Hello there.
My name is Ania and I live in Bristol. It’s lovely to connect with you through this...
I’ve created an invitation for you. It’s called A single trace. It’s about the memories your body keeps after you’ve perceived something with your senses. I guess it’s about enjoying the residue of perceiving something, and celebrating it as an unique experience in itself.
How long:
This activity could take anything between ten minutes to an hour, it’s really your choice. I invite you to follow each instruction in your own time, so you can stay in things for as little or as much as you wish.
When:
This invitation is to be followed after sunset, when the darkness has settled outside. You could find a safe outdoor space (maybe your garden if you have one?) or a room in your house where you can turn off the lights and let the darkness settle in as well.
What you need:
You will need comfortable clothes to move in, a notebook or paper and your favourite pen or pencil.
How:
To guide you through the exercise, you can read a text or listen to an audio. You can find the invitation in a written version here and in an audio version here. Choose whichever medium you prefer.
I hope you enjoy this little journey.
I’ll meet you there.
Sending warmth,
Ania.
Hello. Thank you so much for joining us again.
Today’s invitation is called A single trace.
We invite you to revel in the memory of perception.
To focus on the traces that are left behind after you’ve seen, touched or felt something.
To feel the movement that those remains bring to your body.
What you need:
Comfortable clothes to move. A notebook or paper. Your favorite pen or pencil.
When to do this exercise:
Please do this activity after sunset, when it’s already dark outside.
Where to do it:
This activity includes closing your eyes, drawing and moving inside a dark space. The most important thing is that you feel safe and comfortable to do these things.
If you have a garden and the weather allows, that could be great place. The exercise would be equally rich if you want to do this in your living room with the lights off.
How to do it:
You could stop reading after this page, and get back to this document when it’s dark and you’re ready to start. Then you can have the document open in your phone or laptop and follow the instructions in your own time. Your screen will shed some light into the space, which will change your vision, but that’s okay.
If you prefer knowing what’s coming and leaving your devices behind, feel free to read the whole document and then do the activity when it’s the right time for you.
They are different experiences, but hopefully just as rich. And you could try both ways if you wanted. Go with your intuition!
Are you ready?
Here we go:
- Find your materials: pen, paper, comfortable clothes around your body. Have them with you.
- After darkness has settled outside, find a place inside it. Maybe you can go to your garden or nearby green space if that feels safe. Maybe you could turn off the lights in your room and stay there.
- Have a sit somewhere comfortable, and notice the space around you. Maybe your eyes will be adjusting into night vision, maybe you can’t see anything at all. It’s all okay. Just notice the place.
- When you’re ready, choose one thing:
one object, one corner of the space. Focus all your senses on it. - If it moves, can you hear it move?
- If it’s close enough, can you reach for it and touch it?
- Can you see parts of it through the darkness?
- If not, you can just be still where you are and feel the object through your body, through the distance between your body and the object?
- Try to get a rich picture of that object through the parts that you can notice. Take as long as you need to do this.
- Once you have a clear image of this object or corner, go to your pen and paper.
- Very soon, I’ll count to three and ask you to close your eyes. So before that, please read all the instructions of this particular part of the exercise.
- To begin the exercise, hold your pen and paper comfortably so comfortably so you can draw on the paper. Once you’re in position, close your eyes.
- When you’re ready, draw the entire object with a single trace. This means, you will not lift the pen from the paper. You will continue tracing until you’ve drawn every detail that you can remember. Be as detailed as possible in your drawing. Take as long or as little time as you need. Please do this keeping your eyes closed. There is no right or wrong drawing.
- Once you’ve finished, open your eyes and lift your pen from the paper.
- Repeat this process at least two more times, choosing different corners or objects to focus your attention on. Take your time.
- If you need to read the last two pages of instructions again before starting, do that now.
- Otherwise, we will start drawing now! Get your pen and paper ready. I will count to three.
- One, two, three… Close your eyes.
After you’ve had enough of this, you can turn some lights back on or walk back into a more illuminated space.
Maybe, just to keep this awake feeling in your senses, try to have the lights dimmed and soft, instead of sharp and bright.
If you’re enjoying the place where you are, you could also stay where you are.
- Now notice the drawings you made.
- Maybe you could bring your drawings close to the light, if there is any light.
- You can also trace the line with your finger, over the paper.
- Whilst noticing the traces, ask yourself: does your body remember what it felt to perceive that object of your attention? How does the memory feel like?
- You’re welcome to stay there, noticing these memories in your body. Sometimes, dancing happens in stillness. Enjoy it.
- If you feel inclined to, find a comfortable space to move your body. Start sitting, laying down or standing. Close your eyes and move with the traces you can find in your body. There is no right or wrong. Sometimes, dancing happens in the attempt of searching for something. Enjoy it.
- Do this for as long as you wish.
- Before you end this exercise, make sure you find a place to be still (especially if you’ve been moving) and take three very deep breaths.
- Maybe you won’t feel like turning all the lights back on or changing rooms yet, maybe you just want to get on with other things. It’s all okay.
We hope you’ve enjoyed this little journey through the senses. It’s lovely to connect with you in this way. Sending warmth your way,
Ania Varez, Bristol, UK.
