Thoughts from the Field,

(Excerpt from "Octomovement" Chapter 21 Stanislavski, Exaptation, & the Octopus in Life On Land by Emilie Conrad)
Let us take up the issue of aging, which concerns most people. Certainly the environment will play a role in wrinkle formation (sun, wind, dryness). Gravity also has its role as parts of our bodies begin to "droop" with years. But it is the fluid within our tissue that is the most important factor in keeping joints articulate, backs straight, fingers nimble, bodies supple and sensual, and our brains sharpened.
There would be no decrepitude or faculty failure in the aging process if one were able to enjoy a continual process of renewal. One cannot separate the structure of tissue from the structure of thought. Tissue structure represents a gestalt—it functions like a hologram representing the entirety of a system.
Movement=nourishment=information. When we see the perpetual renewal demonstrated in the octopus we are seeing an organism that is highly responsive to its environment. The octopus demonstrates an array of responses that goes far beyond anything we would observe in adult humans.
We see in healthy babies the immediacy of how they interact with their environment. When a baby is unresponsive we are rightfully concerned, as we have all seen footage of Romanian orphans who are never engaged or played with lying dormant in their cribs with an inability to thrive.
"Failure to respond" can be applied to inert tissue that is delayed in its response to the presence of stimulation. Any somatic therapist knows that in the process of touching a client we can determine the level of health by the length of time it takes to generate a response.
Toxicity plays a large role in rigidifying tissue and contributes to a lack of response when accumulated debris deters fluid mobility.
When we turn our attention to the octopus with its amazing display of tissue diversity, we are also observing a detoxifying modality. We see in their multiplicity of movements an expunging process. When a river runs easily and freely, everything moves; when a river is stagnant nothing moves.
Characteristic of aging is an overall energetic diffusion, an ebbing of function, a diminishment of faculties. Mobility is challenged, sensing faculties dim, and there is a general feeling that our inner light is dwindling.
We all know that exercise is good for us, better than being a couch potato. It has been established that circulation and heart rate are important factors in delaying the aging process.
But there is much more to it than that. In your mind at this moment think of someone running or biking, zoom in on the movement of their tissue, and you will see that it is quite directional and sequential. Meaning that it is moving along very specific and direct lines of action.
Now zoom in on the octopus and notice that there is a complexity in the tissue that is suggesting a very different organization of matter. The multiple layers we observe in the octopus can be seen as a "neural extravaganza"—the more complex the movement, the more multi-leveled is the engagement of the entire organism.

A few examples of Octopus versatility (Thanks for sending these in!):

Shapeshifting Octopus - Amazing!
http://www.forbiddenknowledgetv.com/videos/animals/shapeshifting-octopus---amazing.html

Deep Intellect:Inside the mind of the octopus by Sy Montgomery
Published in the November/December 2011 issue of Orion magazine
http://www.orionmagazine.org/index.php/articles/article/6474

Video: Octopus crawls out of water and walks on dry land
http://news.yahoo.com/blogs/sideshow/video-octopus-crawls-water-walks-dry-land-150510810.html

Many Blessings,
Emilie

Emilie's 2011 Event Schedule & Event descriptions are listed below. 2012 Schedule now available!
More Continuum events listed at World-wide Events Page

No one really knows the immensity
of the fluid that pulsates within.
What we can do is fully enter,
sensually and with love,
the beckoning pool,
wet our knees, our throat,
until at last disappearing
into the welcoming aquese,
we sink far, drown well, lose our mind,
and become the fluid, utterly and completely.
You must love madly, utter its name at night,
sing its praises in the morning.
Its secrets will whisper in your heart.
Enchantment awaits.

Emilie Conrad from LIFE ON LAND

MOVING MEDICINE
2011 Weekly Classes with Emilie at Continuum Studio in Santa Monica, CA
Tuesdays/Wednesdays, 8-11am
Please come at least 5 minutes before class starts to arrive and settle. Note classes are not every Tues/Wed.

Dates in RED taught by Emilie Conrad.
Dates in BLUE taught by Teri Carter.

