Building Somatic Stamina – Second Sunday Seminar
Building Somatic Stamina – Second Sunday Seminar
With Emily Saunders
Sunday, November 14th from 2:00 to 3:45
$25 by November 1st, $30 thereafter
Many folks drawn to contemplative practices are also attuned to inequality and oppression in the world. We can be called to action by a teacher or tradition, or by our own hearts. But where do we begin, in the midst of so much violence, and our own fears of inadequacy? Or if we’ve begun, how do we keep going? How do we practice collective liberation over the long haul?
One approach, beyond following an ideology or fixed strategy, is to build capacity to be present in our bodies and listen from within for the skillful response in each new moment. We can let presence itself infuse our movements, and guide us through challenges like denial, overwhelm, or burnout. In this seminar we’ll take a look at various ways others choose to engage in social justice movement work, it’s pitfalls and it’s joys. Then, we’ll explore some tools from neurobiology, somatics, and trauma resolution therapies that can assist us during intense times. We will practice using these tools to track our level of presence and course-correct when needed. And we’ll talk about how these ideas can help us stay connected to ourselves and others as we struggle towards a freer world.
Emily Saunders, (she/they) LCSW is an abolitionist feminist who works with community healing and migrant solidarity projects in Ajo and Tucson, Arizona on the traditional land of the Hia C-ed O’odham, Tohono O’odham, and Pascua Yaqui people. She is also a bodyworker and trauma therapist, group facilitator, and lover of music, who has pursued deep study in Buddhist Vipasanna Meditation, Somatic Trauma Resolution, and Biodynamic Craniosacral Therapy.
