Multiracial
Beginner/ Intermediate Locations: Bay Area, California
In-person somatic retreat especially for organizers and movement workers to build resilience to fuel your ongoing work
Four-day course typically focus on:
Deepening your ability to feel what is happening in your body, build your toolbox of somatic practices, and growing your capacity to learn from the body up
Bringing your body into action in your work and life
Creating a community of practice that will support you to keep exploring, letting your body reveal more depth, and unearthing your longings
Building your commitment to racial justice and your capacity to confront racial capitalism
Four-day courses are typically taught by a three-person teaching team, including a song leader. The teachers are experienced in teaching politicized somatics, in community building and organizing efforts, and in the ongoing fight to end racial capitalism.
No prior somatics experience is needed. However, participants do need to be ready to deepen their connection to their body in a group, explore their feeling selves, and move toward their longings and visions for the future. The typical course size is 12-25 people.
-
Dara Silverman is an embodiment teacher and social change consultant whose work is based on their 25 plus years of community experience in environmental, social, and racial justice movements, 35 years of facilitation practice, and embodiment training at the Strozzi Institute and generative somatics.
Erika Lyla is a Somatic Coach, Bodyworker and parent with a practice in Oakland, CA (unceded Ohlone territory), and also teaches with generative somatics and Strozzi Institute. Erika works with people to reveal their power, potential, and purpose. She guides with love and laughter towards life grounded in authenticity and shaped by dream. She has been training groups and individuals in social and emotional development as well as creating and launching social emotional programs for over 15 years.
Erika holds a Master’s Degree in Social Welfare from UC Berkeley and specializes in working with people facing psychiatric crises, survivors of sexual violence, and individuals healing from complex trauma. She has also worked with school age children as an afterschool teacher and program director. She continues to offer healing for individuals and communities as we collectively move towards liberation. In her free time, Erika loves family time, camping, snowboarding, hiking, paddle boarding, and delicious food.
J Sikes
J (they/them) is a queer, non-binary coach, consultant, and educator. With 28 years of experience in education, 12 years of experience coaching, and 11 years studying somatics, J holds a deep understanding of the mind-body connection and the transformative power of somatics. J weaves this knowledge and experience into their coaching work and has a passion for empowering individuals on their transformative journeys.J coaches leaders from school districts and non-profits, and works primarily with LGBTQIA identified clients. J became an International Coaches Federation Professional Certified Coach in 2021, a certified somatic coach through the Strozzi Institute for Somatics in 2016, and a certified school leadership coach through the New Teacher Center and the Association of California School Administrators in 2013.
J earned their Doctorate degree in Educational Leadership from UC Davis, their Masters degree in Education from Nazareth University and their Bachelors degree in Art Education from Nazareth University. J was born in San Francisco, grew up in Dixon, California, and lived for 15 years in Rochester, New York while they trained in the sport of fencing, and was a member of multiple US fencing teams. J currently resides in Woodland, California on Patwin land and holds a deep commitment to decolonizing education, serving the queer community, supporting the growth and transformation of others. When J isn’t coaching, they can be found creating art projects, doing crossfit, or listening to their cats purr.
Lu Aya (he/they/we) is the co-founder of The Peace Poets, a Hip Hop and Spoken Word crew from The Bronx that has made an indelible mark on the social movements of our times by supporting the re-emergence of the art of collective singing in protest and direct action. In the last decade, Lu has composed the most widely sung original songs used by those fighting for migrant justice, racial justice and climate justice.
He is a poet, educator, emcee, musician, facilitator, cultural worker and loving loyal comrade to many communities. He has woven together the fields of art, human rights and public health by designing and facilitating community building programs for peace and justice in 40 countries, from Ecuador to Sudan, from Afghanistan to Cuba. Lu is also a founding trainer with The Wildfire Project and a member of Canticle Farm where he lives in Oakland. He believes in healing. He believes in humans. And he’s profoundly grateful to be on this journey with you.
-
This course is offered on a sliding scale. The true cost per participant is $3,000.
Organizational: $2,500-$4,000: for those who have an organization paying for their registration, we invite you to a registration tier based on your organization’s annual budget.
$4,000+ per registrant if the budget is above $20 million
$3,500 per registrant if the budget is between $10 - $20 million
$3,000 per registrant if the budget is between $5 - $10 million
$2,500 per registrant if the budget is below $5 million
Individual: for those who are registering as an individual, we invite you to base your registration based on your income and wealth.
Sustainer $3,500-$4,500+: for those who have generational or inherited wealth
Supporter $2,500-$3,499: for those who have a regular income and are comfortably paying their rent or mortgage
Grounded $1,500-$2,499: for those who are paying their mortgage or rent
Equity $1,000- 1,499: for those who are challenged to make ends meet
This infographic includes more about the sliding scale tiers for consideration.
All of this only works if everyone pays at the level they are able - not at a level lower than what they can pay. Together we can create financial balance when we each pay in alignment with our abilities.
Your registration fee pays facilitators a living wage, allows us to redistribute funds to local Black and Indigenous groups as well as Black Organizing for Leadership and Dignity, and includes paying the ERJ Practice Manager for organizing and administrative fees associated with the course.
Donations and sponsorships to offset the course cost for other registrants are always welcome.