(Series) Authentic Movement for Compassionate Presence

Program Details

• Dates: 2/17, 2/24, 3/3, 3/10 This is a four-session series. Registration covers all dates listed above.

• Time: 4:15 – 5:45pm

• Location: 1860 Washington St., Room 128, Newton MA 02466

• Pricing (full series):

  • Sustainer: $80

  • Open Tent (honor-based accessibility rate): $20

  • Community Pillar: $140

• Facilitator: Julie Leavitt (she/her), DMin, BC-DMT, LMHC, teaches movement as an expression of emotion and devotion, creating space for deep listening within the body. She received her Doctor of Ministry from the Graduate Theological Foundation, with a focus on Jewish Spiritual Direction and embodied spirituality. Alongside her work as a body-centered psychotherapist, she teaches Movement as a Spiritual Practice in synagogues, retreat centers, conferences, and universities.

Brief Description

In this four-week series, we will explore Authentic Movement through the lens of hitbodedut, a Jewish contemplative practice of spontaneous, heartfelt prayer taught by Rebbe Nachman of Breslov. Through silent, intuitive movement held within the structure of Authentic Movement, participants are invited to listen inwardly and allow movement itself to become a form of sacred expression. Each session includes a brief teaching as a seed, followed by embodied practice supported by the presence of a compassionate witness. Together, we allow inner mystery to move through us into expression. No prior movement or somatic experience is needed.

Full Description

In this four-week series, we will explore the practice of Authentic Movement through the lens of hitbodedut, a Jewish contemplative practice taught by Rebbe Nachman of Breslov in the early 1800s. Hitbodedut, which can be translated as “secluded or intimate conversation,” is a form of spontaneous, heartfelt prayer. It is traditionally practiced aloud as an unguarded dialogue with the Divine.

In this series, we will experiment with a different orientation of hitbodedut: allowing movement itself to become a form of sacred speech. Through the silent unfolding of intuitive movement, we will listen inwardly and follow what wants to emerge. This exploration will be supported by the structure of Authentic Movement and the presence of a compassionate witness.

Each session will begin with a brief teaching drawn from hitbodedut or Jewish prayer more broadly, offered as a seed rather than a conclusion. We will then carry that seed into embodied practice, cultivating presence, receptivity, and trust in what arises through movement. Julie will serve as an experienced and attentive witness, holding the container with care.

This series is designed to deepen over time. As we return to shared practice across four sessions, participants are invited into an unfolding process of embodiment, insight, and compassionate presence.

About Authentic Movement

Authentic Movement is a gentle, self-directed practice in which participants are invited to move (or rest) with eyes closed or softly focused, listening inwardly and following what feels true in the moment. You are always in choice about how and whether you move, and periods of silence are balanced with time for reflection and witnessing in a supportive, non-judgmental container. No prior experience with movement or somatic practice is needed.