Frequently Asked Questions

Two people practicing a martial arts demonstration outdoors, with one in a white t-shirt and black pants and the other in a black t-shirt and jeans, in front of a wooden deck and greenery.

Overview

  • Our courses are for you if you:

    • Are you ready to feel more aliveness in your body - in the form of sensation, temperature, pressure and movement - and gain a greater understanding of how that aliveness informs your actions

    • Long for groundedness in your work, clarity about your purpose, and how to take focused action in the midst of the noise of the world 

    • Would like practices to feel more present, open, and connected in your day-to-day life

    • Need support to stay in action under pressure and through the contradictions of this political moment

    • Want a deeper understanding of embodied race equity and liberation frameworks

    • Seek access to deeper resilience and mutual support under the increased pressures of the world 

    • Desire to align your embodiment, words, and actions with your longings

    Participants should be ready to deepen their connection to their body and the collective body, into their feeling selves, and to move toward their longings and visions for the future.

  • Embodying Racial Justice teachers may be available for coaching and/or consultation.

    Email us and let us know what your needs are so we can talk more about whether or not we have availability and alignment for coaching or consulting.

Curriculum

  • Embodying Racial Justice facilitates online and in-person programs to support social movement practitioners interested in learning more about their bodies, their responses under pressure, and their capacity to work with other white people and people of color toward racial justice. 


    Our courses combine theory, practice, and relevant practical examples from today’s social movements and our current political context.

    In-person gatherings include body-based activities, physical movement and interactive teaching and learning sessions.

  • In an ERJ course, you will be invited into:

    • More access to aliveness

    • Moving towards more choice under pressure and through the contradictions of this current moment

    • Deeper understanding of embodied anti-racist frameworks

    • Moving from old shape to new shape in current political conditions

    • Becoming more congruent, aligning embodiment, words, and actions with our longings

    You will have the opportunity to learn from experienced teachers who have decades of combined experience in somatics and who are focused on our current political moment.

    You will learn with and from participants who are active in social movements right now.

  • During our time together, participants will move through an arc that includes building somatic awareness, foundational anti-racist practice, somatic opening, regenerating connection and more.

    Topics may include things like how to hold contradictions in challenging political times, how we show up under pressure in social change work, making requests and offers, allyship and more. 

    Practices may include:

    • Standing and seated activities

    • Written exercises

    • Individual, paired, small group work

    • Story-telling (and more)

    Each course is also emergent; some practices are in response to the teaching team assessment ofing the needs of the group.

  • Participants need to be ready to deepen their connection to their body and the collective body, deepen into their feeling selves, try on new practices and move toward their longings and visions for the future in a group setting. Arriving with a desire to learn and grow will support participants in our courses. Your consent will be built in at multiple junctures throughout the course and we invite you to be in choice throughout our time together.

  • No, our courses are not teacher trainings. We recognize the longing to teach and to become a teacher. However, currently, ERJ is not offering teacher training.

Movement, Accessibility & Community Health

  • We seek to make our courses accessible to a wide range of participants.

    After acceptance course participants are asked to share any accessibility needs or concerns with us so we can be in conversation with you and do our best to meet your needs.

    If you have accessibility needs and questions about whether or not the course is right for you before you apply, please contact us so we can discuss potential accommodations.

  • During in-person courses, we seek to create a space that supports the health of a wide range of community members needs. Based on the needs of each group, our requests for participants may include things like supporting a fragrance free environment or increasing our rigor around COVID-19 prevention.

    Before registering for an in-person course please review our COVID-19 protocols.

  • We invite participants into consent practice regularly during our courses. We want everyone to be in choice and feel for their yes’s, no’s and maybe’s and to practice sharing that information with the teaching team early and often.

  • Practices and physical movements during our in-person courses often can be taught seated or standing to provide options for a variety of bodies.

  • Many participants opt to sit on the floor and/or the ground from time to time. However, it is not a requirement for your participation and there are a variety of options for different bodies including chairs.

  • Frequently, our in-person courses need to be scent free to make the courses as accessible as possible. Please review the course materials for specifics about your location.

