8-Week Cohort

Decolonizing The Body

Somatics, Ritual, and Earth-Honoring Practices for WoC+

Live Teachings Tuesdays, Beginning October 8

Don’t want to read the long sales page? Here’s the TLDR;

What: An 8-week course for women of color+ who want to divest from systems of extraction by reconnecting with their body, spirit and the natural world.
When: Oct. 8 - Dec. 3, 90-minute live teaching every Tuesday (Yes, classes are recorded!)
What else: Access to online learning portal with recorded lessons, resources and community connection
How Much: $950 (financial options available)

 

Many bodies, over time, created the systems of inequity that we all live inside. Peeling back how these harmful narratives have conditioned us requires we break the first rule of the meritocracy: We realize we can’t do it alone.

You’re ready to slow down. You’re ready to protect time to be in the natural world. You’re ready to tune in to what you’re body is communicating with you. Even with all this insight, making changes to support your wellbeing is hard. There’s always just … one … more … thing.

Lately, you’re noticing more aches and pains. There seems to be more exhaustion and more anxiety. There’s that voice, subtle at times, louder at others, that says you are not doing enough. It says you must keep it together because everything will come crashing down if you stop. 

This is the cost of living inside “the program.” Though you’ve come by it honestly, this is living in a colonized body.

Women of color possess a rich and intrinsic wisdom that lives in the bones. Decolonizing the Body is a practice of intentionally allowing ourselves to trust what we have always known.  

WoC+ are invited to join me for this 8-week program focused on somatic decolonization. We’ll learn and explore together supported by weekly Zoom sessions, study resources and embodied practices that encourage health, grounding and rest so we can more frequently show up as our most authentic selves.

 

I am moving in the direction of a totally liberated body.

So much has bubbled up over the last couple of weeks. I am learning to feel and name it. I am recognizing what happened to me in dealing with my ex for the last 4 years. I am moving in the direction of a totally liberated body - the ancestors brought me here. Thank you for offering this space for us to slow down and for modeling how to begin a practice for embodiment.

Anne M., DEI Facilitator  

In This Course You Will . . .

I am more connected to my 'self', my body, my partner, and my children.

This program has transformed the way that I live, love, parent and work. The exercises and practices that we were introduced to are practices that feel like a lifeline to me now. I feel more connected to my 'self', my body, my partner, and my children.

— B. Perez, Psychotherapist and Consultant

Curriculum

Registration includes more than 16 pre-recorded lessons and access to 8 additional live teachings. Weekly sessions supplement the recorded lessons and dive deeper into each lesson’s themes.

You’re encouraged to keep pace week-by-week or move through the course at the pace that best suits your schedule. There’s no requirement to attend the live calls, but it is an opportunity to connect and ask questions in real time. All calls are anchored by Kelsey Blackwell, author of Decolonizing the Body. 

RECORDINGS: Yes! The Tuesday classes will be recorded and sent out the next day so you’ve got time to watch them before our next class if you can’t be there live.

 
    • Receive a framework for Decolonizing

    • Explore the connection between freedom and embodied wisdom

    • Recognize how “knowing” arises for you

    • Enjoy resources on establishing a meditation practice

    Topic for live call in week one: Identifying with how we are rather than what we do.

    • Identify what gets in the way of rest

    • Recognize the embodied and psychological impacts of trying to run the pace of capitalism

    • Receive support for creating a daily ritual

    Topic for live call in week two: They myth of “making it”  

    • Connect with the language of your body

    • Build a relationship of care with your physicality

    • Hold Complexity: Resilience and systemic violence

    • Make space for play, wonder and curiosity

    Topic for live call in week three: From an object to fully human (whole, wild and wise)

    • Reframe imposter syndrome

    • Explore how you've been “shaped”

    • Receive an embodied framework for working with trauma

    • Explore internal and external authority  

    Topic for live call in week four: Standing in inherent enoughness

    • Why you may feel like a racial imposter

    • Unpack Nigresence and assuming the default

    • Share your racial reclamation journey

    • Be witnessed and affirmed in your many layers (DT3)

    Topic for live call in week 5: Co-creating a breaking free ritual

    • Recognize the impacts of “being the dependable one”

    • Practice asking another for support

    • Explore what you’re ready to release so you may receive

    Topic for live call in week 6: Vulnerability as power

    • Learn what Osun teaches us about boundaries

    • Try on a new embodied approach for making connection

    • Enjoy resources from Audre Lord and Prentis Hemphill

    Topic for live call in week 7: Standing in your yes’s and no’s.

