This gathering is offered as part of National Week of Conversation.

The healing necessary to build an equitable society runs very deep. It lives beyond books and dialogues. It lives in the body.

This session is hosted by and designed for white bodies, and is also welcome to anybody who wishes to participate.

When people with white bodies don’t take the time to slow down and feel what’s happening inside us, the chances that we cause harm to melanated bodies increases exponentially. Exploring the nature of this cellular programming is an essential part of anti-racism and abolition, and yet is very rarely practiced or understood.

Until we heal our own intergenerational trauma, we will never escape the cycles of dehumanization and destruction upon which America was founded and continues to operate.

Until we reach a critical mass of healing, the white-bodied gatekeepers of power and inequitable systems will not be motivated to change them.

What to Expect:

We will do some light body work including breathing and movement. We will then experience a guided visualization to explore different racialized scenarios with ample time to reflect on how those experiences felt in our bodies.

Outcome From This Session:

We will not leave this session “healed.” But we will leave it with a better understanding of each other and our bodies, which reveal essential clues about our path for healing and reconciliation.

Format:

This will be an intimate dialogue space on Zoom, with clear shared agreements and a cadence that encourages equity of voices.

About the Spaceholders:

Andy Swindler brings hearts together to unify humanity. He envisions a world that embraces healthy tensions to ensure dignity and agency for every person. Andy is devoted to building an equitable world by navigating his own complicity in systems of oppression while transforming them. He coaches via Lead From Love and co-founded FeelReal to hold space for people to share our true stories and connect deeply in authentic community to shift the dominant narrative from fear to love. Andy is immersed in mutual aid and restorative justice communities in Chicago and enjoys percussion, piano, photography, cycling, rock climbing and embroidery craftivism.

Susan Lucci is a FeelReal Founding Advisor, Master Soulful Facilitator, a Certified Purpose Guide™ and a dynamic facilitator of more than 700 transformational conversations using her own unique Circle model. She is passionate about facilitating soulful conversations that deepen connections, empower engagement, and build healthier communities; and loves holding space for the emergence of group wisdom, creativity and inspired action. This former lawyer’s mission is to co-create an equitable and just world where everyone can fully express their purpose—and thrive!

Note: Andy & Susan are not mental health professionals. If you are experiencing a significant trauma response, please seek assistance from a somatic therapist or other mental health professional.