Kinesoma a matter of movement

SHARON — Each day, habitual body movements put wear and tear on our bodies in ways we often only become aware of when we start feeling pain. One woman intends to change that.

Sandrine Harris, a movement educator, mindfulness facilitator and dancer, will teach practices to restore self-awareness and a healthy lifestyle in a new studio called Kokoro.

Located in the newly renovated former florist’s shop on West Main Street, Kokoro is a multi-use space for learning, well-being and creativity. It opened April 2.

Preparing for an interview, Harris broke out brand new meditation cushions for sitting. She then explained the vision behind the space. First, the name: Kokoro.

“The first meaning of the word is heart, but not anatomical heart. It’s heartfulness or ‘of the heart,’” she said, quietly demonstrating perfect sitting posture.  “The second meaning is ‘the mind and its inner workings.’ The third meaning is ‘the essence or core of one’s self.’ ”

She discovered the word while teaching in Japan when a student used it to describe Harris’s effect. For Harris, these qualities have come to epitomize the space’s intended service to the community.

At the time of the interview, Kokoro’s corners contained evidence of the space’s various future uses: meditation cushions, meditation floor pads, mats, blankets, a 3D model of a spine, a therapeutic exercise table specifically designed for one of Harris’ private sessions and more.

Harris described her main practice as an approach known as Kinesoma, which she created.

Kinesoma, Harris explained, is a synthesis of her eclectic background in professional dance, mindfulness meditation practice, a certification in Health Counseling and four years of training to become a certified practitioner of the Feldenkrais Method (which will be explained next).

The predominant emphasis in Harris’ work is movement and awareness of the body. Her Saturday morning group Kinesoma classes feature what she calls a “highly international playlist” that complements movement exercises that progressively build in dynamism.

The Feldenkrais Method, integrated into Kinesoma but also offered in separate classes, has two categories. Awareness Through Movement, Harris said, is a group practice focused on increasing body awareness and improving function mobility. “It differs from dance because it’s specifically and very playfully looking at function.”

Function, in this context, means the ability to efficiently carry the body through everyday movement.

“It is optimizing your ability to bring your attention to your self, in mind and body, to become aware of your habits and your patterns and to begin, through curiosity and playful, guided exploration, to shift those patterns.”

The other aspect of the Feldenkrais Method, Functional Integration, is practiced in private sessions that Harris will offer on weekends.

“It is directly talking to the nervous system of the person,” Harris explained. “As the practitioner, we take over all of the work of moving for the person, who then pays attention and begins to sense and feel what’s happening in their body.”

While Harris has used such methods with people with mental and/or physical challenges, she guaranteed that anyone can benefit from these somatically based practices.

Further, she listed many other healthy opportunities that Kokoro will provide: massage therapy every Monday from licensed massage therapist Aimee Davis; a donation-based class on Sundays called Meditative Movement and Mindful Practice; and special workshops for both children and adults.

“Kokoro is an offering. It’s a refuge for mind and body practice. It’s also really meant to be a playground. We all need to play more,” Harris said, intent on expressing the importance of service in Kokoro’s mission.

For her, Kokoro is a place where people gain experiential understanding of the value of slowing down.

“Your nervous system, a.k.a. you, likes slow, gentle and conscious movement.”

She addressed the crux of her point with guidance from martial arts training: “slow is smooth and smooth is fast.”

For more information, go to www.kinesoma.com or www.facebook.com/kinesoma.