December 13
December 14** Extended class, 8am-1pm
**Continuum Experience required.
December 20

2012
January 18, 24, 25
January 31** Extended class, 8am-1pm **Continuum Experience required.

February 1, 7, 8, 14, 15, 21, 22, 28
February 29** Extended class, 8am-1pm **Continuum Experience required.

March 13, 14, 20, 21

When Emilie is teaching out of town, Teri Carter has graciously agreed to teach Emilie's classes on dates indicated.

To view this email in your browser, go to http://www.continuummovement.com/december-news.html

To join or unsubscribe from our email list,
email theField@ContinuumMovement.com

Please contact us for further information at Continuum 310.453.4402
theField@ContinuumMovement.com
www.ContinuumMovement.com

2011

2012

July 6-8
Continuum Studio
Santa Monica, CA

WORKSHOPS & RETREATS

The Gestating Dark*
Emilie Conrad
December 5-11
Continuum Studio
Santa Monica, CA
Hours: 1-6:30pm each day until all-niters
then ending on Sunday, Dec 11 at 4pm.
$825, Continuum 310-593-4651,
theField@ContinuumMovement.com

This is an invitation to dwell in the gestating dark
where the quiver of new life begins its stir.

A field of vibrating resonance arises when at last
we can embrace the slow tide of awakening existence
undulating through our tissues.

Our sensory system blossoms
as our primary visual dominance no longer holds sway.
A plethora of exquisite sensations accompanies us
into a land of brilliant discovery as we awaken
to new forms of living.

Time will be spent in preparation for silent gestation
where the markers of day/night...hours/minutes......
cease to be relevant as we sink ever deeper
into the whispering dark.

Winter Depths Retreat*
Emilie Conrad & Susan Harper
See Flyer

January 10-17
Holy Spirit Retreat Center, Encino, CA

Emilie Conrad and Susan Harper weave their their combined unique teachings to provide a multi-faceted spectrum of movement, breath, and sound explorations in an exquisitely tuned field of attention. In the retreat setting there is an emphasis on slowing down, shedding our
habitual rhythms, and allowing a deep listening to guide us into unexplored territories.

The fundamental ingredients for health and sanity lie in communal solitude where our
personal lives and our resonance with others becomes more fully realized.
The Depths Retreats are designed to provide an embrace of rapport and care where we
enter our dreamtime both individually and collectively. See Flyer for further description.

$1575 Private room, $1445 Double room,
$1260 Commuter with meals, $1050 Commuter w/o meals
To Register call Donna 310-593-4651 or email
theField@ContinuumMovement.com

Spirals of Strength: The "Core" Reality
Emilie Conrad
February 3-5
Continuum Studio, Santa Monica, CA

Through the exciting methods of Continuum participants learn how to best access the inner world of fluid nourishment as well as ways of strengthening that bring about tone and
flexibility with astonishing ease.

Movements that amplify the movement of water tend to arc, spiral and undulate in order to join our four billion year bio-legacy in assisting the creation of our future as fluidly adaptable human beings.

Spirals of Strength provides an environment where the river of health flows vigorously within our connective tissue, organs, skeletal structure and brain.

Becoming a fountain of renewal, we experience the profound play of life as our fluid expression couples with gravity in delicious and exciting ways.

Exercise can be a revelatory experience as the depth of our inherent pool of
ancestral knowledge is revealed.

Early $325, $375 after Jan 3
$275 for class series holders
To Register Call Donna
310-593-4651 or email
theField@ContinuumMovement.com

The Breath of Moving Life
Emilie Conrad & Robert Litman
February 10-12 in Berkeley, CA

The Breath of Moving Life begins with the embryonic spiral. As the embryo grows, the DNA spiral of each cell constantly divides creating life through duplication. The definition of aging is a slowing down of this process.

Leaving the womb ends the incubation stage where the ignition for this process is supplied by the spiraling blood of mother. At birth the source that nourishes the continuation of life is the spiraling movement of breath. Breathing and movement are not linear processes. Our bodies are organized to enhance spiraling movement, from the inner regions of our noses to the deep responsiveness and resonance of our entire body's tissues. When flow becomes the predominant quality, vitality and pleasure arise from within. These are the ingredients that nourish
our health as we age.

