On Embodied Activism

How do ordinary people with busy lives leverage our actions in support of liberation, justice, and authentic connection? How can activists and social change-makers avoid burning out? How does the body factor into what our social movements might miss? Instead of thinking about social justice as a process that starts with changing people's minds, social worker, somatic movement therapist, and scholar/activist Rae Johnson asks us to understand our bodies-how we feel in them and relate to others through them-as the sites of transformation.

Drawing on the somatic arts, trauma-informed psychology, and anti-oppressive movements, Rae helps us explore and transform the political realities of our everyday lives in a new way: by harnessing the felt experience of our bodies as the sites of our activism. Rae teaches us to both listen to our body language and question body image norms. They show us how to reconnect to our sensual capacities, which we can lose sight of in a non-stop, nervous-system-hijacking world. They give us tools and exercises to nourish ourselves and protect our bodies, minds, and spirits from the toll that activism can take. And they teach us about nonverbal communication styles and how to connect with each other in joyful, authentic community.

Join Rae in a conversation about their latest book, Embodied Activism, and learn perspectives for changing the world, one body at a time.

Free, suggested donation of $20.