When the bodies speak
On a Friday afternoon, I spent an hour at a nearby city park. Rather than engaging in conversations or doing any sports activity, I simply tuned in to the bodies of those passing by. It’s so fascinating to notice how the bodies speak!
Certain people moved like trees, rooted deep in the earth: steady, upright, their steps flowing from a quiet center. A woman carrying a child on her hip swayed with natural rhythm, feet wide and grounded, her body responding fluidly to every shift of the little one’s weight. Others seemed adrift, pulled by unseen tides: a man pacing during a phone call, weight flickering from side to side, his gestures sharp and uncertain. Their movement patterns speaking loud and clear about their inner world.
Laughter floated from a group of friends or students, their bodies open like sunflowers, torsos tilting naturally toward one another. Lightness showed in the way they easily bent their knees and freely move their hands. In contrast, a solitary figure sat on a bench, shoulders curved inward, hands clasped tightly in their lap. No words were spoken, but the contraction of their form spoke volumes — perhaps a mood of withdrawal or reflection. Observing the full life spectrum, just meters away from each other, made me wonder how our moods shift, how volatile our emotions are…
Tension and relaxation danced with each other. Tension painted itself in tight jaws, quick strides, and shoulders raised like shields. Parents corralling toddlers, cyclists weaving through foot traffic — their bodies sharpened, angles more pronounced. Relaxation showed itself differently: a couple was lying on the grass, limbs draped and interwoven, breath visibly slowing the rise and fall of their chests. I noticed how relaxation softened the body's edges, while tension made the body angular and alert, to my eyes at least.
At times there was a quiet dance among companions; shared rhythms in footfalls, shared gestures in laughter. Strangers passing each other like ships at sea, maintaining polite distance, bodies stiff with a boundary of alertness. Meanwhile, wanderers without a clear destination meandered with looser frames, their momentum softer, less defined.
This practice reminded me that bodies are constantly speaking - not in riddles, but in clear, embodied language. To watch carefully is to glimpse the currents of feeling, action, and connection that weave us together in any public space. Anchoring my observations in what is visible, rather than what I assume, I noticed how the world slowly becomes less about judgment and more about presence and reverence. A pure delight. A wander in wonder.
Your turn now:
What do you notice in your pace?
How do you move through life, literally and metaphorically?
What attracts you or makes move further away from a person?
Noticing yourself, your patterns, your pace, is a practice too and one that can be literally eye-opening…
Connect with me, when ready to move from where you are to where you want to be or feel invited to a walk, virtually or in real life, if you live in Athens. Who knows what’s possible?!
