I think of vitality as a dynamic manifestation of the life force – Physis. I could describe it as a subjective experience, lived in the body, which we recognize in ourselves and others through the dynamics of expressions and movements. I also think about the feeling of being “full of life” we feel when we can be ourselves, when we discover that we have the freedom to choose how to think, feel or behave, when we are present in our life, here and now.

We find in TA literature some discussions about the use of awareness of the therapist’s bodily experience to bring vitality into the therapeutic relationship (Oates, 2007) or the need to sometimes offer the client a „vital base”, through a provocative, unpredictable and lively relationship (Cornell, 2001). A different approach to vitality – in relation to therapeutic change – is that of Mellor (2017), who talkes about the role of “awareness of the physical dimension of our experience to opening ourselves directly to the energy of life” (p. 8) and to facilitate our authentic contact with ourselves. Having these ideas in mind, I invite you to a dynamic workshop, where we will have some experiences that can facilitate the experience of vitality, as base of change. I propose a sequence of moments, inspired by techniques of mindfulness (Kabat-Zinn, 2013), grounding (Mellor, 2017) and conscious dance: “pause” – “presence” – “expression/movement”. These are experiences of observation, body awareness, contact with oneself and expression.

The workshop is addressed to all those interested in my proposal, regardless of the level of knowledge or experience in TA.

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