The Whole Over the Parts

Holism refers to any approach that emphasizes the whole rather than the constituent parts—an essential perspective when considering living systems, which encompass various realities and frameworks – from the psychological to the ecological. As we navigate these systems, we become acutely aware of how our experiences are shaped by the systemic forces around us, such as oppression related to racism, colonialism, sexism, and the medicalization of human experience into clusters of symptoms.

While it’s crucial to acknowledge the systemic forces that contribute to oppression, it’s equally important to recognize that systems can also foster connection, healing, and radical growth. Our nervous systems are inherently open, not merely as a vulnerability but as a means to engage with the world through affect—the primary currency of our interactions. This affect is always bidirectional, both in its primacy and in its movement, shaping and being shaped by our relationships. Such systemic forces can cultivate resilience, empathy, and collective well-being, illustrating that systems are not solely mechanisms of harm but also of profound support and transformation.

Beyond the Nuclear Family

In recent times, there has been a transformative shift from viewing the immediate family as the only significant influence on one’s development. This evolution expands our understanding to encompass multiple generations, recognizing how family dynamics intertwine with external traumas, such as collective experiences of persecution and abuse—including but not limited to racism, culturally violent legacies, sexual abuse, wars, and political oppression.

Such traumas fracture our experiences of being in the world and disrupt our sense of attachment, which is fundamental to feeling safe and connected. The ruptures that occur in attachment relationships become key mechanisms through which trauma is transmitted across generations.

We Are Living Systems

Yet, we must also acknowledge that we are living systems ourselves. All living systems share intrinsic properties—interdependence, interconnectedness, and the potential for emergence. These principles can enlighten us about how external forces engage our embodiment, fostering a deeper understanding of our experiences in a holistic manner.

This recognition leads us to the question: How do we enact a holistic practice?

The Architecture of the Whole

To do this, we must consider what constitutes the whole—the micro/macro, the individual/group, the part/whole, the local/global. Each of these elements serves as building blocks for emergent structures and mutualist dynamics in our interactions and relationships.

It is through these lenses that we create our own relational structures, and we can engage in exploring multidimensional states of being—essentially the interplay of subject and object, and the intersubjective “states” that arise from our connections.

The Group as Living System

In our practice, the invitation is for each participant to engage in active participation—whether through showing up, observing, or embodying their own way of being in the group. This dynamic participation nurtures trust within the system of our togetherness.

By intentionally and gently allowing space for uncertainty—the very essence of what we call uncertainty principle—we acknowledge that we co-create our experiences. This requires courage, as uncertainty can feel daunting.

From here, we open the floor for sharing observations and feelings related to larger patterns of behavior and experience within ourselves and our relationships.

Selfhood, Otherness, and the Courage to Stay With

Certainty and uncertainty coexist; they are inextricably linked. Embracing this duality enriches our understanding of selfhood and Otherness. Not only must we explore the Otherness in others, but we must delve into our own internal complexities—recognizing our alienated or disavowed aspects.

I posit that what we can term movn reflects this focus on Otherness, presenting it as a practice of recognizing and honoring difference.

What Is Embodiment?

So, what does embodiment truly mean? Is it simply about your body, my body, or the wisdom and power inherent within those individual bodies?

The answer is both yes and no. At the same Time.

It is essential that we embrace the paradox of embodiment—not as a mere juxtaposition of mind and body, but as an irreducible and interconnected experience that transcends traditional definitions. Here, we privilege lived experience as foundational to understanding our existence.

Challenging the Dominant Worldview

As conventional notions of mind have historically been reduced to thoughts, beliefs, and cognitive processes, they establish splits that misrepresent the wholeness of being.

The dominant psychological worldview—characterized by:

• locationist (your mind is in your brain),
• individualist (it’s all down to YOU), and
• cognitivist (thinking about ourselves is different than feeling ourselves!) perspectives—

often fails to account for the relational depth that shapes our identities. It presupposes a supportive background that recognizes, affirms, and welcomes us into our being.

At movn Embodiment Collective, we challenge this notion by acknowledging the implicit, unseen dimensions that contribute to our experience—forces that may leave traces outside of our awareness yet significantly influence our embodied existence.

From Isolation to Emergence

I founded this practice out of a necessity to explore the complexities that become visible only at the level of the relational dynamics of collective and systemic interactions. While individual experience is always right and never wrong, we turn to the question of how it comes to be. Our process does not adhere to methodological individualism, which seeks verification solely through individual experiences; rather, it embraces participation in co-investigating how experience transforms when examined together. This collaborative inquiry fosters a richer understanding of our layered realities as interconnected beings, allowing for the emergence of new relational patterns and transformative experiences.

Not a Conclusion, But a Continuation

In this space of holistic practice, we allow ourselves to be moved—not just by our own volition, but by the intricate systems we are part of. What emerges here is not a conclusion but a continuation: a practice of relating that carries forward, shaped by interconnection, difference, and the open conditions of shared presence.