Grace Operatives: How Body Wisdom Changed the World

Abstract

Social grace is imperative for survival. In desperate times our evolutionary instinct emerges to bring grace operatives front and centre as midwifes of the transition. Considering the demise of the free grace movement in the 1630’s, Winton-Henry surveys the dire effect of male dominant puritanical morays that caused us to bypass the wisdom of the body. Tracking her own family history with an eye to her own art-based research she sees a new movement at play. Across disciplines humans are learning to notice, choose, and build up grace in our bodies. This begins by redefining grace as physically opposite of detrimental stress. Realigning with indigenous wisdom, artists, and spiritual practitioners we cultivate spontaneous kindness, affectionate connection, and cooperation in earth friendly ways. Social entrepreneurs covertly mentor fleets of sensitives who are attuned to earth and human nature. Among them, the author includes herself and Phil Porter as cofounders of InterPlay. Offering insights based on their observation of body data, body knowledge, and body wisdom, she overviews the effects of an active, creative approach to unlocking the wisdom of the body through the genius of play. Play subversively elevates and unifies physical grace in body, mind, heart, and spirit. Through the ancient, ever potent ritual languages of dance, music, stillness, and storytelling, these birthright arts heighten humanity’s ability to tune into immediate and timeless grace. This chapter invites readers to notice, claim, and act on physical grace. As never before she invites us to do the bold thing, tell others what we see even if they don’t see it, link arms, dance, sing, laugh, cry, shine, bow, and receive the heart of life, the root of transcendence, the door to a future where grace dances.