Emilie & Robert see a system that is capable of fluid diversity with a wide range of responses as capable of engaging in the exhilaration of ongoing bio-nourishment. Just as wind stirs the ocean our breath (sound) stirs the compressed fluid within our tissue rousing it to respond from its habitual slumber.

They feel the vigor and expansion of existence is our birthright; survival is the ability to run from tigers and evolutionary ingenuity gives us the impetus to extend our resources through the living processes of this glorious inheritance called
the human body.

Early $425, $475 after Jan 10
To Register Call Donna
310-593-4651 or email
theField@ContinuumMovement.com

Writing the Waves*
Emilie Conrad & Rebecca Mark
February 23-26
Continuum Studio
Santa Monica, CA

As we emerge from the sourcing of our Continuum journey, we put pen to paper and revel in the writing, hieroglyphic renderings, ciphers and mysterious cave drawings sometimes appearing as stories, poems and possibly dialogues as emergent characters surprisingly arrive.

We find ourselves in a process individually illuminating, mysterious, communally healing, politically radical, and in forms of genius never seen before. We move, we sound, our voices blend, our gestures reveal the moment as alive with creative fire.

Ultimately this process helps us witness the immense brilliance of the wave of cellular illumination and innovation we as humans are suspended in.

Early $450, $475 after Jan 23
To Register Call Donna
310-593-4651 or email
theField@ContinuumMovement.com

The Eyes Have It
Emilie Conrad & Marc Grossman
March 3-4 at the Continuum Studio
Santa Monica, CA

How we see is the largest determining factor in what we see. Visual symptoms are valuable messages through which we can be more aware of our true nature. This workshop will give you the tools to re-program your consciousness and gain skills for modifying your "moving"
perceptions of the world.

This eye-opening workshop will integrate the art, science, practical, and spiritual aspects of "full body" vision. Marc uses a full range of mind-body therapies combined with conventional approaches. He will offer an insightful, practical, and holistic approach to eye care for those who want to improve and preserve their eyesight and become less dependent on glasses or contacts. Continuum practices will be offered to complement the scope of our "seeing". We will learn nutritional and herbal eye-care remedies, uncover the deeper meaning of vision, and discover how one's inner vision affects his/her outer vision. We will explore the underlying physical and psychological causes of numerous vision problems. A developmental model will be used throughout the workshop that brings in the connection of the eyes, brain and body.

Early $275, $325 after Feb 3
To Register Call Donna
310-593-4651 or email
theField@ContinuumMovement.com

Moving Medicine: Radiant Health
Emilie Conrad
March 7-10 in North Carolina

Emilie teaches that all fluids are basically one element, resonating with all other fluids. They function as a kind of umbilical cord supplying us with the pulsing undulations of life. This workshop is an invitation to dive into the pool of existence within our cells and enter the play of life through Continuum, a practice that involves simple sound streams (to stir the fluid that resides within our tissues), breathing patterns, and slow, organic movements.

We learn from our own cells that when there is less fear and resistance, the world transmits new life to what may have become withered and alienated. Stirring through our tissues is an undulating memory of all species, millions of years of embracing a lifestream that circulates through the planet and is alive within each of us as we are baptized by this magnificent initiation. As if awakening from a deep sleep, we can come to comprehend that we were designed to interact with the environment far beyond time and space. It is time for us to claim our birthright.

To Register call Rebecca Lawson
919-932-7548 or email rlawsonh@aol.com

Entropy's End...The Myth of Ageing
Emilie Conrad & Robert Litman
March 23-27
Continuum Studio
Santa Monica, CA

For years Emilie and Robert have been pooling their talents in educating the public on the fascinating adventure called "the human body". They are also the guinea pigs of their own inquiry since as senior citizens they are questioning a collective presumed and dreaded fate as the myth of ageing looms before them.

Both say the process of entropy (moving into disorder) is not "natural", but in fact, is the inevitability of a fixed system whose only future is to deteriorate. After all, we humans have only been around for roughly 200,000 years; teenagers as far as the planet is concerned.