    In general, to prepare to be fragrance-free:

    • Refrain from wearing, bathing, or washing clothes in any scented products

    • If you bring personal care products (like hand sanitizer, deodorant) please use fragrance-free

    Here are more details (borrowed from the East Bay Meditation Center):

    • Out of respect for people with environmental illnesses, we request that students please not wear fragrances or scented products. This includes clothing that has been laundered with fragranced detergent or softening products. 

    • We greatly appreciate your efforts to make this space accessible to those with MCS (Multiple Chemical Sensitivities). 

    • A detailed list of fragrance-free products is available from the East Bay Meditation Center. 

    • Please plan to use fragrance-free sunscreen and bug sprays if these are items you need to use.

  • Please read our COVID-19 Protocols carefully. 

    It will provide guidance on all that we are doing to create a safe learning environment, and requests around your preparation for the course.

    Be sure to read your course materials in detail as we may have additional specific requests for you based on the context of the course, the course location or the needs of other participants. 

    We appreciate you helping to keep our community healthy and make our space as accessible as possible to all.

  • Let’s talk about it. Please contact us in advance about your needs so we can discuss the context fully.

  • “Engaging conflict directly and practicing ways of responding generatively is not something we do often or well as people with white privilege, so this retreat offered a desperately needed antidote to our patterns of under-accountability. Getting to practice being brave, messy, and caring in a container that's committed to both individual healing and developing disciplined, collective anti-racist praxis among white people has helped me become a more committed organizer, leader and community member."

    —Eli Berkowitz
    Community Voices Heard, Hudson, NY

  • "I'm so grateful for the way that I was able to learn and be stretched by Dara's workshop in ways that I hadn't known I needed. It especially challenged the ways that white supremacy culture has taught me to separate myself from my body,  to the detriment of myself and those around me. Months later, I still find myself coming back to lessons learned in the workshop and putting them into practice both in the context of social justice and my day-to-day life. A specific takeaway that was big for me was that I can work to hold different, conflicting perspectives in the context of social justice work while still remaining settled and present in my body."

    — Hannah Nelson
    Peace and Justice Action League, Spokane, WA

  • "This session rooted me in my humanity, connecting me to parts that had been severed, and deepened my sense of connection and interdependence. It helped me feel hope and possibility, which has empowered me to lean into my racial justice work with not only a more powerful commitment but also confidence that a new way is possible, even if I can't see the entire path. That confidence makes me more humble, rooted and bold in my work."

    –Jo Quest-Neubert
    Literacy Teacher, Cambridge Public Schools, Cambridge MA

Community Care Teams

One of the highlights of in-person practice are the ways we can care for each other in informal ways, including protecting one another's health and safety. Participants will be asked to sign up and practice giving and receiving care.

For each course, we ask for participant volunteers to join a team. This is one of the ways we care for each other, visibilize and distribute the work of care. Some of the teams may include:

  • Access Coordinators

  • Space Tenders

  • Resource Gatherers

  • COVID-19 Point People

  • Transportation Coordinators

  • Time Tenders

  • Set up, Check-In, and Errands

Attendance

  • We encourage you to be fully present for the duration of the course. This ensures you get the most out of your experience and allows you to be fully present with your fellow participants.

    And we know things come up from time to time. Don’t hesitate to reach out if you have a question about this so we can best advise given your specific context and considerations. 

  • We encourage you to be fully present for the duration of the course. This ensures you get the most out of your experience and allows you to be fully present with your fellow participants. 

    And we know things come up from time to time. Don’t hesitate to reach out if you have a question about this so we can best advise given your specific context and considerations.

Participants

  • Generally speaking, social movement practitioners attend our courses. This includes a wide range of people in a wide range of roles and issue area foci. For example, organizers, facilitators, coaches, trainers, teachers, bodyworkers, artists and leaders often attend our courses.

    Please check the specifics for the course you are considering applying toIn advance, as some of our courses are specifically for white people or specifically for multiracial groups.

  • Yes! Get in touch with us directly to talk about your group’s needs so we can discuss the context further.

Experience Levels

  • Yes! Participants should be ready to deepen their connection to their body and the collective body, into their feeling selves and to move toward their longings and visions for the future.

