for bodies without borders
In this investigation, I explore the interplay between bodies and landscape, focusing on the transitional ecosystem of the Nieuwkoopse Plassen in the Netherlands. I tune in and experience the constantly evolving, constantly becoming life forms to be with the assemblage of bodies and to familiarise myself with the uncertain ground.
As a temporal state, how does my body become an instrument for understanding the shifting moods, forces, and histories embedded in this landscape?
Photo by Ruben Dijkstal
Through embodied ecological inquiry, I delve into bodies without borders. I tremble with the dynamics of time, space, and self, where land, water, and organic life merge. My work examines symbiotic relationships within a constantly shifting biosphere formed by minerals, plants, bacteria, and human bodies.
By engaging with these landscapes through mapping, writing, movement, and sensory attunement, my research seeks to uncover how corporeal experiences and embodied practices can illuminate the histories, traces, and moods embedded in this uncanny terrain. It offers a philosophical composition that bridges the organic and elemental, the present and timeless, and the visible and invisible, inviting a deeper understanding of how to navigate and co-evolve with a constantly transforming biosphere.
Photo by Ruben Dijkstal
Where Am I?
I am in this state. One of those you can be in—a state of heaviness at first—dense warmth pressing into me, around me. I feel soaked, the air thick with a potent, heady smell that clings to my skin. It is a moment of intensity, of being fully present in the weight of the now. Yet, it is not static. It shifts. The movement around me softens as though the tension has exhaled. The pressure ebbs, leaving space for something lighter to emerge. I am no longer tied down by the heaviness. Instead, I rise, feeling lighter and freer. I hold this moment, and it holds me. There is belonging here—a subtle harmony as though the space has been waiting for me, and I have been waiting for it.
A Living Archive
To say hello to this place is to acknowledge its duality: not just alive but archival. It holds visible and invisible stories spanning thousands of years—a living archive of interactions and transformations. It is a portal between the living and the non-living worlds, where green meadows meet a polder system. Mills turn in quiet rotation, locks hold the water’s longing, and De Meije wends its way as a wiggly peat river, flowing with the excess of the past. This is the Nieuwkoopse Plassen, nestled in the Green Heart of the Netherlands. Here, an assemblage of bodies—lakes, reeds, grasslands, bridges, and former peatlands—form the Dutch tableau. It is a self-organised system in constant flux, deconstructing and reconstructing itself. Its gestures are deliberate, intra-acting in the ongoing process of becoming and engaging with other entities through motion, exchange, and transformation.
Navigating Fluid Boundaries
The swampy bog body I navigate has no borders or definitive edges. It is fluid, porous, and alive. This state and this place mirror my body—a performative agent, porous and seeking. I sense the dissolution of rigid lines, the fading of singularity into multiplicity. The bodies here— of water, Earth, and air—are subjects of curiosity, engaged in deterritorialisation and reterritorialisation. Their longing shapes their forms, their movements, their becoming. Finding myself among others: ducks, hares, ermines, otters, foxes, roe deer, and Nordic voles. Reeds and sundews, valerian and yellow lilies. Dotter flowers and bog myrtle, soft birches and club moss. These forms weave together in the rhythms of life, past and present. Borders dissolve as movements merge and morph, creating compositions of gestures that enfold me within them. I am part of the material body of this place. We are caught in a restless, endless longing, creation, and transformation rhythm.
A Performative Landscape
In this performative landscape, this Dutch tableau, the patterns of the land tell the stories of human adaptation. The subdivision patterns of Nieuwkoop trace their origins back to the Great Peat Mining around the year 1000. The northeastern areas display an irregular, block-shaped division, while linear, elongated plots dominate other regions. The cope subdivision—a system of uniform plots—reflected a growing precision in reclaiming land. Later, rectangular patterns of roads and drainage ditches emerged, remnants of the driers constructed to reclaim land post-mining. Peat rivers once dug to drain the land, became vital pathways. These riverbeds dug deep into the land and served as hubs of habitation, their elevated banks rising above the surrounding subsiding peatlands. The human effort to balance land and water continues—a delicate interplay of ecology and culture.
