Finding Playfulness in Modern Life (an episode with my fiancé)
Embodied Curiosity, Injury Recovery, and the Joy of Movement with David Bantje
“One reason why it can feel so hard to listen to your body is because it is not normalized to move in a variety of ways that you would want to. There are certain ways of moving that are allowed or socially accepted but others are very rare to see. Therefore, it makes a lot of sense that we don't know what our body wants or can't listen to it because we always shut it down.”
- David Bantje
In this episode, I’m joined by natural movement practitioner, and my loving partner, David Bantje. In this episode, he offers a refreshing, intuitive reframe on how we can shift our relationship to movement for a more liberated , and playful life. Rather than treating movement as a chore, isolated workout, or something we only do in designated spaces, David invites us to see movement as a birthright—something our bodies crave and have evolved to do in diverse, dynamic ways. He discusses how mainstream exercise culture, with its narrow focus and rigid intensity, can leave us disconnected from the deeper intelligence of our bodies. Instead, natural movement emphasizes accessibility, variety, injury prevention, and playfulness, allowing us to reconnect and reclaim our capacity for taking risks, curiosity, and aliveness. This isn’t about perfection or discipline, but about attunement: giving our bodies the space to lead.
We also discuss:
How chronic pain and injuries "stack up" from habitual postures and sedentary lifestyles
What natural movement is, and how it helps realign us with what our bodies evolved to do
The limits of conventional fitness culture and why high-intensity, short bursts of exercise can do more harm than good
The power of movement snacks—simple, frequent movements throughout the day—to support flexibility, awareness, and healing
Movement as medicine in the context of illness, disability, and injury (including David’s experience with a herniated disc)
Relearning how to listen to your body, even when it doesn’t communicate in language
Why reclaiming natural movement can be a path not only to health—but to joy, agency, and freedom
Bio
David Bantje is a movement practitioner, teacher, and facilitator based
in Potsdam, Germany. His interests span movement disciplines such as
natural movement, parkour, dance, somatic movement, running, climbing,
and their interconnections. He researches the importance of movement for
our individual lives as well as our communities, how our modern
societies have affected our movement habits, and ways to reconnect to
our physicality and playfulness. In 2019 and 2021 he got certifications
as a MovNat Natural Movement Trainer, and has since taught movement
classes and workshops on various topics. Currently, he is co-hosting
Monday Motion, an open community event for freely exploring movement and
dance. He just started to write a Substack called "Movement Invitations".
Resources:
Get the book: Mad Studies Reader: Interdisciplinary Innovations in Mental Health
Become a member: The Institute for the Development of Human Arts
Train with us: Transformative Mental Health Core Curriculum
Sessions & Information about the host: JazmineRussell.com
Disclaimer: The DEPTH Work Podcast is for educational and entertainment purposes only. Any information on this podcast in no way to be construed or substituted as psychological counseling, psychotherapy, mental health counseling, or any other type of therapy or medical advice.
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