Handspring Publishing has published a new textbook by Professor of Dance Laurent Kearns, "Somatics in Action: A Mindful and Physical Conditioning Tool for Movers."
Lauren Kearns, professor of dance and associate chair of the Performing Arts Department, wrote Somatics in Action: A Mindful and Physical Conditioning Tool for Movers.
The book describes a Pilates, yoga and dance-inspired movement system that helps movers achieve optimum strength, skeletal alignment and body-mind engagement. The book integrates the Pilates principle of strengthening abdominal and spinal musculature to support postural stability and balance with alignment-based yoga's principle of proper physical placement and an understanding of anatomical structure.
Three additional concepts that contribute to the foundation of "Somatics in Action" are imagery, experiential anatomy and body integration. The book focuses on dancers consistently engaging with their body and mind's inner wisdom, not only in quiet moments of reflection, but also in the very active moments of moving, dancing, and creating.
The textbook outlines how dance, movement, yoga and Pilates educators can incorporate this technique into their teaching and curriculum. The book provides thoughtful and nuanced explanation of the technique, specific movement sequences replete with photographs, and a video index accessed by QR codes, as well as detailed lesson plans and assignments that can be implemented immediately into a university curriculum.
The book was published by Handspring Publishing and was released in October 2017. The book will also be translated into Korean in 2019.