when they are injured or become achy. Anyone who has had an injured knee, ankle, wrist, etc., knows how debilitating this is to daily function. A little over a decade ago, I had an on-going injury with the lower joint of my left big toe that caused me distress for several years. So even an injury to a toe joint can affect daily function. (More later on the common colloquialism of "them causing us problems".) But that is enough on injury. What about expressivity?!

In these photos you can see how the articulation of the joints is linked to expressivity:

In these photos I am improvising with Paul Singh, a dancer from New York.

The Latin word for joint is "articulus". Hence, the words articulation in French, articulación in Spanish, articulação in Portuguese, and articalzione in Italian. The Latin root also found its way into English; we have the adjective "articulate" and the verb, "to articulate" as well as noun and adverbial forms. However, these words are more commonly associated with language expression and the ability to express oneself with clarity. According to the American Heritage Dictionary, "articulate" has the following definitions:

adj

1. able to express oneself fluently and coherently: an articulate lecturer.

2. having the power of speech

3. distinct, clear, or definite; well-constructed: an articulate voice; an articulate document.

4. (Zoology) zoology (of arthropods and higher vertebrates) possessing joints or jointed segments

vb

5. to speak or enunciate (words, syllables, etc) clearly and distinctly

6. (tr) to express coherently in words

7. (Zoology) zoology (intr) to be jointed or form a joint

8. (tr) to separate into jointed segments

A synonym for "articulate" is "expressivity". Bingo! There we have the etymological connection - but the link between joints and expressivity is more than an abstract connection to be extracted from Latin words. (The word link is derived from the German word Gelenk, meaning joint. Focusing on the joints is good for making connections.) We can observe and readily experience this connection in our daily lives, and day-to-day movement.

Body movements, both fine and gross motor movements, are made possible because of the joints. Joints allow our limbs to move in relation to one another and to the trunk, or torso, of the body. Our muscles act as lever systems contracting body parts or extending body parts from one another. The torso itself, with the pelvis at its core and the spine running along its midline, is full of articulating joints. Each vertebrae (25 in humans) has at least four joints. The thoracic vertebrae, which are the 12 middle vertebrae to which the ribs attach, have up to four extra joints. Therefore, there are over 100 joints in the spine alone!

Anatomists and evolutionists sometimes refer to the torso as our primary body, since it evolved first, and the arms and legs secondarily. So to begin, let us look at the expressivity of the torso. The spine is extremely expressive of our internal state and/or emotions. Imagine for instance the spine of someone who is full of joy, or of someone who is eager, or depressed, or stuck-up, or stressed. It is, of course, ideal when we have full access to the expressivity of the spine, and can move through these various inner-expressions of being without getting stuck, long-term in a particular position or posture. (This can serve as a good reminder to myself to move and change my position somewhat frequently while typing at my computer.)

How would you interpret the expressivity of the spine in these photos?

 

Here I am performing with dancers Henrik Kaalund and Andrew Wass

We all know, however, that many of us do get stuck in a particular shape or posture. I believe this happens for various reasons. For one, many people simply lose range of motion in the spine due to lack of movement. Our lives have become highly sedentary compared to the lives of most humans throughout human history. By not moving joints regularly through their normal range of motion, we eventually lose the ability to articulate and move these joints properly. In some cases the joints simply become more fixed, or rigid, while in other cases, the joints may become hypermobile due to a weakening of the surrounding infrastructure. Secondly, there is truth to the old somatic saying of "form follows function". If our daily work holds us in particular postures or positions for hours on end, our body will start to form to these postures - especially if we are not regularly finding other ways of moving. Thirdly, fixed ideas or images that we have of ourselves (these may be personal or cultural) often affect how we hold ourselves. For instance, in the middle ages, many women would thrust their pelvis and belly forward as if pregnant; pregnancy being a highly desired state. Is there a particular way that tennagers in your culture hold themselves? How do you imagine the posture of a soldier, a ballerina, a homeless person.

How to maintain the full articulation of your spine? 

Ideally we are moving our spines everyday in all of the directions and motions available to us. The spine exhibits a full spectrum of movement possibilities in all planes: 1) in the vertical plane (up-down), which translates to lateral, side-to-side movement, i.e. fish-like movements, 2) in the sagittal (front-back) plane, i.e. a wave or dolphin motion, 3) twisting along the axis in the horizontal, or table plane, and 4) 3-dimensionally through all planes of movement. 

