Together, we will explore belonging as an ethical responsibility and choice to be in caring and supportive relationships with ourselves, others and the living world. Through conversation, movement and interactions with nature, we will cultivate a moral compass that points the way to principles and actions that support well-being.

Inner fortitude, tenderness of heart, resilience, relaxation, and a creative vision of interconnectedness live at the core of belonging. In Aristotle’s writings (384 to 322 BC) on the pursuit of an ethical life, he put forth these ideas:

We must develop, through practice, these deliberative, emotional and social skills that enable us to take ethical actions for the well-being of self and others in support of the human good.

Join us for shared explorations and discoveries of wisdom, strength and caring among colleagues.

We will explore the fundamental wholeness and unity of being human through the somatic dimensions of length, width and depth that not only contain and express our thoughts, feelings, and sensations but also our imagination, social context, ancestral lineages, and future vision.

In this highly experiential workshop, we will bring our attention, awareness and dedication to foundational somatic practices designed to reveal and generate: 1) meaning; 2) a commitment to what matters in our life; and 3) the capacity to bring what matters into form. We will also work with a Japanese wooden staff called the jo. Traditionally used in Aikido, we will use it to explore movement, meaning and metaphor that both awaken and give language to the wisdom of the body.

As educators, therapists and agents of change, we seek to embrace this integrative perspective in order to more fully support well-being in our own lives and the lives of those we work with every day.