WHAT IS A GROUP SHAKE AT
THE FIELD CENTER?
We shake with joy,
We shake with grief.
What a time they have, these two
Housed as they are in the same body.
- Mary Oliver, Evidence
Photos by Lili Davis
Our Group Shake is a durational collective somatic event. We shake to music {most of the time}, together for a duration with the emphasis on shaking and rocking the body in various ways. It can look like dancing, but we don't have to be concerned with appearance, skill or rhythm. Group and individual ecstatic and meditative states can be achieved [but may not be]. Shaking is a simple and individual task-based practice that is beneficial for circulation, nervous system and systemic health, and community building. Shaking takes many formats in cultures around the globe, across lifeforms, and on the subatomic level. Shaking is one of the body's natural tools to relieve tension.
Our particular lineage of shaking comes to the Field Center through Leslie Castellano and Tove Sahlin. The Field Center offers Group Shakes as part of many events, hosts Community Group Shakes, and facilitates multi-day Shake Workshops. Each Group Shake starts with a talk-through and a demonstration of some simple ways into the practice.
Shaking can be done standing, sitting, or laying down. Participants are encouraged to listen to their body and follow their own rhythm and intensity during the practice. Durational shaking is at the core a somatic practice and as humans with hearts and guts we may be kicking up the dust in the water: unburying things, literally shaking things up - physical, emotional and otherwise. At the end of the Group Shake we will often spend a few minutes in stillness and silence to settle. To prepare for this practice, we encourage you to connect with yourself and what you might be working with physically, emotionally, and otherwise. Wear comfortable layers, and drink plenty of water!
To read more about our informed consent and accessibility policies, please visit our ACCESSIBILITY + TRANSPARENCY page.