Breathe Love & Magic
Tell Your Story With The Power Of Gesture & Release Emotions
Tell your story and release stored emotions from your body by using the power of gesture. My guest Jen Aks will explain this joyful process in this episode of the Breathe Love & Magic podcast.
How Did the Power of Gesture Begin?
My first question was how did she come up with the Power of Gesture? Jen said she didn’t come up with it. This truly came through her soul and she feels like a passenger on a train being taken through and guided in this experience. It is pure soul work.
She’s been a movement practitioner and a dance educator for three decades and she has been moving through life in all sorts of ways. But now, Jen has paired her love of movement with her passion for emotional wellness to help you tell your story with the power of gestures.
Early in her life, Jen struggled a lot because she could not find the words to express herself and communicate in the way she wanted to connect. She felt stuck in her body and movement became her language. Jen says dance saved her life and brought her kind of communication to the world.
Breaking COVID’s Isolation
A few years ago when the pandemic hit, she organically wanted to help people stay connected to their bodies. Knowing first hand what its like to feel disconnected and disembodied, Jen knew the pandemic made things worse with so much isolation happening.
Jen decided to try out an idea she had and worked with people she was close to. Her aim was to help them move through their emotions and reconnect them to their bodies. During this process, she just kept saying the words “The power of gesture” as she did this work with people.
Over time, Jen realized this process she created to tell your story is a real method that is helping people. The work has been really transformative for her clients and for herself.
Jen has free 30-minute workshops every Tuesday at 10am ET and Wednesday at noon ET, because she wants people to give this a try.
You Want Me to Move?
My first reaction to hearing about this process was, “That is not for me.” I’m not into ecstatic dance and that sort of thing (nothing wrong with it, just not my way of expressing myself). But for some reason, (spirit nudging perhaps) I decided to try a free session.
I showed up feeling dread for what Jen might make me do in this online workshop. But there was none of that awkward, embarrassing feeling at all!
On zoom, we were in our own little boxes in the gallery view. Everyone stayed seated, and just moved our arms or bodies from the hips up. There was no dancing! It was easy and fun and I fell in love with the process.
Tell Your Story in a Group
Jen also does this with larger groups where each woman created a gesture and practiced it. Then she put on the music and each woman did her gestures, which we all followed.
One by one, we did every woman’s gesture to music all in a row and it was a total blast! I was shocked at how uplifting and joyous this exercise was. That’s why I wanted to have Jen as a guest because I want everyone to know about this practice. It’s fabulous!
I asked Jen how she figured out that creating a gesture would help tell your story and help move emotions through the body. Turns out Jen knew this from how her own life unfolded, expressing herself through dance. She knew she was really communicating through her body.
At first this whole thing was very experimental. Jen wanted to create an embodiment practice and she played with all sorts of ways to tap into the emotions. From gestures, to music, to repetition, she formulated this methodology which is amazing.
Acknowledgement Feels Amazing
Doing this in a group provides a high level of acknowledgement as you watch every person follow your personally created gestures. It also creates a safe space to open your heart as the energy spirals up and the vibration elevates. People just don’t get that kind of acknowledgement in society today.
One time Jen’s coach asked her what is your mission. She quickly replied, “I want to shift the mindset of humanity one story at a time.” It really is about shifting mindset when you tell your story in a group, there’s tremendous acknowledgement through the shared experience.
Surrender the Emotion
The most amazing part of this is you do not need to know what every emotion is about that comes up. You just release it and let it move through. Surrender to it and let it go! That’s a beautiful thing in my opinion.
I asked Jen what she’s noticed over the last few years of doing this work. Jen says she is, “Blown away by the methodology and how it has evolved.” She feels grateful watching people transform and get unstuck. “It’s been incredible.”
Jen also continues to tweak the method as she goes. She’s even done workshops with teenagers, seeing them respond with joy. Her personality works well with this kind of flowing creativity, allowing her to see new possibilities all the time and add components as they come to mind.
I’ve talked about working with Jen before in the episode which gave an update on my spiritual adventure. Working with her is how I created the Sunflower Pose.
Short Documentaries
At the start of COVID, she reached out to friends and created 150 documentaries with each woman having a chance to tell her story. These are 3-5 minute videos and 80 are on her youtube playlist. Plus, she shows them in virtual galleries through zoom from time to time.
Example of Transformation
Here’s an example of transformation that can occur. One client is in a 10-year relationship that she’s considering leaving. Something happened between them that has interfered with her trust. With Jen’s support, the client created gestures depicting two mounds of cement, which represent the block between them.
But through her gestures, the client turned the cement mounds into sand, lowering the height to see past the top. Doing this opened up conversation between them after this amazing session – that was quite a transformation.
I can vouch that this work is incredibly powerful. Give it a shot and tell your story with the power of gesture. Jen is kind, super supportive and encouraging through the entire process offering you a new way to express yourself and heal with creativity and joy.
BIO – Jen Aks
Jen Aks, Embodiment Coach, Speaker, Dancer and Expert in the field of communication, founded and created The Power of Gesture Method, a groundbreaking form of moving meditation.
Movement saved Jen’s life and as a result, revealed her gift to teach embodied, soulful connection. Jen’s method shows us how to live authentically accepting and embracing our lived experience, recognizing that our stories matter and help us tap into the wisdom of our bodies so that we can lead all aspects of our life with clarity.
The Power of Gesture methodology was created in response to the 2020 pandemic as a way for people to reconnect with their minds, bodies and souls. Jen’s mission is to unlock the intuitive language of the body so that we live authentically and serve purposefully.
Jen holds a Bachelor of Fine Arts from New York University and has dedicated her career to shifting the mindset of humanity one story at a time. As part of The Power of Gesture program, Jen offers private coaching, workshops, and speaking experiences. Jen’s body of work also includes hundreds of mini documentaries produced by Jen, representing stories of resilience communicated through The Power of Gesture.
Website and Social Media
Website https://thepowerofgesture.com
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/thepowerofgesture/
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/jen-aks-thepowerofgesture/
YouTube Her Story Documentary: HerStoryPlaylist
Free Power of Gesture 30-Minute Workshop
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