The roots of the BodySoul work grow out of a deep respect for dreams, C. G. Jung’s understanding of the psyche, and the wisdom of the body. Jungian analyst Marion Woodman has nurtured and developed these roots through her passionate commitment to feminine consciousness both in her writing and her devotion to the embodied soul.
The BodySoul approach evolved over a 30-year period of collaboration between Marion Woodman, Mary Hamilton, and Ann Skinner in their BodySoul Rhythms Intensives. In these intensives, the leaders create a supportive space where each participant can access and use her own individual dream imagery to discover her authentic self and speak with a free, open voice. Art and mask-making offer space for the unlived energy (the shadow) to emerge through the body, psyche, and voice.
The imagination is the bridge between psyche and soma. Dream work, movement, voice, and creative expression are the core of the BodySoul work. The safety of the temenos (sacred space) created by the structure and format of the intensives, allows the healing of old wounds, the emergence of new energies, and the embodied living of an integrated life.