The Harmonies of the Relational In-Between
This space holds a balanced interplay between bodies—the harmonies of the relational in-between. It is a site of constant deconstruction and reconstruction, where togetherness becomes a performative act. Bodies without borders merge into each other, morphing as they engage in an ongoing process of becoming. As I stand here, I feel the echoes of this flux, the longing of the land and water to exist in harmony. The winter sky hangs heavy, occasionally punctuated by a light shower. At 3.3°C, the west wind remains silent, and atmospheric humidity wraps the area in a damp stillness. This is the Netherlands—a land shaped by water, peat, and human hands—a testament to the interconnectedness of all things.
Photo by Ruben Dijkstal
Another output of my journey are participatory protocols for Bodies Without Borders: A Terrestrial Inquiry. These protocols are open invitations—guidelines rather than fixed rules—encouraging participants to reflect on their relationships with the biosphere and to imagine new ways of belonging. They offer a framework for moving, listening, and feeling in ways that awaken a state of attunement to place. As participants engage with the land’s materiality—its textures, sounds, smells, and forms—they navigate the entanglements between their bodies and the more-than-human world, uncovering how shared exposures across time and space shape existence. Rather than prescribing specific outcomes, these protocols evolve embodied practices—from grounding in the Earth’s materiality, sensing temporal layers and weathering forces, and perceiving landscapes as interconnected, fluid assemblages. Each practice builds upon the last, gradually deepening relational awareness and gently challenging the boundaries between selves. This invites an ongoing dialogue between body, place, and planet.
Protocol #1: Grounding as Embodied Practice
Grounding is an embodied practice that focuses on oneself in a space. It draws from theories of embodied cognition, which suggest that our perception and understanding of the world are profoundly shaped by how we engage physically with our environment. This protocol connects to ecological theories that emphasise the interconnection between humans and the Earth. Grounding as a practice reminds us of our physical presence on the ground and how this engagement influences our ecological relationships. Grounding becomes a way of reconnecting with the Earth, recognising the body as part of the ecosystem.
Who Is This Protocol For? This protocol allows anyone interested in exploring embodied connections to land and biospheres. It is ideal for individuals or groups seeking to build a stronger sense of ecological awareness, mindfulness, or body-based awareness in relation to their environment.
What Is Required to Carry It Out? A quiet outdoor space (e.g., a forest, park, field, or garden). Comfortable clothing for walking and sitting. Optional: Writing materials or a camera for documenting reflections.
How Long Does It Take? Approximately 45 minutes.
Location This protocol takes place preferably outdoors.
Grounding Exercise (15 minutes) You can take off your shoes and slowly walk around the designated space. You should pay close attention to how your body feels and needs. Once you feel ready, walk at a slow pace and take time to focus on each step. Guiding Questions for Reflection How does the ground feel beneath you? Do you notice different sensations in different areas of the space? How does your body respond to these textures and changes?
Connection (15 minutes) Find a spot that feels particularly grounding or significant. The choice can be a tree, a stone, a patch of grass, or any other part of the land that stands out. Sit or stand and take a few moments to engage your senses. This could involve closing your eyes and listening to the sounds of the environment, feeling the air on your skin. You are encouraged to simply “be” in the space.
Reflection (10 minutes) If you are together, circle and share your experiences. If you are alone, reflect on your sensory experiences and how they felt. What new insights emerged during the practice? How your understanding of “landing “and the embodied connection to the Earth might influence your future relationship with the natural world. Does it change your perspective on place within the larger ecological system?
Protocol #2: Weathering as a Practice of Interconnected Being
The idea of weathering inspires this protocol as both a metaphor and a biological process. In Eco-somatics, weathering refers to the continuous influence of weather patterns on ecosystems and organisms. The term also reflects how living beings adapt to, endure, and evolve with external conditions. This protocol emphasises that all living beings are interdependent and shaped by shared environmental experiences. The aim is to engage participants in understanding their place within this interwoven web of life, where Weather serves as a reminder of the cycles of change and resilience.