  • Please review your course materials for pre-work, which will help orient you to the course.

    In addition, you may want to optionally look into some of these teachers (who are not on our teaching teams), many of whom have written books, essays or regularly host or are interviewed on podcasts and videos:

    • adrienne maree brown

    • Alta Starr

    • Kai Cheng Thom

    • Prentis Hemphill

    • Richard Strozzi-Heckler

    • Spenta Kandawalla 

    • Staci Haines

  • Yes! Practice is what sustains us and moves us towards our longings. It takes 300 repetitions to commit a move to muscle memory and 3,000 to make it our go-to move under pressure. Attending multiple courses will deepen your learning.

Logistics

  • Course venues range from retreat centers to community centers, from campgrounds to farms as well as churches, synagogues, and mosques. We seek venues that are aligned with ERJ values, are grounded in community, and provide access to outdoor space. Whenever possible we work with local colleagues to brainstorm a range of options from which to choose.

    Some of the venues provide for residential accommodations, while others include on-site or nearby camping options, and still others include off-site shared housing options.

    Please check the specific course details in the location you are considering to learn more about the venue.

  • Every course is slightly different so please check your welcome packet for specific details.

    In general you can expect a schedule that is something like:

    • Day 0: arrive after 4 p.m.

    • Day 1: 9:30 a.m - 6 p.m.

    • Day 2: 10 a.m - 6 p.m. 

    • Day 3: 10 a.m - 6 p.m.

    • Day 4: 9 a.m - 3 p.m., departure

    The schedule usually includes a break about every 1.5 hours, including breaks for meals.

    Optional evening activities are sometimes included, such as a bonfire, ritual celebrations, song circles, etc.

  • Yes! Practice is what sustains us and moves us towards our longings. It takes 300 repetitions to commit a move to muscle memory and 3,000 to make it our go-to move under pressure. Attending multiple courses will deepen your learning.

  • Typically we’re invited to partner with people in a local community. And we try to offer courses in a variety of locations around the U.S. to make somatics accessible to a wide range of people. 

    If you would like to host a course where you live please reach out to us.

  • Course sizes range from approximately 15-30.

  • Depending on the location, the venue and the specific dietary needs of a group, food during a course will range from catered meals to do-it-yourself (DIY) rustic camp-style meal preparation to meals on-you-own. Snacks and drinks are typically included.

    We do our best to accommodate dietary needs and requests based on participant registration information. Folks with food allergies and dietary restrictions may want to consider bringing supplemental food along with them.

    Please review your welcome packet for the specific course you are attending to learn more information about meals and food. If you have questions that are not answered in the welcome packet don’t hesitate to reach out.

  • A sample list of what to bring is below. (Please review your course welcome packet for specifics.)

    • Proof of pre-trip negative COVID test, rapid test, masks 

    • Comfortable clothing, easy to move in, with extra layers 

    • Shower items (including a towel/washcloth unless otherwise noted)

    • Warm socks and/or slip-on shoes, if available to you, as shoes are often not worn during practice.

    • Reusable water bottles & reusable thermal cups for coffee/tea

    • Protective gear such as rain gear, and sun protection (if using products, please select chemical fragrance-free items.)

    • Ritual items, books, and other items such as water or soil rom where you live for our shared altar

    • Sleep items you may need, such as eye masks and ear plugs or any extra pillows 

    • If you are local and have access, or are driving and have room, please bring: yoga mat(s), yoga blanket(s), meditation pillow(s), backjacks, portable indoor/outdoor chairs, cushions for yourself and to share.

  • Please plan to wear casual clothing that is easy and comfortable to move in. Shoes are often not worn during practice, so you may want to bring a pair of warm socks. Slip on shoes in between practice may be helpful. Please come prepared with layers and what you need to be comfortable with variable weather and the potential for both indoor and outdoor practice. Occasionally indoor practice takes place with windows and doors open.

  • Some of the venues provide for residential accommodations, whereas others include on-site or nearby camping options, and still others include off-site shared housing options. 

    For out-of-town participants who select a need for housing when registering, you may be asked to indicate your willingness to:

    • Camp on-site or off-site 

    • Stay in shared housing on-site or off-site 


    Single rooms are not guaranteed.

