Somatic education studio officially opens its doors.

The Everything Space unleashes the body’s intelligence, with you!
Somatic education studio officially opens its doors.
[somatic = the lived/felt experience as a body ie. connection of bodymind].  

Montpelier, Vermont:  The Everything Space, a new embodiment studio curated by Abbi Jaffe and Amanda Franz, is located in the center of downtown Montpelier, 64 Main St, where folks from all walks of life come to learn and listen to the deep intelligence of their own bodies.  It is the first studio in Vermont specifically dedicated to the education of diverse somatic practices as an integral part of social and environmental justice work.  The offerings at The Everything Space are intentionally expansive to address our bodies as part of everything that we do and how we connect with the world around us.   With a compelling range of movement classes like Natural Fitness and contact improvisation, to relational practices like Embodying our Ecosystems and Authentic Relating, to big picture Embodiment Activism practices like Growing Resilience: Being Trauma Informed and Bodies of Change: Embodiment & Social Change discussion group, there is a weaving of the inner and outer world that highlights our many connections.   

All of the classes and facilitators that teach here have different focuses and share a commitment to the studio's vision.  And, to bridge the content with the process, the facilitators all attend an in-house training on Being Trauma Informed, taught by Jaffe and Franz, which educates and provides skills about the body's response to trauma, including the trauma of systemic oppression.  Their understanding of how embodiment practices that include a big picture analysis create a potent ground for working with and releasing trauma has proven to be powerful for their community and clients.
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Jaffe and Franz have been teaching together for 5 years, and after opening The Everything Space, and offering two years of classes and private sessions there, they are ready and ripe to welcome more people into the community. “Vermonters have been excited to have such potent opportunities in Montpelier.  Our offerings create a supportive community and are in line with the current research in the fields of biomechanics, neuroscience, and health that point to the profound implications of developing one’s somatic intelligence in promoting mental health and the longevity of the body.” states Jaffe, “We would like to continue to welcome a diversity of people of all ages, including the builders, farmers, educators, activists and the professional movement artists that have already been attending.”

The diversity of people coming through the door is no accident.   Most classes are structured on a sliding scale or are by donation. “Accessibility has long been a part of the conversation on how to integrate social justice work and embodiment,” says Franz, “We are Embodiment Activists, doing the work of resilience building. Every day, we navigate a complex modern world which affects our bodies, the foundation of our resilience. Listening deeply to our body and cultivating connection to ourselves, our communities and the greater Earth community supports us to engage with the world in a positive way. That’s part of why we decided to name it The Everything Space.  We are reclaiming our body’s intelligence in everything we do.”   

About The Everything Space:  The Everything Space is a collaboratively run embodiment studio providing skillful and accessible somatic education, curated by Abbi Jaffe and Amanda Franz. The Everything Space offers classes, organizational somatic consultation and implementation, private sessions, performances and creative space to create opportunities to listen deeply to the wisdom of the body, express grief and celebration, and rewild ourselves.  Find out more at theeverythingspace.com or find them on Facebook at The Everything Space.