Devika Murali
Devika Murali is a Psychologist, Dance Movement Therapy (DMT) Practitioner, and founder of MOVE, a movement-based initiative dedicated to promoting emotional wellbeing, self-awareness, and meaningful human connection through embodied practices. She holds a Master's degree in Clinical Psychology and a Postgraduate Diploma in Dance Movement Therapy from Artsphere, Pune. Associated with Thudippu for the past one and a half years, Devika will serve as the Lead Facilitator
What Devika Murali did here
Exploring Self-Expression Through Movement, Music and Art
The session began with a name-and-movement activity, where participants introduced themselves through simple movements. This helped create a comfortable and welcoming atmosphere, encouraging everyone to participate. The group then engaged in a mood-sharing activity, allowing participants to express how they were feeling at that moment. The next activity focused on movement exploration, providing participants with the freedom to explore different movements, connect with their bodies, and express themselves through movement. Participants then worked together to create music as a group. They explored sounds and rhythms, shared ideas, listened to one another, and presented their collective creation to the group. Following this, participants engaged in an individual art reflection, using art to express their thoughts, feelings, and experiences from the session. This offered them an opportunity for personal reflection and creative expression. The session concluded with a closing activity, bringing the shared experience to a meaningful end. Overall, participants responded positively and showed interest and engagement throughout the session. The combination of movement, music, and art offered different ways to communicate, explore feelings, express creativity, and connect with others in a supportive group environment.
Finding Connection through movement
Today’s session at was a very different and meaningful experience for me. There were seven participants, and Anjali and Aparna, who are also dance facilitators at Thudippu, joined the session as well. The overall energy of the group was quite active and engaging. At the same time, I noticed that a few participants needed a little more attention and support during the session. I tried to create a space where everyone could participate in their own way, without putting too much pressure on anyone. As the session progressed, I could notice different emotions and experiences slowly coming up through movement. Some participants were more expressive, while some needed more time to connect with the process. I tried to stay present with the group and respond to what was happening in the moment. Since this was our first session, I consciously did not go deeper into the emotional layers that were emerging. Instead, I stayed more on the surface and focused on helping everyone feel comfortable, engaged, and connected with the movement and with each other. Even at that peripheral level, I could sense that there were many different emotions and personal experiences present in the group. It was interesting for me to observe how movement can bring these things out without directly asking people to talk about them. Overall, the session gave me a lot to observe and reflect on as a facilitator. It was a new experience for me to work with this particular group and in this setting, and I feel that today's session has given me a better understanding of the participants and what they may need in the sessions ahead.