Who Is This Protocol For? This protocol is for individuals or groups seeking to explore how Weather influences personal experiences and broader ecological systems. It suits people interested in understanding living systems’ cyclical, interconnected nature.
What Is Required to Carry It Out? A location where participants can experience outdoor weather conditions. Weather-appropriate clothing for participants. Optional: A journal for writing reflections.
How Long Does It Take? Approximately 90 minutes.
Location This protocol requires outdoor space with access to Weather.
Weather Sensory Engagement (10 minutes) You are encouraged to immerse yourself in the Weather, whether it involves standing in the rain, feeling the wind on your skin, or simply sitting under the sun. Focus on your body’s responses to these weather conditions. What does the Weather provoke in your body and mind? How does your body respond to the Weather? What sensory details stand out in the Weather? How does being part of the larger ecosystem affected by the Weather feel?
Collective Weathering Activity (20 minutes) Explore the space through slow, deliberate movement. Let your hands brush against surfaces as you move. Focus on each sense individually: What textures meet your skin? What smells or tastes linger in the air? How does the light interact with the space? How does shifting your weight in response to the surrounding motion affect your sense of balance? Can you feel the pull of the space around you as it shifts and flows, like the movement of air or the subtle sway of nearby branches? Choose an element in the environment—a tree, a rock, or the wind—and let your body mirror its qualities. How does a tree’s rootedness feel when translated into your posture? What is the rhythm of the wind as it shapes your breath?
Composing with Temporal Layers (20 minutes) Engage with the temporal depth of the space, using touch, imagination, and dialogue. Listening to the ground while lying or kneeling close to the Earth. Press your ear to the ground, close your eyes, and listen. What does the ground say? Is it silent or humming with life? Imagine the voices of its past—water running, animals moving, people speaking. Look for a weathered object (a rock, a leaf, or a tree). Trace its weathering: How was it shaped by rain, sun, wind, or frost? Imagine the object’s past—its journey to this place, its role in the ecosystem. Share your object and its imagined story with the group. How do these stories intersect?
Embodying Interconnectedness (20 minutes) Enact the idea of weathering through collective and/or imaginative gestures. Stand in a circle and/or imagine the group as a single entity weathering the environment together. Respond to each other’s movements, mimicking the wind, rain, or sunlight rhythm. Let this collective movement dissolve individual boundaries. To become rhizomatic, spread out and connect with the environment, using physical gestures to “map” the relational network around you. Imagine your body extending through the ground, touching roots, rocks, and other beings. Visualise yourself as part of a vast meshwork with no clear beginning or end.
Reflection (10 minutes) Consider the metaphor of weathering and what it might reveal about resilience and interconnectedness. In what ways does experiencing the Weather shape your perception of the environment around you? How might this practice of engaging with the elements influence your understanding of personal and ecological resilience moving forward?
Protocol #3: Composing with Temporal Layers
‘Composing with Temporal Layers’ invites participants to engage with the concept of time as it manifests in the landscape. This protocol is grounded in theories of historical ecology and time-based art practices, which emphasise that landscapes are not static but are shaped by multiple temporalities—past, present, and future within them. Participants are encouraged to consider how different timescales interact within a landscape, from geological time to human history, and how this layering creates a complex, dynamic environment. Understanding these temporal layers allows us to compose and appreciate the richness of the space. Who Is This Protocol For? This protocol is for anyone interested in exploring the layers of time that have shaped a particular landscape.
What Is Required to Carry It Out? A location with a rich ecological or historical context (e.g., a forest, urban area, or historical site). Materials for creating temporal maps.
How Long Does It Take? Approximately 30 minutes.
Introduction (5 minutes) Read the chapter Eco-somatic. (p.9)
Temporal mapping (20 minutes) Create visual or written representations of the temporal layers in the landscape. Use materials to depict the different timescales at play.
Reflection (5 minutes) How do different layers of time inform your experience of the environment? What new insights have emerged about the space? Can these layers of time be seen in your daily life?
Photo by Ruben Dijkstal