Moving Like Water

A different kind of book launch exploring how hope becomes active through movement

I’ve been wondering lately about how ideas find their way into our lives, into our bodies. Last week at Village Yoga in Kinderhook, instead of doing a traditional pre-launch reading from my upcoming book Buried Treasure: A Field Guide to the Life-Changing Magic of Revealing Yourself, I tried something different — a two-hour exploration of what happens when we let movement lead the way to understanding.

Catherine Zack and I designed the afternoon around something that fascinates me: how the fluid that bathes our brains moves like an inner tide. This cerebrospinal fluid has its own rhythm, flowing in gentle 6-8 second cycles, like waves lapping at a shore inside us. While I’ve written in the book about how our brains can change and heal, actually experiencing this inner tide through movement? That’s an entirely different way of knowing.

We moved between gentle exploration and quiet reflection, trying things out. Everyone created what I call a Dream List of Movement — you know, those things you really, really, really want to do but haven’t gotten to yet. It’s amazing what comes up when you give yourself permission to want what you want. We discovered how movement can be a form of active hope. Not the kind of hope that expects everything to work out perfectly, but the kind that’s rooted in knowing there’s something good worth working for. From our dream lists, Cath led an improv series of movements for each of us to feel some aspect of what it is we would really, really like to do.

We played with practices from the book — like the Dream List of Movement, and BASK, which I use to demonstrate how we can proactively participate with our brains to create lasting memories of good moments. But instead of just talking about it, we got to feel how the idea works in our bodies. That’s the thing about healing — sometimes you need to move an idea from your head into your heart, into your bones.

This wasn’t just a preview event — it was a test run for something I believe in deeply. When the book launches in March, readers will have the chance to create or join movement groups with their local movement studios. I’ve created an online resource to help readers form these groups. Because while reading can spark insights, some discoveries need more than words. They need space and time, gentle movement, and community.

The afternoon ended with dissolving limiting beliefs (a favorite practice I learned from Judy Goldberg), which felt perfect — a chance to create hopeful space for moving back into life. As the day closed, I watched people gather into vibrant conversations as they gathered their socks and scarves (and gift bags : ) and knew they were leaving with new tools for the road ahead, but more importantly, with that light that comes from finding your own way into an experience.

I know firsthand how trauma can dampen our natural capacity for play and discovery and imagination. But I also know that movement can offer us a way back to these essential parts of ourselves. When the book launches, readers will be invited to explore not just through reading, but through movement groups where every body is welcome, all movements can be modified, and wonder gets to lead the way. Because sometimes the deepest understanding comes when we let both words and movement reveal our selves to ourselves.

Here’s something else I know: we don’t need to do this work alone. To our remarkable Hudson Valley makers — your generosity embodies the heart of Buried Treasure — the profound power of being truly seen and supported in community. Through your thoughtfully crafted offerings, you helped to create a space where self-care became an act of connection. That you stand with this work means everything to me.
Special thanks to & Tread Well, Ash Hopper, Golde, Harney & Sons Fine Teas, Hudson Naturals, Kaaterskill Market, My Neighbor’s Tallow and Village Yoga for showing what community truly means, and to Melissa Davis for her spark.