“We see quite clearly that what happens
to the nonhuman happens to the human.
What happens to the outer world happens to the inner world.
If the outer world is diminished in its grandeur, then the emotional, imaginative,
intellectual, and spiritual life of the human is diminished or extinguished.
Without the soaring birds, the great forests,
the sounds and coloration of the insects, the free-flowing streams, the flowering fields, the sight of the clouds by day and the stars at night, we become impoverished
in all that makes us human.” - Thomas Berry, theologian

“Sentiment without action is the ruin of the soul.” – Edward Abbey, Earth First! Founder

Earth Matters:
Ecosomatics in the Anthropocene

Conversations to inspire embodied action in the face of planetary dysregulation hosted by Jamie McHugh, MSMT

Sponsored by The International Somatic movement education and therapy association (ISMETA)

October 24, 2024

Review, Recycle and Renew Community Meeting

10-11am PT/ 1-2pm ET/ 7-8pm CET

The 6 episodes of Earth Matters this year were a departure point for an ongoing inquiry by our community in relation to invited guests to consider different personal action strategies that can counteract the impact of planetary dysregulation on our lives. The focus of this online community meeting is to envision what is next for both this series and the larger conversation.

We will briefly review the content of the six episodes; explore how we might want to recycle the focus and format of the conversations; and renew interest in and commitment to being part of life-affirming solutions. Open to all. Register for free here

All past recorded episodes posted here

Episode 1 - Martha Eddy, MSME/T and Satu Palokangas, MSME/T

Monday, October 9, 2023 - 9am PT, 12pm ET, 6pm CET

Episode 2 - Ecosomatic pioneer Nala Walla

Thursday, November 30: 10am PT/1pm ET/19:00 CET
Hour-long conversation followed by a half hour open conversation with online participants. REGISTER HERE

Thursday, December 21 (Winter Solstice) - 10am PT/1pm ET/19:00 CET
Hour-long conversation followed by a half hour open conversation with online participants. REGISTER HERE

Episode 4 - Paula Josa-Jones, MSME/T Dance-maker & Equine Therapist & Victoria Moyer, Ecosomatic Researcher

Thursday, January 18, 2024 - 10am PT/1pm ET/19:00 CET
Hour-long conversation followed by a half hour open conversation with online participants. REGISTER HERE

Episode 5 - Stefanie Cohen, RSMT Somatic Practitioner & Interdisciplinary Artist and LaUra Schmidt, Founding Director & Facilitator, Good Grief Network

Thursday, March 21, 2024 - 10am PT/1pm ET/18:00 CET
Hour-long conversation followed by a half hour open conversation with online participants. REGISTER HERE

Episode 6 - Taira Restar, RSMT Nature Educator and Cynthia Winton-Henry Dance Educator & Ensoulment Coach

Thursday, April 18, 2024 - 10am PT/1pm ET/19:00 CET
Hour-long conversation followed by a half hour open conversation with online participants. Register Here

These online conversations are an outgrowth of the ISMETA Ecosomatics Forum and are posted on YouTube.

It goes without saying: Earth matters! Without a viable planet, there is no living soma. This fundamental truth in the face of radical Earth disruptions is the ground for our conversations. 

Curated and moderated by Jamie McHugh, these hour-long monthly roundtables are designed to connect the ISMETA community with artists, activists, scientists, agriculturalists, philosophers, and many others dedicated to the preservation of life on Earth.

The initial questions are:

What can somatic movement disciplines offer to a world on fire?

What actions are you taking in your personal and professional life?

What would you like to offer to the larger ecosomatic movement?

Besides lively and engaging conversations that stimulate actionable strategies, I hope these roundtables can provide networking opportunities, resource sharing and emergent cross-disciplinary collaborations. We all hold a piece of the puzzle and can each contribute in our own unique, creative way to the mycelial network.

Photo by Dale Schweppe.

"A mature organism knows how to inhibit itself, how to stop, how to hold, and how to wait. To be able to... is to gain freedom from being the victim of our impulsiveness and stereotyped responses." – Stanley Keleman

"We know enough of our own history by now to be aware that people exploit what they have merely concluded to be of value, but they defend what they love." – Wendell Berry