Participating in the SBSM Movement Pod helped me to find my own voice while being aware of the feeling/sensation of shame, terror and fear and having the group seeing and hearing me.

I did the Movement Pod alongside the SBSM program. They compliment each other very well. Elia’s movement exercises helped me move energy through the body in a way I never felt before. I could feel the direction of the energy instead of the stuckness of it. English is not my first language. In my native language I dissociate when I try to speak up for myself. Through the meetings I became aware of all the triggers behind using my voice. Also being part of the group and sharing all the difficult stuff has helped me to feel human (instead of thinking and knowing and being in the head all the time).

It was so wonderful! I looked forward to it and will miss the pod. I’ve done a lot of therapy and groups over the years, and what stood out with this is the experience of empowerment and feeling able to take action and break free of some old stuff. While feeling through grief and more ‘icky’ emotions can be important, I find I have so much practice with them that I was really hungry for a space to have joy and growth, the movement pod offered that.

Elia is highly skilled at balancing listening to our stories about what we’re experiencing with offering suggestions and demonstrations for movements that might help process the NS charge beneath the stories. While my NS was in a bit of a flight mode in the first session, not yet feeling safe, with his guidance of the overall experience I quickly felt safe and was able to experiment with movement and sound and expand my “repertoire.” He also engendered close attention, compassion and empathy between all of the participants, so that we felt closer and closer as the class progressed.

Movement and sound with NS work is not a complicated “secret” that only people with years of experience in somatic work can “get.” It’s highly accessible, intuitive and straightforward.

My biggest takeaway was learning how to better explore my somatic experience in the witnessing presence of others. My next takeaway was feeling deeply inspired and connected by other pod members doing their work.

Elia is an exceptional group leader. He sets the stage for each weekly session by bringing his wise, calm presence and fresh vision which are all very natural to him. He is able to skillfully adapt to each member’s level of willingness to either reveal or withhold in a light and accepting way. He is an excellent listener, and often mirrors and validates a person at just the right time. All this is the Special Sauce for the group’s level of trust, bonding and success.

I had three powerful experiences/realizations that I work with from Elia . The first was claiming my space and power. It was difficult at first. But I kept playing with it. And still do. The second was in the stomach palpation and bending and opening mouth with tongue out. After doing that movement I felt a full body release of shame I felt I had been carrying my whole life. And the third was definitely my favorite movement of the standing tree hip punch movement! I feel a connection to my lower body especially. I do it daily. And visualize doing it when I feel uncomfortable around people.

It’s been so valuable to have heard the guidance and intuition Elia offered to all of us. Hearing the others and seeing them progress was also beautiful and inspiring. It was good to be a part of a group where we all held space for each other. It gave me a sense of belonging that I feel I will always hold.