Influences
As a continual work-in-progress, an avid and lifelong learner, I stand on the shoulders of giants. Thus, I want to acknowledge the many teachers that have influenced me and how I show up in my work. It is also my hope that this list serves as a resource for folks interested in healing from the traumas of living in a capitalistic white supremacy through somatic practices and embodiment.
Full disclosure: Kelly Diehls inspired me to create this page, which she refers to as a lineage in her work. Additionally, some links below are affiliate links, which means I receive a small portion of profits if you choose to purchase a product from that site
ARTICLES
by Tema Okun
Probably the resource I cite most in my work. It lists and describes the major characteristics of dominant white, middle class, hetero-patriarchal, capitalist and colonizing culture in the United States. There was also a fantastic webinar for the launch of the updated website and you can also find the transcript of the webinar here.
by Daniel Okun
I consider this to be part two to the White Supremacy Culture (WSC) article above, which does a great job of deconstructing WSC, but what are we striving to construct? In this article, Daniel identifies the qualities of regenerative (“creating conditions that replenish the life-sustaining powers of the Earth”) and liberatory culture, so that we can have a powerful and collective vision for what our culture could be.
by Matthew Desmond / the 1619 Project
This article explains how modern business management practices are directly linked to business practices on plantations. For me, this was an eye-opening beginning to my anti-capitalist journey.
VIDEOS
by Brené Brown
I watch a lot of Brené Brown videos because to me, though she does not name it explicitly, her work is about unlocking and unraveling the practices of white supremacy culture. Personally, I think her lessons on vulnerability, courage, authenticity, and connection are worth listening to.
by Toi Marie Smith
A recording of a live workshop in 2021 that further connected the dots from capitalism to past and modern exploitation of Black, Indigenous, People of Color.
PODCASTS
by Della Duncan
A fantastic podcast about anti-capitalist economics, but presented more accessibly for folks who aren’t economic nerds. I highly recommend this episode, a conversation with Hadas Thier, the author of A People’s Guide to Capitalism (which I promptly bought a copy of after listening to this episode!)
by Prentis Hemphill
A reflective podcast with a host who is curious, embodied, spiritual, and deep, who asks profound questions about us and the world around us. I am also working through their Self Guided Embodiment Basics Course.
by Matika Wilbur and Adrienne Keene
An excellent podcast by two brilliant Native women exploring what it’s like to be Native in current times. The podcast has taught me how kinship and relationships are core to Native identity and community, and not just relationships with people, but with the land , plants and animals. It helps me understand how deeply I have internalized colonizing beliefs as an Asian American settler on Native land.
BOOKS
by Priya Parker
As a facilitator, I am inspired by this intentional, simple (but not easy!), and accessible guide to facilitating gatherings. It has helped me deepen my intentionality and thoughtfully integrate my intentions throughout the gathering process. It is a book I reference multiple times as I design and facilitate gatherings.
by Tara Brach
When I was going through my spiritual awakening, I read this book during my exploration of Buddhism, and really appreciated Brach’s approach to mindfulness, compassion and loving kindness.
I also highly recommend learning more about her RAIN practice, which stands for:
Recognize what is happening
Allow life to be just as it is
Investigate with gentle attention
Nurture
After the RAIN
When I’m feeling a lot of inner turmoil, I like to listen to her audio recording of this meditation practice. She also has a book on RAIN, but I have not yet read it.
by Paulo Friere
As a former educator, Pedagogy of the Oppressed was particularly influential in shaping my approach to teaching and learning. In particular, Friere’s framing of liberation as a process of humanization, and his concept of praxis as “reflection and action upon the world in order to transform it.” These ideas continue to serve as a foundation for my work as a coach and facilitator.
by Augusto Boal
I was fortunate to be able to take a class on Theatre of the Oppressed and though I didn’t realize it at the time, it was my introduction to embodiment work. Theatre of the Oppressed integrates the philosophy of Pedagogy of the Oppressed with the art of theater, and the result is a powerful and embodied experience that takes us out of our heads and into the fullness of our humanity, as we practice challenging systems of oppression.
TRAININGS
by Leadership that Works India
CFT is how I learned to be a coach and where I learned essential transformational coaching framework and principles. It was a 10-month journey with an international cohort learning how to hold curiosity, compassion, and courage in order to spark awareness, alignment, and action. I brought a lot of interpersonal and communication skills to this program, and CFT also strengthened my skills and helped me deepen my intuition. Not only did I cognitively and emotionally connect to coaching, but learned to tune in energetically and somatically as well. Most of all, I walked away having transformed my relationship with myself.
Note: to those interested in justice-based coaching programs, I recommend Coaching for Healing, Justice and Liberation, which was founded by former Leadership that Works faculty.
by CRR Global
Organization and Relationship Systems Coaching (ORSC™) is a method of team coaching that applies relationship systems thinking to teams. This approach recognizes that teams are complex systems made up of individuals who are interdependent and influence each other in intricate ways. ORSC team coaching helps teams to understand their relational dynamics, identify challenges, and develop solutions to improve their functioning. Through the use of experiential exercises and other tools, team members gain insights into their individual and collective behaviors and develop the skills needed to work more effectively together. The ORSC team coaching process leads to improved communication, collaboration, and decision-making, resulting in enhanced team performance and satisfaction.
I integrate my expertise in equity and belonging with these ORSC tools to name when white supremacy, capitalism, colonialism, and other forms of oppression are impacting team dynamics and I completed the training series in January 2023.
by Linda Thai
This course is a deep dive into how trauma and the traumatic stress of oppression impacts our nervous systems, at a detailed neurobiological level. The class also covers strategies to help manage our nervous system when we get dysregulated, and contextualized the individual experience in the context of systemic oppression. I completed the program in December 2022.
In this course, I learned about how trauma, and more specifically racial trauma, impacts our neurobiology, shows up in our bodies and our relationships. As a coach, I am also learning how my nervous system shows up impacts and supports the healing of my clients. Through this course, I deepened my somatic practice and learn new skills, such as using a sand tray, to explore the embodied brain. I completed this program in December 2022.
by Resmaa Menakem
I completed the Communal Consultations for Bodies of Culture program in 2021 to learn the practices of somatic abolitionism, as discussed in My Grandmother’s Hands. It has helped strengthen my somatic practice and understand how racial trauma is passed down through generations and can manifest in the present. Though I am naming this class because it has been influential on my understanding of embodied racial trauma and want to give credit where credit is due, please note that this listing is not an endorsement of this particular class.