    • Feel for your beloved community

    • Cultivate a relationship of care with another

    • Ground your new embodiment in daily life

    Topic for live call in week 8: Reflections, gratitudes and appreciations

I am weaving how to divest from white body supremacy.

The pacing, amount of sections for each week, and meetings to reflect on the learnings were really useful. I am weaving how to ask for support when I need it because I am valuable and deserving of care and love. I am weaving how I show up in the world. I am weaving how to divest from white body supremacy.

— Bhumi P., Choreographer

Price

Shame-free, no-interest payment plans are readily available for everyone! It’s great for my business to have some people pay for the course more slowly over time.
Need a solidarity rate? Click here! 

 
 

Fine print: No refunds, cancellations or exchanges for any reason. Payment plans are contractually binding for the full amount of the course.

Who You Are

 

  • You are a woman for color+ seeking embodied practices to enhance health, wellbeing, and reconnection with your authentic self.

  • You have the experience of never quite fitting in and want to be in a practice container promoting inherent belonging, self worth, and authentic confidence.

  • You are open to incorporating somatics, ancestral healing, spirituality, and connection to the natural world into your daily life.

  • You know your body is a source of wisdom (you don’t need me to convince you of that) but are ready for guidance and inspiration to deepen this connection.

  • Your focus is on cultivating values-aligned ways of being more than just talking about how fucked up everything is.

  • When introduced to a new practice, even if your mind thinks it’s silly or can’t see the immediate benefit, you’re willing to “try it on” and let your body decide.

  • You learn well with a balance of structure and space.

  • You understand you will get out of this experience what you put into it.

  • You’re on board with these Community Guidelines & Agreements

Who I Am

 

My name is Kelsey Blackwell (she/her) and my life’s work is supporting women of color to explore and unravel embodied social conditioning imprisoning us in feelings of “not enough” and holding us back from being our fullest, most confident selves.

I believe the journey of Decolonizing is life long and that we do this work not only for our own wellbeing, but for our community and for future generations. Inspired by the teachings of Audre Lorde, I’m on a quest to seek and employ that which is not the master’s tools. Thus far my learning and teaching centers politicized somatics, ancestral healing, animism, and spiritual practice. You can find my official credentials here.

Alongside dedication and care, I emphasize the importance of play, kindness, rest, and creativity in the pursuit of liberation. I currently reside on the land of the Ohlone Raymatush, politically known as San Francisco, with my partner and our rescue Pittie/Blue Healer.

A LITTLE BIT MORE ABOUT ME
(For my fellow seekers)

  • Libra Sun, Gemini Rising, Scorpio Moon

  • Numerology: 3 Path/ 22 Heart’s Desire

  • Enneagram: 3w4

I’ve been hungry for ways to align with my body and the Earth.

This experience offered me a goodie bag of tools and resources for reflection and embodiment. I have been hungry for ways to align more deeply with my body and the Earth. Thank you for giving me tangible practices to add to my spiritual toolkit.