It's important to understand that patterned behavior is energy conservative, once a pattern has been established (like walking, eating, driving or any other skill) it requires a minimum of brain or energy output thereby making it an excellent survival attribute. This is a wonderful gift since we do not have to learn how to pick up a fork on a daily basis and running from tigers is instinctive. In short, we are designed for basic SURVIVAL.

The downside to patterned behaviors is that it more often than not turns into closed systems. We know that professional athletes, dancers, runners etc. will likely have injuries and deterioration of the habitual muscle groups they use since what was once an advantage will eventually weaken into limited use. For most, just the habitual movements of daily life without new flows entering the experience of existence will eventually rust us with decay.

Emilie & Robert see a system that is capable of fluid diversity with a wide range of responses as capable of engaging in the exhilaration of ongoing bio-nourishment. Just as wind stirs the ocean our breath (sound) stirs the compressed fluid within our tissue rousing it to respond from its habitual slumber.

They feel the vigor and expansion of existence is our birthright; survival is the ability to run from tigers and evolutionary ingenuity gives us the impetus to extend our resources through the living processes of this glorious inheritance called the human body.

Early $650, $700 after Feb 23
To Register Call Donna
310-593-4651 or email
theField@ContinuumMovement.com

Moving Medicine: Orbital Consciousness (see Flyer)
Emilie Conrad
April 19-22 in Santa Fe, New Mexico

For over 45 years the inquiry of Continuum has been exploring the profundity of the fluid system
within our bodies, planet and galaxy as one resonant stream of intelligence. Fluid molecules are a fundamental choreographer of our tissue structure and will determine the flow of information (nourishment) that is available to us.

We humans carry with us a four billion year planetary lineage that offers a 360-degree participation with the world we live in. Our bodies are in a phase-shift as all of our intrinsic functions are waiting to continue their bio-sequencing.

Our unfolding "orbital consciousness" transforms our bodies, and circulating full body breath, we gleam like an octopus. Our new structure gifts us with extended faculties, new forms of communication and ways of knowing we never thought possible.

A Continuum workshop is an invitation to dive into the play of life, which spirals, undulates and pulsates with an ancient wisdom that becomes our guide and teacher. As we enter a liquid world spiraling within our cells we encounter an undulating memory of all species where millions of years of an embracing life stream circulating through planet Earth is now alive within each of us as we become inspired by this magnificent initiation.

To Register call Amber Gray
505-603-7021 or email
restorativeresources@gmail.com

Moving Medicine: Radiant Health
Emilie Conrad
April 29-May 4
Kripalu Center, Lenox, MA
Register online at Kripalu

Emilie teaches that all fluids are basically one element, resonating with all other fluids. They function as a kind of umbilical cord supplying us with the pulsing undulations of life. This workshop is an invitation to dive into the pool of existence within our cells and enter the play of life through Continuum, a practice that involves simple sound streams (to stir the fluid that resides within our tissues), breathing patterns, and slow, organic movements.

We learn from our own cells that when there is less fear and resistance, the world transmits new life to what may have become withered and alienated. Stirring through our tissues is an undulating memory of all species, millions of years of embracing a lifestream that circulates through the planet and is alive within each of us as we are baptized by this magnificent initiation. As if awakening from a deep sleep, we can come to comprehend that we were designed to interact with the environment far beyond time and space. It is time for us to claim our birthright.

