Mirroring the Movements of River Otter

January, 2026

In the summer of 2010, the North American river otter (Lontra canadensis) returned to our creek, after an absence of 42 years. This family of four lived under the bridge and we watched as the pups learned to catch fish, frogs, fresh water clams and crawdads. Most wild animals disappear as soon as they sense a human, but these otters weren’t frightened. They were in a feeding frenzy, and between catching their own bass and bluegill, and correcting the pups, they were so loud that they were drawing a crowd and stopping traffic on the bridge above. After a few weeks, when they had devoured all their prey, they made their way back to the Kentucky River, about a mile west.

Observing and interacting with river otters in their wild habitat keeps me curious. In Continuum, we work our creative growing edge by valuing the emerging unexpected and being species-inclusive. We take this curiosity with us wherever we go, especially when we’re outdoors. I’ve noticed my Continuum dives are more satisfying when I bring the playfulness, curiosity and awe from my interactions in nature to my mat.

Last fall my dog, Scarlett, a bloodhound, ran down to her spot in the creek to play, and discovered an otter drinking on a small ledge. The otter took off running, so of course my giant bloodhound chased it. River otters look clumsy running. Their back body humps up and their gate is awkward. The creek has a solid limestone bed, and only had a few inches of water. When the otter got to a deeper part, it turned back toward Scarlett and stood its ground. Scarlett and the otter had a moment of sniffing noses and checking one another out. Then they both turned, the otter diving into deep water and gracefully swimming away, while Scarlett loped back to me grinning. I put her leash on and we continued our walk.

We found the otter with its mate a few minutes later. The otters were feeding alongside a great blue heron. The heron immediately flew away, but the otters continued their graceful feeding while we watched for a long while.

The graceful strength of otter’s core amazes me. Sometimes when I’m on the Flight Plan, I cross my ankles and move the way I observed and felt otter moving. The Flight Plan is a piece of equipment Emilie Conrad invented to help us suspend at novel angles and relationships to gravity. It helps me find movements from the natural world that I can’t find on my own. Otter seems to speak to me and says, “For strength as you age, work your core.”

One of my practices is to allow something to land in me and then shapeshift and find how the one in me that is in touch with the essence of moving like otter, or kingfisher, or mushroom, can move and express those beings through my body as I shapeshift and mimic their movements.

We rarely see the river otters, but my awareness that we might spot them keeps me curious and steeped in awe. Refreshing awe, curiosity, and playfulness on our daily walks and hikes is one way to stay sane, in these weird and challenging times.

Once in a workshop with Hubert Godard & Susan Harper, we practiced noticing the response in our bodies when we stand in front of a tree, we soften our gaze, and allow the tree to land somewhere inside us. Our spines elongated and we experienced reciprocity with the tree.

We can do this kinesthetic mirroring with anything, if we are an open system. We can do this with any plant, creature, or being of any sort we might meet out in nature. When we are objectifying reality this resource shuts down.

I’ve noticed how often lately that I’m in nature and objectifying everyone around me. The tree doesn’t land in me; the otter is “other.” This is dangerous for the soul. The moment we notice we are “othering” is an opportunity to soften and find a kinesthetic connection to whatever is in your field. Ground, sky, the elements - I take some time to re-establish my relationships with the living world.

Allowing the sky to land softly inside often brings chanting or song or movement. This is where my world in Continuum and my life as a Quaker meet. As a Quaker, I see the Light of Spirit in everyone. Practicing finding these connections is a sacred act. Maybe it's the most important thing we do, to see that God/Spirit/Light in everyone, be they animal, vegetable, fungus or mineral.

The gift of otter’s visit reminded me of the connectedness of everything.

Practice Suggestion: Feel yourself mirroring the movements of your favorite aspect of nature. Move any way that calls you to the connectedness this sense invites.

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