Inside the North Node Method
Every North Node workshop is built on a foundation of movement, imagination, and relational connection. What might look like simple play or improvisation is actually a carefully guided process that helps participants explore emotion, memory, and story through the body. Below, we’ve outlined the key elements that shape our work — from somatic exercises to story reenactment — and how each one supports healing, integration, and self-discovery.
Somatic/Movement Exercises
Walking/Breathing
Objective: Enhance awareness of breathing and bodily sensations.
Process:
Participants walk around the room, focusing on their breathing.
They observe the rhythm and rate of their breath to increase body awareness.
Facilitation:
Led by Lindsay, the co-facilitator.
Participants are prompted to change their walking speed and direction.
Benefits:
Activates awareness of sensations and how the environment affects internal experiences.
Promotes integration of emotions and bodily sensations.
Stimulates somatic memories (memories held in the body).
Imaginative Exploration:
Participants are encouraged to explore various ages and emotions through their imagination.
Exploration of Emotions and Ages
Active Imagination:
As participants walk and breathe, they are prompted to engage their imagination, allowing them to visualize and connect with various ages of their lives.
This imaginative exploration encourages them to recall memories associated with those ages, facilitating a deeper emotional connection.
Physical Movement:
Moving through space while focusing on breath creates a mind-body connection.
This connection can unlock emotions tied to specific experiences from the past, as physical movement often brings up somatic memories.
Varied Speed and Direction:
Changing the speed and direction of walking can evoke different emotional states. For example, a faster pace might correlate with excitement or anxiety, while a slower pace can evoke calmness or reflection.
This dynamic movement allows participants to experience how different emotions manifest in their bodies.
Awareness of Sensations:
By observing their breath and bodily sensations, participants can identify how emotions feel physically, leading to greater emotional literacy.
This awareness helps them differentiate between emotions and recognize how they might change over time or in different contexts.
Integration of Experience:
The exercise promotes reflection on how past experiences and emotions are integrated into the present, allowing participants to process feelings related to different life stages.
Benefits for Emotional Literacy
Enhanced Awareness of Emotions:
Participants learn to recognize and identify their emotions as they arise during the exercise, increasing their emotional vocabulary and understanding.
Connection Between Body and Emotion:
By focusing on bodily sensations linked to different emotions, participants develop a clearer understanding of how emotions manifest physically, which aids in recognizing emotional states in themselves and others.
Processing Emotions:
The exercise provides a safe space for participants to explore and process emotions that may have been suppressed or overlooked, fostering emotional regulation.
Understanding Emotional Triggers:
Participants can identify specific movements or breathing patterns that correlate with particular emotions, helping them understand what triggers certain feelings.
Benefits for Self-Discovery
Exploration of Personal History:
Engaging with memories from various ages allows participants to reflect on their life experiences, fostering a deeper understanding of their personal narratives and how these shape their current selves.
Empowerment Through Reflection:
As participants navigate their emotions and memories, they gain insights into their behaviors, choices, and patterns, empowering them to make informed decisions moving forward.
Integration of Past Experiences:
The exercise encourages integration of past experiences into their self-concept, promoting a sense of wholeness and acceptance of their life journey.
Fostering Creativity and Imagination:
By using imagination to explore emotions, participants tap into their creative selves, which can lead to new perspectives and insights about their feelings and experiences.
Building Resilience:
By confronting and processing emotions, participants enhance their emotional resilience, equipping them to handle future challenges with greater confidence and understanding.
Exercise: Eye Gazing
Objective
To foster connection, enhance self-awareness, and activate relational patterns through sustained eye contact and shared breathing.
Instructions
Introduction
Explain the purpose of the eye gazing exercise, highlighting its role in enhancing connection and emotional awareness.
Discuss how sustained eye contact can evoke memories and patterns related to being seen and witnessing others.
Pairing Up
Have participants pair up with someone they feel comfortable with. In case of an odd number, one group can have three participants, rotating through pairs.
Preparation and Grounding
Instruct pairs to sit facing each other at a comfortable distance (about 2-3 feet apart).
Guide participants to take a few deep breaths together, focusing on synchronizing their breath. This helps promote presence in the moment and connection with their partner.
Eye Gazing
Ask participants to maintain gentle eye contact without speaking, allowing themselves to fully engage with their partner's presence.
Encourage them to observe their own feelings, reactions, and any memories or beliefs that arise related to being seen and witnessing others.
If discomfort arises, participants can take short breaks by looking away and then returning to eye contact.
Reflection
After the eye gazing period, allow time for individual reflection. Participants can consider:
What emotions or memories surfaced during the exercise?
How did it feel to maintain eye contact and share this experience with their partner?
What insights arose regarding their beliefs about being seen and witnessing others?
