Embodied Social Poetry

All embodiment is poetry
Listening to the untold stories that my body holds
In those movements that shaped the eternal time and space
And gestures that radiate the beauty of my heart

All poetry is an embodiment
Unedited soul's expression
Born when my body resonates with the earth
And all her children

~ Manish Srivastava (9.4.2020)

I have been writing poems and sketching since the age of nine. But when I discovered Social Presencing Theatre, I found a new language. With embodiment and contemplative movement, I learnt to tap into deeper realms of human experience and let a poem emerge.

This weaving of embodiment, art and poetry gave birth to my book- Trading Armour for a Flower. Once the book was launched, my wife and I hosted 20 dialogue circles across India. This is where Embodied Poetry started emerging as a practice. During the COVID-19 lockdown, we started offering Embodied Poetry online workshops and integrated it into Presencing Institute’s U.Academy and GAIA forums.

Read more about our journey and exploration here: Can Poetry Heal Collective Trauma?

Our ongoing & upcoming poetry circles include:

POETea circles: In-person (in Pune) and online (starting soon) gatherings to attend to deep, unspoken matters of our heart over a cup of tea and poetry. Pls, follow us on social media for more information.
Pathways to Resilience (restarting in 2024): An online creative journey based on poetic reflections & contemplative practices from the award-winning book “Midnight Journey of a Seed”. The book harvests lessons from the pandemic and offers pathways to transform any crisis into a resilient future.