A healthily mobilized spine also means a more stable spine -  The great spinal dualities – mobile and stable & functional and expressive:

The spine is a structure, which is both beautifully mobile and also extremely stable. Think of how the stability of the spine allows to you to pick up a child or grown-up (if you practice contact improvisation), or to carry a backpack or to work upright at your computer. Mobility and stability come hand-in-hand. By regularly working with the mobility of the spine we engage the muscles around the vertebrae and thereby also enhance the stability. Working with stabilizing movements (think plank position of yoga or any sort of abdominal or extension training) can also serve to enhance healthy degrees of mobilization.  And, of course, a healthy balance between mobility and stability means a fully expressive spine. Someone with backbone is someone who can stand up for him/herself or a cause. It is someone that has a stable spine. At the same time we want a beautifully mobile spine to express playfulness and also flexibility. 

The Importance of the Breath

Each inhale and exhale offers us the potential to stimulate and move the joints within the spine, especially the costovertebral joints of the thoracic spine, which connect the ribs to the spine. The ribs are meant to expand with the inhale and release inwards with the exhale. By allowing for full breaths you can notice how the spine grows with the inhale and shrinks with the exhale. You will also notice that for full breaths to be possible the spine is ideally in an upright position, and you are not slumping in a chair. 

If I am sitting for a long time, or working at my computer, I notice that my breath often becomes shallow. Studies have shown that most people are far from using the full capacity of their breath and are often breathing shallowly. Shallow breath is frequently due to slumping, which in effect collapses the capacity of the lungs, but it can also be due to a simple lack of awareness around the breath, or can be psychologically related.  

A shallow breath translates to less stimulation of the joints in the spine and along the ribs. The ribs may even become frozen and not move at all with the breath. Note that the breath stimulates the ribs' connection to the spine at one end and to the sternum at the other end - thus we experience a 3-dimensional expansion and release with the breath, along the front, sides and back of the body.

The breath is also highly connected to emotions. You can notice how your breath changes from one situation to the next depending on how you feel. What is your breath like when you are in the company of close friends as opposed to when you are in the company of superiors or colleagues who you feel may be judging you? Stressful situations in which you do not feel free to express yourself can also lead to a more shallow breath and more cramped, immobile expression through the body. Or, you may feel that you have to put on a coat of armor to protect yourself - which is something that we literally do when we feel attacked, not allowing ourself, particularly our torso, to move or be moved. It is, however, not ideal when we have to keep our armor on hour after hour, day after day. This will naturally alter our ability to express ourselves, and we may even loose access to our own feelings.

Do you know someone who is frozen through the torso? This person may be difficult to "read". It may seem that he/she is covering up his/her true thoughts or feelings.

So what do we do in any of these unideal situations? Notice the breath and allow it to move us. 

Exercise 1: Notice your breath and how it moves the joints along the spine and ribs. Notice what happens with the inhale and with the exhale. What effect does the shape of your spine have on your breath, i.e. slumping, or sitting upright?

What is the most expressive joint in the body? What do you think?

Is it the shoulder joint, which has the widest range of movement of any joint in the body? Or, the combined actions of all the joints in the hand? Or is the core of the body more important? Although the range of movement at the center of the body may be more minimal, its affects are magnified through the proximal limbs. Or is the atlanto-occipital joint the most expressive? This is the joint, or actually pair of joints, between top spinal vertebrae and the skull, which allows for nodding and side-to-side movement of the head.

Exercise 2: Explore movement of the joints and find which one for you is the most expressive.

 Dance allows for a full range movement and of expressivity:

In conclusion, daily movement of the joints is important for maintaining the health of these joints. Movements that explore the full range of the joint, without forcefully pushing the edge of this range, like arm circles, shoulder roles, or hip circles, help to keep the joints in good working order. For synovial joints, those which contain synovial fluid, daily movement is necessary for the lubrication and smooth functioning of these joints. (Lubrication is not only something necessary for car engines and mechanical parts.) If we do not regularly move our joints through their normal range of motion, we will gradually start to lose this range of motion and the full functionality and expressivity of this joint.

The body causing us problems!

How is it that parts of our bodies, literally parts of ourselves, can cause us problems? The key, of course, lays in the objectification of the body and the belief in the widespread cultural paradigm of the body-mind split. If we were to fully identify with our body as ourself, we would likely listen to our bodies with equal interest as we do our will and daily plans, and give it the attention that it requires. And, we would not blame our body for causing problems or creating limitations. More often than not our limitations begin in our attitudes (be them cultural or personal) not in our bodies. 

Exercise 3: Play with the articulation of your joints and notice how these affect your feelings, and emotional state. 

Exercise 4: Imagine yourself as a baby or small child who is first learning how to use his/her joints. You are naturally curious and excited to explore the full range of movement possible.