Authentic Movement
「Authentic Movement」是一種以身體覺知、內在聆聽和關係見證為重點的冥想式運動練習。它的特點是源於內在衝動的自發運動，並在一個明確界定的框架內進行，該框架包含「運動者」和「見證者」的角色。
Authentic Movement 在國際上被應用於治療、教育、藝術和冥想等領域。它通常被描述為一種學科而非舞蹈形式，強調覺察、臨在和意義建構，而非表演或審美結果。
起源
Authentic Movement 起源於 20 世紀中期，這要歸功於舞蹈家兼榮格分析師瑪麗·斯塔克斯·懷特豪斯 (Mary Starks Whitehouse) 的工作。懷特豪斯汲取了現代舞、深度心理學和積極想像的影響，發展出一種將無意識素材、動作和意識覺知聯繫起來的實踐方法。
她的工作得到了後來的實踐者的進一步發展和傳承，其中包括「珍妮特·阿德勒」，她將Authentic Movement闡述為一門具有倫理基礎、清晰語言和長期培訓途徑的正式學科。
Core principles
Authentic Movement is grounded in several core principles:
- Inner impulse — movement arises from sensation, image, emotion, or impulse perceived internally.
- Presence — sustained attention to lived experience in the moment.
- Witnessing — a non-judgemental, receptive presence that observes movement without interpretation.
- Differentiation — cultivating awareness of boundaries between self and other, mover and witness.
- Integration — reflecting on experience through language and meaning after movement.
The practice prioritises direct experience and reflection over instruction or technique.
Practice
A typical Authentic Movement session involves:
- one or more movers who close their eyes and follow internal impulses into movement,
- one or more witnesses who maintain a grounded, attentive presence,
- a period of verbal reflection following the movement phase.
Movers do not plan or choreograph movement. Instead, they attend to bodily sensations, emotions, memories, and imagery as they arise. Witnesses observe with restraint, cultivating awareness of their own responses while refraining from interpretation or intervention.
Sessions may be practiced one-to-one, in small groups, or within long-term practice groups.
The role of the witness
The role of the witness is central to Authentic Movement. Witnessing involves:
- tracking the mover without judgement,
- maintaining awareness of one’s own sensations and projections,
- supporting safety, containment, and clarity of the practice space.
Over time, practitioners may develop the capacity to witness both others and themselves simultaneously, sometimes described as the inner witness.
Language and reflection
Following movement, participants often engage in spoken reflection. Language is used carefully and intentionally, typically emphasising:
- first-person statements,
- descriptions of direct experience,
- differentiation between observation, feeling, and interpretation.
This reflective phase supports integration of embodied experience into conscious awareness.
Training and transmission
Authentic Movement is transmitted through long-term study rather than standardised certification. Training pathways may include:
- sustained personal practice,
- supervised practice groups,
- mentorship and apprenticeship,
- study of ethics, boundaries, and psychological awareness.
Some organisations and teachers describe Authentic Movement explicitly as a discipline, emphasising responsibility, containment, and ethical clarity.
Applications
Authentic Movement is used in a range of contexts, including:
- psychotherapy and counselling,
- dance and movement education,
- somatic and expressive arts practice,
- contemplative and spiritual inquiry,
- creative and performance research.
Relationship to conscious dance
Authentic Movement is closely related to the conscious dance field through its emphasis on awareness, embodiment, and non-judgement. It differs from many conscious dance practices in its minimal use of music, absence of group dance structures, and strong focus on witnessing and reflection.
It has significantly influenced later movement meditation practices, somatic psychology, and embodied contemplative disciplines.
External links
- Discipline of Authentic Movement: https://disciplineofauthenticmovement.com/
