In this episode, we share a candid conversation on how new embodied and spiritual practices organically emerge from close pedagogical relationships and how our internalized propensities for imperialism can inflame conflict when we feel threatened by this emergence.

In particular, we talk about a very challenging time we had a few years ago when our collaboration within the field of cultural somatics ended up revealing deep structural issues in a practitioner training program Dare was enrolled in, which resulted in them having to leave the organization and lead a public call for accountability that received little to no support from their peers.

We give a recounting of many of the things that happened behind-the-scenes of this call-out, as well as some of our thoughts on the fundamental changes that need to be made to the pedagogy of healing practices to mitigate these issues.

Both attachment and allyship have been a big subject in both of our lives over the last little while, especially given the increasing call for white people to relinquish their power and resources in undoing white supremacy in our culture.

In this episode, we take our stab at how we may understand attachment and allyship through an animist lens that recognizes how healing happens when we are able to appropriately redistribute attachment needs in a network of relationships that includes natural elements, ancestors, and other more-than-human beings.

Amidst all of it, we also offer some critical reflections on a call-for-accountability that has stirred the healing justice community over the last few weeks.

The results may be unexpected, hope you enjoy!

Coming off a weekend of high impact of civil actions protesting institutionalized anti-Black violence, we dive into a conversation that looks at the process of political upheaval through the lenses of somatics and animism.

We kick it off by exploring how we may apply a neurological understanding to protest culture, rather than pivoting conversations about it around moral arguments of violence vs. peace, and finish with ruminations of what might protest culture look like if we fully embraced an animist worldview that violence is caused by spirit possession.

Blessings to all beings, especially to those who have been most deeply affected by these recent events.

Correction: Erica Garner was the daughter of Eric Garner, who was murder by police on July 17, 2014. Erica was 27 when she passed away in 2017. May they both, as well as all people whose lives have been taken by police brutality, rest in power with their blessed ancestors.

Welcome to our inaugural episode!

We’re calling this “episode 00” because it is an initiation of a generative space for us to speak into that is open to the kind of play and transgression that has been central to the development of our cultural somatic practice.

We kick things off reflecting on the surveillance culture embodied in social justice communities and continue on a variety of taboo-ish topics around whiteness, masculinity, queerness, and more.