The Touch of Presence

A 2-hour Online Somatic and Art Journey into Skin, Touch & Proprioception through Somatic Art Practice®, Body-Mind Centering®, and creative practices

"We can never touch just one thing: we always touch two at the same instant, an object and ourselves. By rubbing up against the world, I define myself to myself."

— Deane Juhan

Your skin is your largest organ—a living interface between your inner world and everything that surrounds you. Touch, our very first sense, is where knowing begins.

In this embodied workshop, we'll explore the profound wisdom of touch, texture, and movement as pathways to presence and self-understanding through awakening all five senses.

Through somatic practices, tactile exploration, and hands-on creative expression, you'll discover how your body's sensitivity and proprioception—your ability to sense yourself from the inside—hold keys to deeper presence and body awareness. We'll work with the poetry of different touches, exploring how movement and touch were your first languages before words ever existed.

You'll practice "listening hands" as you explore textures with eyes closed, translate sensations into drawing and clay sculpture, and reconnect with your body's innate wisdom through movement. Through creative practices and gentle somatic work, you'll create a personal map of sensation and inner knowing.

No art experience needed—just willingness to slow down, tune in, and honor the intelligence of your skin and internal sensing. Come prepared to touch, feel, sculpt, draw, and move your way into deeper presence and body awareness.

What to Expect:

• Tactile exploration with various textures and materials

• Somatic practices connecting with your skin, as the largest organ

• Clay sculpting and drawing to translate touch into form

• Proprioception exercises for inner body awareness

• Gentle movement practices awakening your first sense

• Exploring how touch and movement are your original languages

Ready to rediscover your body's first language?

Date: Sunday, September 28th

Time: 5-7 PM CEST (4-6 PM UK time)

Online on Zoom (link will be sent by email a few days before)

Contribution: sliding scale prices €25-45

What to prepare:

• Comfortable clothing that you can move and breathe in

• A journal or notebook

• Drawing materials - charcoal, pastel chalk, pencils

• A small piece of clay, plasticine, or dough

The recording of this workshop will be made available but it doesn't include the sharing and final discussion part to preserve privacy.

Why This Work Matters?

Neuroplasticity & Creativity: Touch activates neural pathways linked to imagination, memory, and intuitive problem-solving, literally rewiring the brain for enhanced creative capacity

Embodied Intelligence: Our hands carry unconscious wisdom—they often know what to create before our thinking mind catches up, accessing knowledge stored in muscle memory and cellular intelligence

Nervous System Regulation: Mindful touch activates the parasympathetic nervous system, reducing cortisol and creating optimal conditions for creative flow and authentic expression

Digital Detox: In our screen-dominated world, we're experiencing "tactile hunger"—reconnecting with physical textures restores sensory balance and grounds us in embodied presence

Proprioceptive Awareness: Developing internal sensing abilities enhances spatial intelligence, body confidence, and the capacity to trust your instincts in creative and life decisions

Preverbal Communication: Touch accesses ancient ways of knowing that predate language, opening doorways to symbolic thinking, metaphor, and non-linear creative processes

Emotional Regulation: The skin is rich with nerve endings connected to emotional centers—conscious touch work helps process and integrate feelings held in the body

Creative Confidence: When we trust our tactile instincts, we develop the courage to experiment, take creative risks, and honor our authentic artistic impulses