Most of my work is with teams, whether I’m helping them develop strategy, strengthen effectiveness, lead more authentically, or navigate conflict. I always begin with a check-in but not just any check-in. Whether in person or online, I invite teams to participate in an embodied check-in: a way of arriving fully, transitioning from where they’ve come from, grounding, and becoming present to one another.
There’s often a bit of hesitation or playful groaning at first, but most folks join in and almost always appreciate the invitation. An embodied check-in shifts attention from doing to being, creating the foundation for deeper connection and collective awareness.
This past week, I had the unexpected pleasure of being in a Zoom room with my colleague and friend, Uri. He was offering a Lightning Lesson on Embodied Teams designed to support trust and flow. As I often find myself thinking, “What is he up to now?”, I knew something creative was brewing. Uri is endlessly innovative and fearless when it comes to experimenting, especially at the intersection of technology, theatre, and embodiment.
It turned out I was the only person on the call. This didn’t faze Uri in the least. As sometimes happens, he was outside, walking through the streets of southern Italy, while I was at my desk in Canada. He was tending to another task as we dove into an inspiring, free-flowing conversation.
Over the next 30 minutes, we travelled far, from the power of embodied check-ins and the safety they create, to Uri’s new experiments with holographic imagery and embodied dialogue. We explored the shape of leadership power and ended with a question that stayed with me: *What masks do we wear at work?*
That conversation became an embodied reminder of my own work, a gentle remembering of what I know, trust,and offer through embodiment.
A thread wove through it all: the simplicity and power of the 20-Minute Dance,a key methodology in Social Presencing Theatre, developed by Arawana Hayashi. This grounding practice — alternating between movement and stillness while listening to how the body wants to move — invites us to experience ourselves beyond the masks. In doing so, we open to more human connection, both with ourselves and each other.
If you’re curious about our conversation, you can listen here.
If you’d like to experience a Lightning Lesson on Embodied Teams, check out Uri’s upcoming sessions here.
And if you’re interested in exploring Embodied Teamwork through my facilitation, bringing presence, movement, and awareness into how teams connect, collaborate, and lead, I’d love to connect. Reach out.