Chandler Stevens

1. How would you define your personal practice?

I work at the intersection of movement, conversation, and awareness to help people better connect to themselves and the world around them.

2. What turning points have you encountered on your movement journey?

The biggest turning points for me were my introduction to natural movement and somatic education. Both fields of study effected a major change in how I lived my life and how I practiced.

3. What role has injury played in cultivating your current niche?

It informed quite a bit of my earlier explorations. I was burned out from injuries in conventional training, and that led me to natural movement practice. But I still had lingering issues that the “physical” practice wasn’t resolving, which led me to explore somatic work. That proved to be major for my development as a “mover” and also a human being.

4. Do you consider yourself a teacher? Why or why not?

In some ways I do, but it’s a tricky word to wrangle. Even when I’m “teaching” the emphasis is what participants learn, rather than what I want to instill.

5. What has been your experience with physical education, both in the schooling system and sought out knowledge/ know-how elsewhere?

As a subject? We have some major issues. People have a strangely myopic view of what physical education could be, especially considering that your body is the most constant thing you need to know how to work with in life. I never took to phys ed in school, but I also got a very late start to my movement practice.

6. How do you involve your mind/ emotions into your physical routines?

Almost entirely. I think it’s sad that we still have such a rift between “mind” and “body,” as if one could exist without the other.

7. What are your personal aspirations regarding movement? How do you hope to find purpose and use in the skills you have built?

My primary goal is deepening connection to myself, my surroundings, and the people in my life. I see a movement practice as a way to deepen and broaden our sense of self.

8. How can people find/ contact you? Do you have a site or social media handle to share?

I write for coaches at www.TheSomaSchool.com. I have a personal site as well (www.ChandlerStevens.com). On Facebook I’m “Chandler Stevens,” and on Instagram I’m @chandlerthemover.