Embodied facilitation is a pathway toward liberation

The first time I was exposed to somatics, it felt like coming back home to my body. Practicing somatics helps me to move beyond intellectual understandings of my own dignity and belonging, and move into feeling them in my body. I'm exploring how I can facilitate groups where everyone can access a felt sense of belonging in their bodies. I’m excited the yearlong program will help me learn to do that.

For queer and trans folks and folks with multiple marginalized identities, feeling into our bodies can be a scary experience. Even though there can be fear and vulnerability, feeling more deeply is worth it because it brings us into contact with our deepest longings and with the reality that another world is possible.

Something I’ve been amazed by, and one of the reasons I want to encourage other people to sign up for Opening to Freedom with me, is that Dara and the Embodying Racial Justice teaching team do an amazing job of creating a safe container for folks to feel comfortable being present with the sensations in their body. To me, that embodied presence is powerful for those of us who do social justice work, and essential for those of us who facilitate groups.

Making the commitment of time and money to this new course is an investment in myself and an investment in my own embodied facilitation skills. It’s a big commitment of time and money. I was nervous about the commitment, but in a way it’s also an investment in me AND my community. Facilitation is something I am increasingly being asked to do in my activism and work life - and I want to be a fully embodied facilitator. Therefore the time and money feel well worth it, especially because I know I’ll be going deeper in somatic practice and community in ways that benefit my people.  

I also want you to know that in-person somatics gatherings are surprisingly fun! Being in this group of people who all have a shared desire to change the world for good using somatics, there’s an immediate deep culture of respect and care that’s created that feels really special to be a part of the group. The people I’ve met on retreats are exactly the kind of co-conspirators that I need in my movement work, and I imagine that you need more co-conspirators like this too.

I know this course is a big commitment - and I really hope you’ll be there with me!

In solidarity,

–Wren, Executive Director