Emilie Conrad's   LIFE ON LAND  Available Now! Order at Amazon.com or NorthAtlanticBooks.com	Emilie on DVD Conversations  DVD Available! Call 310.593.4651
Continuum and the Healing Process Classroom Video Series (Years 2000-2010) Emilie Conrad and Suzanne Scurlock-Durana present this ground-breaking work together... Save Now by Pre-Ordering their 2011 workshop Cellular Resonance on DVD! Pre-order the DVD box set and save an additional $50 off the full price of $300! $250 plus shipping and handling Each box set includes 20 hours of instruction on 10 DVDs. DVD sets will ship as soon as they are available. Anticipated delivery by early December 2011. If you missed these exciting courses and would like the next-best thing, these DVD sets are for you! Offering all the lectures, demonstrations and class question/answer sessions from the Continuum and the Healing Process course series taught by Emilie Conrad and Suzanne Scurlock-Durana. Filmed in Reston, Virgina 2010 - Moving Consciousness, October 8-12, $300 2009 - Waves of Consciousness, October 16 - 20, $300 2008 - The Undiscovered Body, October 24 - 28, $300 2007 - The Quantum Brain: Living In Every Cell of Your Body, October 26-30, $300 2006 - The Essence of the Heart, October 27-31, $300 2005 - Immune System II, October 7-11, $300 2004 - Immune System I, October 15-19, $300 2003 - Optimum Brain Function - Greater Healing Integration, October 11-15, $240 2002 - A Healthy Visual System and Its Impact on the Body, October 5-9, $270 2001 - Trauma Recovery and Living Fully in Stressful Times, October 12-16, $240 2000 - Embryogenesis and the Origins of Healing, October 13-19, $300 DVDs and further details available at the Healing From The Core Products page at http://www.healingfromthecore.com/products.shtml#continuum or contact the Healing from the Core office at office@HealingFromTheCore.com, 703.620.4509
ENGAGING THE MOVEMENT OF LIFE By Bonnie Gintis, DO Osteopathic Physician and Continuum Teacher See Table of Contents, Excerpt, and Article “Experiencing Osteopathy Through Continuum Movement” Order Now!
Congratulations to Continuum teacher Martha Harrell with her essay "Terror Comes Full Circle" in the book Transforming Terror: Remembering the Soul of the World Edited by Karin Lofthus Carrington and Susan Griffin   From www.transformingterror.com: This inspired collection offers a new paradigm for moving the world beyond violence as the first, and often only, response to violence. Through essays and poetry, prayers and mediations, Transforming Terror powerfully demonstrates that terrorist violence—defined here as any attack on unarmed civilians—can never be stopped by a return to the thinking that created it. Congratulations to Continuum teacher Cory Blake on the release of the book he's co-authored!! Overcoming Post-Deployment Syndrome: A Six-Step Mission to Health by David X. Cifu and Cory Blake Overcoming Post Deployment Syndrome is a comprehensive guide for service members, Veterans and their families dealing with the all-too-common repercussions of combat duty, including traumatic brain injury, post-traumatic stress disorder, anxiety, depression, chronic pain and musculoskeletal injury, and substance abuse. Read more and see reviews at amazon.com. Congratulations to Lois Walden, a long-time member of our Continuum Community, on release of her new novel! ONE MORE STOP See Lois Walden Reading at Barnes and Noble http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9H9QQmyIXoc "This debut novel is written with heart and soul, offering a rare window into how one woman struggles with the hand life has dealt her." --Echelon Magazine "It hits all the proper self-discovery buttons." --Publishers Weekly See it on Amazon.com DVD and Audio Offerings from Valerie Hunt! Consciousness DVD The Human Energy Field & Health DVD BIOSCALAR: The Primary Healing Energy Audio CD Valerie Hunt's new book is now available! UNCORK YOUR CONSCIOUSNESS To order any of these publications email admin@ValerieVHunt.com or call 310-457-4694 See her website for these and other offerings: www.malibupublishing.com/Malibu-Publishing/Books.html and valerievhunt.com/ValerieVHunt.com/Valerie_Hunt_Publications.html
	Full Body Presence Explorations, Connections and More to Experience Present Moment Awareness by Suzanne Scurlock-Durana CMT, CST-D The included CD has three new guided explorations for self-healing and developing full body presence. www.healingfromthecore.com Available as an eBook for immediate download, or as a printed trade paperback. Special discounts are available for multiple copy purchases. See www.FullBodyPresence.com
We congratulate Ed Cohen, a long-time Continuum participant, on his Magnum Opus! Ed says he could never have written this book without his experience in Continuum. A Body Worth Defending: Immunity, Biopolitics, and the Apotheosis of the Modern Body by Ed Cohen Description and reviews at Duke University Press and at Amazon.com Ed Cohen teaches cultural studies and directs the doctoral program in women’s and gender studies at Rutgers University, New Brunswick.

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