— Syon, Coach and Healing Justice Facilitator

When We Meet

October 8 — December 3, 2024

Tuesdays from 4:00pm-5:30 p.m. Pacific Time 
Click here for a
time zone converter 

Tuesday, October 8
Course Module 1: Foundations of Decolonization

Tuesday, October 15
Course Module 2: Moving at the Pace of Wholeness

Tuesday, October 22
Course Module 3: Reclaiming Your Body

Tuesday, October 29
Course Module 4: Challenging Imposter Syndrome

Tuesday, November 5 [REST NO CLASS]

 

Tuesday, November 12
Course Module 5: Smashing Racial Imposter Syndrome

Tuesday, November 19
Course Module 6: Practicing Receiving

Tuesday, November 26
Course Module 7: Right-Sizing Your Boundaries

Tuesday, December 3
Course Module 8: Opening to Beloved Community

Accessibility: This course requires internet access. All classes are in English. Zoom captioning/transcription is automatically available for each class. Recordings are available to support asynchronous learning. If you have additional access needs, please be in touch: kelsey@kelseyblackwell.com

True healing is being in community with other women.

I enjoyed the themes that are important to women of color and that need to be emphasized for us including slowing down, setting boundaries, building confidence, and going for our aliveness. Often I find myself in survival and pushing mode. True healing is being in community with other Women like me and true liberation is following my passion and aliveness. Letting the world take care of itself instead of trying to save it myself.

— Zeshan M., Somatic Coach and Facilitator

FAQs

  • Let's shift away from the idea that decolonization can be achieved within a specific timeframe. This program isn't about reaching a destination but rather planting seeds for continued growth. Each week, we'll cultivate new insights and practices that you can nurture over time.

  • This course is for women and gender non-conforming folks who want to embark on a healing journey focused on the body. Whether you have experience with embodied practices like yoga or are just beginning to explore being in your body, you're welcome here. What matters most is your openness to working somatically and trusting your intuition throughout the process.

    This space is also designed for politicized bodies who recognize the impact of white supremacy and racialized capitalism on our lives. Together, we'll work towards unraveling their hold on our bodies and experiences.

  • Decolonizing the Body is flexible, accommodating your schedule week to week. On average, expect to spend about 2-3 hours per week on course material, including the weekly module call. Don't worry about "falling behind" – you can jump into any module without completing previous ones, and you have lifetime access to all materials.

  • You'll have access to the course materials for as long as it's hosted on Ruzuku, which I don't plan on changing in the foreseeable future.

  • I'm passionate about fostering a supportive space for connection and meaningful conversations. I recognize that some participants want to engage with others, while others prefer to focus on the content. Both paths are available, with optional discussion boards and an opportunity to be paired with a course buddy. During virtual sessions, you'll connect with other participants 1:1 and in small groups.

  • Participants typically range from their 30s to 60s.

  • The course offers a more immersive, interactive experience that complements the book. It's an opportunity to apply Decolonizing the Body concepts to your life and work as well as access additional content not found in the book.

    The course provides:

    • A well-paced curriculum that allows for real-life application of concepts.

    • Dynamic class sessions with interactive teaching and Q&A

    • Structured time for exercises, with opportunities for reflection and discussion

    • Community support through connection with others

    • Supplementary resources and new material reflecting emerging thinking and practices

  • Although the Decolonizing the Body tools and model were primarily developed through work with women, people of various gender identities have found these tools helpful. Some content specifically addresses women's experiences, but many tools are universally applicable, particularly for individuals underrepresented in power structures due to gender or other factors.

    This course is for women and GNC folks.

  • Feeling nervous or intimidated when embarking on a new journey is common, especially when it's something that really matters to you. My aim is to help foster a welcoming and supportive community that folks can engage with as much or as little as they feel called. Many folks notice that after our first session, any lingering fears begin to dissipate.

  • If you were my coaching client, I'd suggest the following:

    Check in with your body: Notice how the idea of registering feels – good and exciting or good but scary/exhilarating? These are positive signs.

    Identify the source of hesitation: Is it your inner wisdom, inner critic, or voice of fear? Listen to your inner wisdom, but question the other voices, especially those fostering self-doubt or pressuring you to find the "perfect" time.

    Explore your fears and worries: Write them down and examine them objectively.

    Envision success: Ask yourself what you would do if you knew you couldn't fail and would fit in perfectly with the group.

    Reflect on your intentions: Consider whether this opportunity aligns with your goals for the coming year.

I’m ready to say yes to myself and my body!

 

Want to read even more nice things participants have said about Decolonizing the Body? Click here!