Reflection from participant in SomaHut Study Group 2025-2026 Ana Jelušić

Ana Jelušić

Participating in the two-year Erasmus+ project SomaHut Study Group was a very meaningful experience for me, both in terms of my professional development and my personal growth. It enabled me to connect with colleagues, share experiences, knowledge, and skills, and build professional and personal relationships that had not existed before.

The project also gave me an opportunity to expand my professional practice in the field of somatic education and movement. I was able to organise and lead workshops based on the Feldenkrais Method, focusing on walking and exploring themes such as stability and balance, speed, and efficiency of movement. I had the opportunity to work with diverse groups of people, from younger to older participants, each with their own unique needs, challenges, and experiences.

Furthermore, I was able to attend further education in the method in Vienna and share my knowledge through workshops in several towns and cities across Croatia. I felt that this contributed to the decentralisation of this specific kind of knowledge and to making somatic education and its potential for wellbeing more accessible in different parts of Croatia. Learning how to conceptualise, organise, and lead these workshops was both a welcome challenge and an important opportunity for professional growth, as well as a source of great pleasure and fulfilment.

As a member of the SomaHut Study Group, I was also invited twice to attend the LACE conference in Vienna as part of the ImPulsTanz festival. These experiences were of particular value to me, as they allowed me to encounter a wide range of diverse somatic practices developed by somatic and artistic practitioners from across Europe and around the world. They were inspirational and enriching, opening up new perspectives and practices that now inform and inspire my own somatic and artistic research and creative work.

Participating in the LACE conference also enabled me to meet colleagues with whom I can now exchange knowledge and experience, and with whom conversations about future exchanges, visits, and collaborations have already begun. Through these encounters, I was able to learn about a variety of participants’ personal needs, desires, experiences, and challenges. This has helped me develop a deeper understanding of how somatic education and movement practices can respond to diverse needs and circumstances.

Finally, being a member of the SomaHut Study Group also involved taking on various organisational tasks. I welcomed these responsibilities, as they taught me to become more organised, responsible, and attentive to the needs of the group, while also giving me an opportunity to contribute to the collective process and be of service to the group.

Zagreb, 24 September 2026