    We encourage participants to stay in shared housing options when possible for the sake of building relationships. Participants are more than welcome to arrange and pay for their own lodging as needed.

    Please check the specific course details in the location you are considering to learn more about the accommodations.

  • No. Shared accommodations are typically for out-of-town participants who request accommodations during registration. Locals usually stay in their own homes. Participants are welcome to arrange and pay for their own accommodations.

  • Some of our courses have taken place in locations such as:

    • Memphis, TN

    • Bay Area, CA

    • Portland, OR

    • St. Louis, MO

    • Upstate New York

    • Whidbey Island, WA

  • Generally, no childcare is not available. And, please talk to us about your needs so we can be in conversation about possibilities.

Course Registration Fees, Sliding Scale & Financial Information

Course Fees

  • Offering a sliding scale registration system allows the widest range of participants to pay at the level that is meaningful to them and at the level they can afford. Some embodiment work is inaccessible to people at different income levels and from different class backgrounds. At ERJ our commitment is to making somatics as accessible as possible for the sake of growing our movements for justice.

    Different pricing options allow us to practice our values and invite participants into explorations around class, organizational support, access, etc. Together we can create financial balance when we each pay at the level at which we are able. 

  • Generally, registration for Embodying Racial Justice four-day courses ranges between $750-$4,000+.

    Four-day courses offer sliding scale tiers as guides for your registration rate, with corresponding suggested descriptions. 

    The sliding scale tiers are just guides, when you apply for the course you will be asked to tell us the rate you would like to pay. Your rate does not need to be exactly one of these price points. Depending on your circumstances, you may choose to pay $4,300, $2,800, $1,500 or another amount. 

    Our acceptance will include the final rate we will ask you to pay for your registration, based on your application and the level at which you say you can pay, on your own or with institutional support.

    For rates related to one-day courses or the yearlong program please reference separate course-specific materials.

  • Yes, we offer group registration rates. We’d love to have you attend with your group. Get in touch with us directly to talk about your group’s needs so we can discuss registration rates.

Sliding Scale

  • 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 $3,000-$4,000+: for those who have generational or inherited wealth

    • Supporter $2,000-$2,999: for those who have a regular income and are comfortably paying their rent or mortgage

    • Grounded $1,000-$1,999: for those who are paying their mortgage or rent

    • Equity $750-$999: for those who are challenged to make ends meet


    This infographic includes more about the sliding scale tiers for consideration.

  • Please note we allocate a specific number of registrations at each tier for each course. That way Embodying Racial Justice can cover the costs associated with running the course. The specifics vary for each four-day course, and one sample breakdown of the slots available at each tier is:

    • 3 - Sustainer $3,000-$4,000+

    • 5 - Organizational $2,500-$4,000

    • 10 - Supporter (this is the true cost per participant to cover the costs of running a course) $2,000-$2,999

    • 5 - Grounded $1,000-$1,999

    • 5 - Equity $750-$999

    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 a team of four to five facilitators a living wage, allows us to redistribute a minimum of 20% of 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. The cost covers all of that and typically includes meals throughout the course well as snacks and drinks.

    Typically the cost of housing is also included, either through on-site camping or at nearby shared lodging, but please refer to the specifics of your location for more details about housing.

  • Course fees pay for:

    • Our in-person course time together

    • A living wage for the team of four trainers and one song leader

    • Redistribution of a minimum of 20% of funds to local Black and Indigenous groups as well as Black Organizing for Leadership and Dignity (In 2023, Embodying Racial Justice redistributed over $50,000 to BOLD from course fees)

    • Meals throughout the course (refer to the specifics of your location for meal details) well as snacks and drinks

    • Registrant housing (either on-site camping or in shared housing nearby, please refer to the specifics of your location for more details about housing)

    • Course equipment, materials and supplies

    • Paying the ERJ Practice Manager for organizing and administrative fees


    We intentionally keep the costs of running our courses as low as possible to allow for the widest range of participants to register as possible. We set the price points and sliding scale in order to cover our expenses, pay teachers a living wage and redistribute some of the funds to Black, Indigenous and people of color-led projects.

