BMCA

The Body-Mind Centering® Association (BMCA) is an international non-profit organization dedicated to the practice, education, and development of Body-Mind Centering®, a somatic movement education and therapy approach developed by Bonnie Bainbridge Cohen.

Our History

BMCA began in 1985 from an initiative by Ellen Barlow and Sara Vogeler. It has grown into a professional membership organization as well as a conduit for communication and dialogue for the community of people interested in Body-Mind Centering®.

BMCA:

provides support, standards, and visibility for professional members,
provides an online community space to all of its members,
offers online gatherings as opportunities for continuing education, sharing somatic research, and learning together,
publishes the annual journal Currents in print and digital format,
publishes a quarterly newsletter ConCurrents.

BMCA Values

The following values, grounded in principles of Body-Mind Centering®, help guide all aspects of our organization:

Responsiveness with the current world, acknowledging our history;
Consensus building and collective decision-making;
Staying in relationship - meeting each person where they are and remembering each others’ aliveness and humanity;
Collaboration and competence - sharing work and resources;
Sustainability and self-care;
Participation in the circle/community - remembering the concentric and converging circles, past and present, local and global, that support us and which we support in return;
Supporting each others’ visibility, voice, and right to belong;
Self-awareness, ability and willingness to reflect, to give and receive feedback - utilizing the perceptual-response cycle;
Clear and responsive boundaries;
Transparency and accountability;
Service to and stewardship of the whole.

Meet our Board and Staff

BMCA is run by volunteer members on the Board of Directors, committees and project-specific working groups. To help keep the organization operating, we have the support of two part-time staff members and several contractors who provide specialized professional services (bookkeeping, accounting, editing, graphic design).

More information coming soon; see current positions held here.

Professional Member Resources

Somatic Movement Educators (SME), Practitioners, Infant Developmental Movement Educators (IDME), and Teacher Training graduates who are certified through an organization licensed by the School for Body-Mind Centering® are eligible to join as BMCA Professional Members.

Professional Members agree to follow the BMCA Code of Ethics, guidelines for good standing, and mark usage guidelines, pay an annual membership fee (that includes use of the marks fee for that period of time), and sign a sub-license agreement with BMCA for use of the marks (depending on country): Body-Mind Centering®, Body-Mind Centering™, BMC®, BMC™.

BMCA Professional Members in good standing are authorized to:

Use the Marks: Promote and describe their work using the Body-Mind Centering® and BMC® marks (in accordance with mark usage guidelines).
Assist or Teach: Participate in BMC® training programs offered by SBMC-licensed organizations as a teacher or assistant (subject to additional requirements).
Be included in the BMCA Professional Member Locator.
Share their BMC®-related events on the BMCA Professional Members Event List.

Code of Ethics

BMCA Ethical Guidelines for Teachers

BMC® Service Mark Usage Style Guide (2024 update)

BMCA Service Marks Guidelines

BMCA Good Standing Guidelines

BMCA Sub-License Agreement