Somatic Practice

10/25/2024

Hello there!

There are some new faces around here so it seems like a good time to say hi and introduce myself. My name is MD (they/them), I am the genderfluid/non-binary and q***r human behind Somatic Practice. I am a multidisciplinary artist and careworking millennial who has spent the majority of their adult life confronting their intergenerational trauma and finding creative and holistic ways to heal. This is precisely what brings me to the work that I do. The most important thing you should know about me is that I am a proud Zia! I am a second generation settler of Italian decent (maternal) and third-generation Danish (paternal), residing in Tkaronto (Treaty 13 territory).

Some of the carework you will find me offering here include, somatic oriented counselling/psychotherapy, bodywork, somatic movement and embodiment coaching/education, consulting and facilitation work. If interested, you can read more about the lineages and modalities that inform my somatic work on my website. I offer both one-on-one and group support, and I work with people of all ages, orientations and intersections. In addition to somatic therapy/bodywork, I provide doula support to birthing people and their families during the prenatal and postpartum period, which includes childbirth education and perinatal counselling. I also work at a youth gender clinic offering psychosocial support to young people who are gender diverse, non-binary, gender questioning, trans and everything in-between! As a movement teacher in the community, you can catch me at Toronto in Parkdale teaching weekly classes!

I wear many hats (and I also have ADHD but we make it work, lol)! I come into these practices as a neurodiverse artist and survivor, cultured by personal experiences with severe trauma, anxiety and volatile environments. As a politicized careworker, I position myself in service amid collective trauma and community liberation for all. My work is rooted in firm values of abolition/restorative justice, intersectional feminism, deconditioning colonialism and harm reduction. My offerings are relational, de-pathologizing and highly reflective. Thanks for being here friend! ✊🏻✌🏻🍉🏳️‍⚧️

04/04/2024

🌱Thrilled to be leading a somatic movement practice for the Worker Wellness Conference for the Toronto Drop-In Network (TDIN) at April 19th! This special day is dedicated to celebrating the contributions and work of drop-in workers and frontline staff in Toronto. A day filled with food, community, connection, rest, revitalization and wellness. It’s not easy doing frontline work and these community members are truly hero’s ♥️

Shout out to my fellow care-worker colleague who will be leading us through the closing ritual ✨ Looking forward to it!

PS 👉🏻 looking to host a conference or workshop and looking for consultants, presenters or holistic practitioners to facilitate? My books are OPENED 📖!

11/24/2023

Some thoughts 💭 about eMOTIONS 🌊 during highly emotional times 🥵 especially in the face of massive collective trauma as we witness g*nocide and ongoing human suffering unfolding in front of our eyes 👀🫨🫣on social media, on the news, from loved ones, family/friends, community, etc. S**t is fu***ng HARD right now! We can UNSEE the things we’ve seen or heard over the last 45+ days and we are confronted more than ever right now with highly charged emotions like anger, rage, sadness, despair, hopelessness and grief. So I’m thinking and feeling alot about emotions right now and thought it could be nice share some of these thoughts/reflections/researches with you. Would love to hear your thoughts and reflections on this topic too…what ways are you coping right now, if any?

Text from slides below:
👇🏻
EMOTIONS, MOVEMENT & CAPACITY/RESILIENCY
👇🏻
The word “emotion” comes from a Latin word ‘emovere’, meaning “to move, to move out or move through”. Essentially, emotion is movement. So when we can identify or realize our emotions, it can literally help us MOVE into new understandings of ourself, our relationship with the world and others. Feeling our emotions moves energy in the body, motivates us to change, grow, shut-down or take action, whatever it may be, it shifts something inside us.

Working with emotions in somatic movement practices involves identifying it, locating the sensation of it in the body which opens up a space for acknowledgment, expanded awareness and acceptance. From here we observe how the sensation of that emotion shifts, changes, grows, shrinks and moves through the body.
Going through this process over and over again helps us build capacity for our emotions.

Through this process we can begin to develop a closer relationship with our internal experience. Sitting with the sensation of our emotions can help us process them in the body and build resilience. Some emotions are harder to sit with than others which is unique to each individual person. It’s hard work so be easy with yourself as you move through this process. ❤️‍🩹❤️‍🩹❤️‍🩹❤️‍🩹

Q: What practices or coping tools have been helpful for you these days??

11/08/2023

Hi Lovely community.

We have started new weekly drop-in class at Good Space Toronto (Parkdale) called Baby Groove which is a gentle postpartum dance class for parents/caregivers and their babies 6 months and under. The class was created with the intention to reduce caregiver isolation, especially during those early postpartum days/months!

It runs every Monday at 9:30am for 60-minutes.

The class leaves room for socializing and connecting with other parents in the community, transitioning into a dance class with a warm-up and cool down stretch. Baby wearing/carriers/wraps are recommended for this class but not mandatory. It’s such a fun way to start the week! Hope to see some new faces in the coming weeks 🙂

For more information or to sign up:

REGISTRATION: registration closes 20 minutes before a class's start time. Drop-ins are permitted. CANCELLATIONS: class cancellations within 6 hours of a class start time and no-shows will result in the loss of the pricing option you used to sign up. Thank you for helping us to keep our studio runnin...

10/11/2023

🐣Bun = BACK!!

Bun in the Oven will be taking place over four Sundays between October 15 and November 5.

Bun in the Oven is a 4-week prenatal series tailored to the unique needs of the pregnant body. Bun focuses as much on community connection, discussion, and the co-creation of a container of care as it does on the diaphragm, the pelvic floor and the breath. We want you to leave Bun feeling empowered by the knowledge you've taken away and added to your pre-birth toolkit!

We will explore:
Core muscle connection, restorative shapes, nervous system regulation, mind-body awareness, sound meditation tools + more.

Link is in our bio for all the good stuff :)

03/15/2023

✨BUN IN THE OVEN… is back! A Prenatal Movement & Self-Care Series! ✨

April 1, 8, 14, 22
Offered in-studio

Each 75-minute session will build on the one prior. The first session will set the foundations of the practice as we cultivate greater mind-body awareness in preparation for labour. Using movement, visualization and breath, our starting exercises will focus on relaxation, deep connection and "tuning out the noise".

As we progress, the focus will include pelvic floor connection to deepen our understanding of these muscles and their role during pregnancy, labour and birth.

Connect to the rhythms of the moving body that aid in labour and explore restorative shapes that encourage rest, grounding and a sense of surrender. Together, we will co-create a container of care that centres the body, mind and spirit in community. Sound healing tools will be incorporated into the sessions.

Cost: $150 + HST

In an effort to make our services more accessible to a larger range of financial abilities, we have two lower cost pricing options available. Please reach out if you feel you qualify for this, no questions asked. Sign up at the .to website or through the link in our bio