Abstract

This paper provides the context for the art installation “Still Life”, which was held in May 2014 in Montreal, Quebec, Canada. This exhibition was a creative synthesis of arts-based heuristic research of somatic awareness through mindfulness meditation, art-making and imaginal dialogue. Guided by an interest in how art can be used to access other ways of knowing about our physical experience, twice a week for thirteen weeks I practiced mindfulness meditation, art making and imaginal dialogues, collecting arts-based
data as well as recorded dialogues. I analyzed the dialogue transcriptions and
artwork, and built the “Still Life” installation as a reflection and synthesis of these findings and experiences. Emergent imagery included rooms, fetuses and organs. Emergent dialogue themes included a crossover between the themes of body and art as well as between the themes of body and illumination/transformation. This research explores the use of body awareness in mental health and discusses the uses of somatic awareness in professional development.