“The primary characteristic of any fluid system is its ability to keep transforming itself. All of Continuum’s teachings are designed to quicken and enrich the fluid system, invoking its genius to transform structure and foster the art of self-renewal.” – Emilie Conrad, founder of Continuum
How are you managing within these challenging, rapidly changing times we find ourselves in?
When we perceive threat, as human beings, we quickly shift into defensive fight-flight or freeze nervous system states, designed to meet potentially life-threatening danger. In the process, we prepare to mobilise with heightened alertness, and increased muscle tension. Our immune system and organs of digestion and maintenance become less of a biological priority in survival states and receive less blood. If we perceive overwhelming threat, we shut down in a freeze state, dissociating from sensation, often having reduced tone and presence in our tissues. These defensive measures can support survival for very short periods but when extended can interfere with our immune system functions as well as other aspects of maintaining health and well-being.
In the face of ongoing massive threat like our current viral pandemic, fighting, fleeing and freezing don’t work. The anxiety, irritability, depression and tension they can produce interfere with our ability to creatively meet the challenge. Here we need resilience. Resilience can be defined as our capacity to recover and bounce back quickly from difficulties.
In Continuum, we understand and foster resilience in relation to qualities of water or fluid, of which our bodies are primarily composed. When water is frozen, it is less resilient. It can be cracked or broken. It has less ability to bend in response to forces it meets. Our dense, tense bodies are like ice. They are less flexible and less able to meet contingencies. The more fluid we become, the more resilient we can be, like water flowing freely in a stream, easily negotiating rocks and other obstacles, and more easily dissipating toxic or noxious substances.
The gentle breaths, sounding and mindful movement of Continuum support us in slowing down, deeply resting, becoming more present in our awareness and our bodies, as we dissolve tension, stress, and nervous system activation and return to our inherent fluid intelligence. We emerge renewed, ready to more easily meet our current challenges with creative fluid resilience.
Why Take This Course?
Do you feel stressed? overwhelmed? anxious? fearful? tense? short-tempered?
Are you worried about you or your loved ones becoming ill or dying because of the Coronavirus?
Are you struggling to know how to work from home or manage without income?
Are you challenged by your children being at home because schools are closed?
Are you overwhelmed by sadness, fear, distress, loss, anxiety?
Does your body feel achy, tense, stiff or numb?
Are you attracted to mindful, meditative movement or awareness?
This Continuum webinar course is designed to support you in returning to a more fluid, flexible, resourced state of resilience.
This 3-hour webinar aired on Sunday, April 5th, 2020 4 – 7 p.m. GMT (11 a.m. – 2 p.m. EST, 8 – 11 a.m. PST, 17:00 – 20:00 CET). The cost is in GBP paid via PayPal. £25 early bird price available until April 2nd is about $32 USD, $42 CAD, 29 euros.
Once you have purchased the course you can view the video recording by clicking the link below.
Please set up a mat, blanket, sheepskin, etc. for yourself before the webinar begins so you can be comfortable lying down for long periods of time and still see/hear the webinar.
Cherionna Menzam-Sills is a prenatal and birth therapist, movement therapist and Biodynamic Craniosacral Therapist. Drawing on 40 years experience, her background includes an M.A. in Somatic Psychology (Dance/Movement Therapy) and a Ph.D. in Pre- and Perinatal Psychology, as well as Occupational Therapy, Massage Therapy, intensive study of BMC and Body-Mind Psychotherapy with Susan Aposhyan and 10 years intensive study with prenatal and birth psychotherapy pioneers, William Emerson and Ray Castellino. She worked intensively with founder of Continuum, Emilie Conrad for the last decade of her life. Emilie authorized her to teach Continuum in 2007. Her work is further informed by years of intensive Vipassana meditation practice and other mindfulness practices.