Sharing Experience
Gather everyone back together and invite participants to share their experiences if they feel comfortable.
Prompt questions can include:
How did the exercise impact your perception of your partner?
Did you notice any shifts in your feelings or beliefs during the exercise?
What insights did you gain about connection and relational dynamics?
Closing
Conclude the exercise by emphasizing the importance of connection and presence in therapeutic work and everyday interactions.
Encourage participants to carry the awareness gained from this exercise into their relationships outside of the session.
Exercise: Two-Word Phrase Activity
Objective
To activate bodily awareness and mindfulness of nonverbal communication, while exploring emotional expression and the subtext of relational dynamics through the use of two-word phrases.
Instructions
Introduction
Explain the purpose of the Two Word Phrase Exercise, highlighting its focus on nonverbal communication, emotional expression, and relational dynamics.
Discuss how the exercise can help participants become more aware of their unconscious reactions, feelings, and beliefs related to past relational experiences.
Modeling the Exercise
As the facilitator, demonstrate the exercise by creating two different two-word phrases (e.g., "Thank you" and "Help me").
Model how to express these phrases using both verbal tone and nonverbal cues (such as body language, facial expressions, and gestures).
Encourage participants to notice how different tones and expressions can change the meaning and emotional weight of the phrases.
Pairing Up
Have participants pair up with someone they feel comfortable with. If there’s an odd number, one group can have three participants.
Exploring the Phrases
In pairs, ask participants to take turns selecting two-word phrases (they can either create their own or use examples provided by the facilitator).
Each participant should express their chosen phrases both verbally and nonverbally, paying attention to their own bodily awareness and emotional expression.
The partner should observe and reflect on the nonverbal cues and emotional subtext conveyed during the expression.
Reflection and Feedback
After both partners have had a chance to express their phrases, facilitate a discussion within the pairs. Encourage them to share:
What did they notice about their own reactions and feelings while expressing the phrases?
How did their partner's nonverbal cues influence their understanding of the emotional context?
Invite participants to explore any connections to their own relational histories or childhood attachment experiences.
Group Sharing
Bring everyone back together and invite participants to share insights or observations from their pairs.
Encourage open dialogue about how nonverbal communication impacts relationships and emotional expression.
Closing
Conclude the exercise by emphasizing the importance of awareness in verbal and nonverbal communication, and how this awareness can enhance relational dynamics.
Encourage participants to continue exploring these themes in their interactions and to be mindful of how they communicate emotionally.
Reenactment Phase in Therapeutic Theatre
Overview
The reenactment phase is a pivotal part of our therapeutic theatre experience, designed to facilitate healing and self-discovery through the exploration of personal narratives. Participants engage in a structured process that allows them to express and process their emotions related to traumatic experiences, stressful situations, or moments of celebration.
Process
Volunteering a Personal Situation
One participant volunteers to share a personal story that is significant to them, whether it relates to a traumatic experience, an impending stressful situation, or a moment of celebration. This volunteerism creates an atmosphere of trust and support within the group.
Storytelling and Emotional Exploration
The participant recounts their story to the group, providing context and details about the situation. This storytelling phase is crucial as it lays the groundwork for deeper emotional engagement.
The facilitator guides the discussion by asking thought-provoking questions that encourage the participant to delve into their emotional experience, helping to unearth feelings and insights related to the situation.
Role Selection and Character Development
Based on the story shared, the participant selects roles for various group members to portray during the reenactment. This includes:
Identifying key characters involved in their narrative.
Assigning roles and providing specific details about each character, including their motivations, emotions, and characteristics that need to be embodied.
Scene Setup
The facilitator assists in setting up the scene, creating a space that reflects the context of the participant's story. This might involve arranging the physical environment, using props, or establishing a specific atmosphere to enhance the reenactment.
Reenactment Execution
The group engages in the reenactment, allowing the participant to observe their story from a new perspective. Depending on the needs of the situation, the scene may be run through in various versions:
Exploring different outcomes or responses.
Enhancing emotional expression or resolution.
This flexibility supports the participant in processing their experience and finding closure or healing.
Reflection and Integration
After the reenactment, the group reconvenes to reflect on the experience. Participants share insights, feelings, and observations, facilitating deeper understanding and healing.
The facilitator may guide a discussion on the emotional impact of the reenactment and how it relates to the participant's journey.
Benefits
Emotional Catharsis: Participants can express and process their emotions in a safe environment, promoting healing.
Perspective Shift: Reenacting the situation allows participants to view their experiences from different angles, fostering insight and understanding.
Community Support: The collaborative nature of the exercise strengthens connections among participants, creating a supportive network for healing.
Join us in this profound journey of self-exploration and healing through the art of storytelling and reenactment.