Deadlines

  • When you apply for the course you will be asked to tell us the rate you would like to pay. Our acceptance will include the final rate we will ask you to pay for your registration. Your payment will be due when you receive the acceptance notification. Payment plans are available.

  • If paying for your registration in a lump sum is a major block that will keep you from participating please contact us so we can discuss what may or may not be possible.

    Common questions we will ask you include the cadence you are able to pay, the amount you’re able to pay for each installment and the dates you plan to pay by. Our expectation will be that the balance is paid in full before your course begins. We will ask you to set reminders for yourself and pay by the dates you outline.

    Email us so we can discuss the specifics further embodyingracialjustice@gmail.com.

Professional Development

  • Yes! Please ask your work to pay for your registration as part of your professional development. Check the course page for the location you would like to attend for specifics such as the course promises and what you will get out of the course so you can share that with your employer.

  • We recommend talking with your boss about the benefits of this course including:

    • Why you want to sign up for the training

    • What you hope to achieve from the training, some of which you can likely find on the course details or in our FAQ to borrow

    • Teacher biographies

    • Previous testimonials which you can find on our FAQ page

    • The course dates, location and registration fee

    “Being part of the four day retreat challenges and supports me on personal and professional levels. I am learning to be in my body and to improve the depth and quality of my relationships with family and friends. As a white female educator working in a diverse school system, the somatic practices I am learning are helping me see opportunities to transform power dynamics in my school and to be in relationship with educators and students of color with greater accountability and authenticity.”

    –Sarah F., educator, Cambridge Public Schools

Trades, Comps and Scholarships

  • We will consider offering one-two work trade registrations to local folks in exchange for support planning a course in their geographic region. The ERJ team will provide support for the local planning team including a planning toolkit. Local planning team members help with venue site selection, conduct outreach and suggest potential local vendors.

    Email us so we can let you know if this is available for your location. We can send you further details outlining the role and agreements for your consideration embodyingracialjustice@gmail.com.

  • Sometimes we can offer a scholarship on top of the sliding scale, based on need and circumstances, but it is not guaranteed. Please contact us for details at embodyingracialjustice@gmail.com.

Pay it forward

  • Donations and sponsorships of any amount to offset the cost of registrations for others are always welcome. Donations directly impact our ability to offer scholarships.

    We recognize that some people have access to funds that allow them to help pay for or offset the cost of other future participants. 

    Especially if you are white, comfortably paying your bills, have an organization paying your tuition and/or have other class privileges, we hope you will consider the feasibility of making a contribution that is meaningful to you.

  • Yes! Just contact us to arrange the specifics embodyingracialjustice@gmail.com.

Cancellation & Refunds

  • Refunds for In-Person Coursework

    If you register for an in-person course and cancel for any reason, refunds are processed per the following guidelines:

    • 61+ days or more prior to the course start date, you are entitled to a full refund with no fees assessed

    • 31-60 days prior to the course start date, you will be subjected to a $500 cancellation fee

    • 30 days or less from the course start date, there are no refunds issued. You would have access to a transfer of credit up until 48 hours prior to the class start date

    • A “late cancellation” is a cancellation of 48 hours or less before the course start date and will result in a 100% forfeiture of funds. Special consideration will be given to persons with Covid-19 with proof of infection on a case-by-case basis.

    • Refunds are processed within 15 business days from the date of cancellation and issued to the original credit card of the holder.

  • If you register for an in-person course and wish to transfer for any reason, here are our guidelines for transferring to another course or for creating a “course credit” for future use.

    • 15+ days before the start of a course will incur a $250 transfer fee

    • 14 days up to 48 hours before the first day of the course will result in a $500 administrative fee

    • Transferring 48 hours or less is considered a “late cancellation” and will result in 100% forfeiture of funds. Special consideration will be given to persons with Covid-19 with proof of infection on a case-by-case basis.

    • Transfer and enrollment must occur within a one-year period. After this time, 100% of funds will be forfeited.

    • Course fees, once converted to a course credit or transferred to another course, are not eligible for a refund.

    • Funds can only be transferred twice. The need to transfer a third time is considered the same as a late cancellation and results in a 100% forfeiture of funds.

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