Wild Body. Dreaming Soul 
In this space, I’d like to explore the connection between movement, embodiment, and transformation. Our bodies hold a wealth of wisdom, and by engaging them through movement, we can uncover hidden truths, heal, and grow.
This first newsletter will explore the relationship between the body and our dreams—how embodying dream motifs through movement can bring them from the unconscious into conscious awareness, allowing us to gain clarity and understanding.

Dreams as Unconscious Wisdom
Dreams speak in images, symbols, and felt sensations, often slipping away upon waking. How can we capture and weave the energy of our dreams into consciousness. Embodying dream motifs allows us to engage them more deeply, drawing them from the unconscious into conscious awareness. Jung called this process active imagination—a way of dialoguing with the unconscious through creative engagement.
“The images of the unconscious place a great responsibility upon a man. Failure to understand them, or a shirking of ethical responsibility, deprives him of his wholeness and imposes a painful fragmentariness on his life.” Jung
By bringing dream images into movement, we integrate their wisdom, making the unseen felt and the symbolic tangible.

Somatic Practice: Moving the Dream
1. Wake & Write – Upon waking, take a few moments to record your dream. Don’t worry about full sentences—just note any key images, emotions, or symbols that stand out.
2. Meditate & Sense – Sit quietly and bring your attention to your body. Where do you feel the dream’s energy? A tightness in the chest? A flutter in the belly? A tingling in the hands? Simply notice.
3. Breathe & Move – Begin with gentle breathing, allowing movement to emerge naturally from where you sense the dream’s energy. Let the body respond without forcing—small gestures, shifting weight, or larger flowing movements.
4. Track & Observe – As you move, pay attention to the sensations, emotions, and images that arise. How does the quality of movement feel? Heavy or light? Sharp or fluid? What story is your body telling?
5. Reflect & Journal – After moving, take a moment to sit and write down any insights. Did any new symbols emerge? Did a certain movement shift your perspective on the dream?
Alternative Approach: If a dream leaves you with an unanswered question, begin your movement with this question as an intention. Move with curiosity, tracking how the body responds, and notice if new insights emerge.

Mythical Insight: Hypnos, the God of Sleep

In Greek mythology, Hypnos, the god of sleep, dwelled in a quiet, misty cave where the river Lethe—forgetfulness—flowed. His presence was gentle yet profound, lulling gods and mortals alike into the realm of dreams. It was said that his touch could calm even the most restless mind, guiding souls into unconscious depths where hidden truths emerged.
Sleep, in this mythic sense, was not just rest—it was a portal to the unseen. Hypnos reminds us that dreams are not passive; they shape our waking lives, whispering wisdom from beyond rational thought. By engaging with our dreams through movement, we step into this liminal space with awareness, bringing the unconscious into form. As we embody dream images, we echo the ancient belief that sleep and waking are not separate but intertwined states of being—just as movement bridges the seen and unseen within us.

The Dream Circle
If you would like to explore embodied practice with Dreams, please join me for an in person workshop-
The Dreaming Temple
14th March
7pm- 8.30pm
Yoga and therapy space, Earthbeat Centre, Saltburn by the Sea, North Yorkshire
£20(£15 for Blue Feather WhatsApp group members)
Movementtherapy@googlemail.com

“Dreams alight before us on the darkened path of mystery, coaxing us in the direction of our calling. Every dream has a secret longing, a wound that needs dressing, an ember that must be kept alive. If we can, in our courtship of the dream, discover what it loves - we are rewarded with a sense of privilege and responsibility. As we let our lives be shaped by that mystery, we find ourselves both fed by and in service to its inclination to wholeness.”
Excerpt from “Belonging: Remembering Ourselves Home” by Toko-pa Turner
Image- Lucy Campbell

From Freeze to Flow: Moving Through Immobilization

When we feel overwhelmed, stressed, or trapped in uncertainty, our bodies may slip into a frozen state—muscles tightening, breath shallow, movement restricted. This is a natural survival response, but staying here too long can leave us feeling stuck, disconnected, and heavy.

Personally I find simple yoga moves extremely helpful but here are a few other tips for yourselves or your clients.

1. Rocking and tiny Movements
Start small. Rock gently from side to side, shift your weight, or roll your shoulders. Micro-movements tell the nervous system it’s safe to move again.

2. Breath and Sound
Try a long exhale, sighing out through the mouth. Humming or vocalizing soft tones can activate the vagus nerve, encouraging relaxation and flow.

3. Shaking and Unwinding
Animals shake off stress—so can we. Stand and let your hands, arms, legs, or whole body shake out tension. This can feel silly at first, but it’s a powerful reset.

4. Spirals and Fluidity
Instead of linear movement, explore soft, circular motions—rolling your wrists, hips, or spine in waves. Spirals reconnect us to organic movement and ease.

5. Grounding with the Feet
Feel your feet on the earth. Shift weight between them, press down and rise up on the toes. Walking barefoot outside, if possible, can be deeply regulating.

#jodrewmovementpsychotherapist
#movementismedicine
#traumainformed

“Feelings come and go like clouds in a windy sky. Conscious breathing is my anchor.” Thich Nhat Hanh

Art- David Limrite

Body Wisdom-Exploring Qualities of movement

In movement, we hold so much wisdom and expression. One beautiful way to deepen your connection to your body is to explore the qualities of weight—specifically the contrast between heavy and light.

Close your eyes for a moment and imagine heaviness: the sensation of being grounded, weighted, and drawn to the earth. Move slowly, feeling how your body settles and sinks into gravity. Notice how this heaviness might bring a sense of stability or even surrender.

Now shift to exploring lightness: the feeling of rising, floating, or being carried by the air. Let your movements grow soft and buoyant, as if you could drift on a breeze. Notice how this lightness might evoke freedom, playfulness, or ease.

These contrasting qualities of weight—heavy and light—are tools for expression. They reflect our inner world and how we relate to life in any given moment. Are you drawn toward the earth, or do you feel ready to rise and take flight?

Try weaving these qualities into your day. Perhaps walk with deliberate heaviness or dance with a playful lightness. Notice how shifting between the two impacts your mood, body awareness, and sense of presence.

#jodrewmovementpsychotherapist
#movementismedicine

Art- Jeanne Bassett

Movement check in

Simple movement check in’s throughout the day- drop your shoulders, stretch your spine, drop your jaw, connect to breath, breath into any areas of tension, use the out breath to release. 🙏♥️
#jodrewmovementpsychotherapist
#movementismedicine

Art-Daniela Precioso

In movement therapy we reconnect to our bodies and explore new ways of expression to retrieve, release and understand the parts of ourselves that are ready to be healed.
#jodrewmovementpsychotherapist
“The body contains our entire life experience.
We could say that it is our home. We begin to consider the complex and elegant ways in which the body, as much as it houses our physical anatomy - bones, muscles, blood stream, organs and body parts - correspondingly contains feelings, emotions, memories, thoughts, past/present imprints and future potentials.
Our physical bodies are not separate from our feelings and emotions, images, thoughts - our physical anatomy reflects the anatomy of our psyche.”

~ Daria Halprin
Art-Jeremy Price