Soup, Salad, and Soul is a student-led group that meets every Friday from 12:15-1:00 p.m. in the Bodman Lounge of the Helen Hills Hills Chapel. We always have an amazing home cooked meal by three student chefs. In this series, Fallon Sullivan ’28 will explore the topics discussed at each meeting, taking quotes from students and thinking through her own relationship to the topic. In each piece, she will examine the ways in which the conversation changed perspectives and emotions, for both herself and others.
Smith’s Crew House Dance Lab
This week, Dahlia ‘28 facilitated a discussion about embodiment. We started by talking about the emotions that we feel really strongly in our body. People brought up joy, embarrassment, anger, anxiety, fear, lightness, comfort, relief, loneliness, and helplessness. Some people said they physically feel a lot of emotions very strongly, while others felt a disconnect between emotion and their bodies. Next, Dahlia asked us what connects us to our bodies. A lot of people talked about specific places that help them feel connected, like laying in grass and being atop mountains. Maya ‘28 told us that when she is able to see really far, she feels like “it’s ok because it’s so vast.” Other people talked about specific physical experiences, like dancing, singing, working out, yoga, and running. Some people talked about the prerequisites they needed to feel connected to their bodies, like safety.
When I was thinking about the topic before Soup, Salad, and Soul today, I was interested in bodily experiences that feel disorienting or scary that people actually seek out, like roller coasters or horror movies. Juanita ‘27 mentioned how running allows her to have “appreciation for when your body does feel pain.” Musa ‘26 added that when she feels sick, she feels like “there’s pain but I’m taken care of, and I am taking care of my body.” I think these experiences, where you are physically uncomfortable, are really interesting because they make you aware of your body in different ways. Even though they might not always feel immediately good to experience, there is a value in listening and accepting the messages that your body is giving you. On a similar note, people talked about the times when they feel disconnected from their body in a positive way, like swimming. This part of the conversation acknowledged such a wide variety of experiences and perspectives, which I really appreciated.
To close, Dahlia asked us how we achieve stability in our bodies. People talked about self expression (like bleaching your eyebrows or shaving your head) and how finding a unique way to express yourself allows you to connect to your body in a deeper way. Some people need laughter to bring themselves into their body. Some people talked about how when they find themselves in situations where they are focused on survival, like backpacking, they feel very connected to their bodies. For me, and others, operating out of a survival instinct is my default state, and I need to come out of this fight or flight state and live in the moment to connect to my body. Dance classes have really helped me because they allow me to connect to my body in different ways. I especially loved my contemporary dance class last semester. We were in the crew house (pictured above), and it was the most beautiful room ever. I felt so connected to my body, which is something I really struggle with. I often felt very silly, but it was really helpful for me to learn how to sit in that feeling and not be ashamed of it.