(Image description: a large tree on green grass with white writing saying, “Stability for Hypermobility”)
Access Info:
- Wheelchair Accessible.
- No Scent Campus. (This is a Fragrance-Free class. Please come unscented to protect those of us with environmental/chemical sensitivities what.) Soap in the bathroom is fragrance free.
- Non-fluorescent lighting.
- Please give us 72 hours notice if you would like an ASL interpreter.
- We will take breaks and everyone is encouraged to take care of their body as needed.
- Please let us know if you have other access needs or questions.
Please submit access need requests by March 22, 2019.
Join Access-Centered Movement® in a workshop designed for those of us with Ehlers-Danlos syndrome and hypermobility, an epidemic that mostly affects assigned female at birth people, meaning that it is incredibly understudied, and few resources exist for support. Although hypermobility and Ehlers-Danlos syndrome are disorders that create large amounts of pain and limitations, all is not lost! Folks with hypermobility have beautifully sensitive systems that, at times feel like an unfair burden, AND are gifts to us and the world. We can use our sensitivity to bear witness to our bodyminds, which are always communicating how we can be well within our capacities.
If you are not sure that you are hypermobile, these are the things to look for: joints that pop frequently, natural flexibility (although many times muscles tighten so much to protect the joints that hypermobile people become inflexible), sensitive nervous system, prone to insomnia, gastrointestinal problems, inexplicable neuromuscular issues, prone to bruising, and proprioceptive dysfunction.
We will be using the “Access-Centered Framework”, meaning that we are trauma-informed, intersectional (microaggressions will not be tolerated, we will practice multicultural communication agreements and nonviolently “calling in”, never expecting someone in a marginalized group to have to do that labor. Accomplices will be present!), will never touch you without consent, will never expect you to adapt to the exercises we offer—we will change the exercise to meet your needs. Everything we offer is invitational. We believe that you know your bodymind best and that you will protect yourself. We will offer the space to advocate for your needs, we encourage you and invite you to take up that space.
We will offer integrative and functional exercises, adjusted for your individual needs, to help you maintain joint stability and reduce pain. We will teach you therapeutic techniques for developing muscle and reducing scar tissue, how to activate deep core stabilizers versus superficial muscles, retraining neuromuscular patterning, information regarding synergistic dominance and prime movers, consensual suggestions for nutrition to support energy and reduce inflammation (this will not be a diet conversation, focus on calories, or body size), and techniques for regulating our sensitive nervous systems.
This workshop will be sliding scale with scholarship options, we humbly ask that you offer as much as you are able to sustainably, knowing that we are low income disabled teachers and that this is our life’s work.
Sliding scale $40-$150+ (no one turned away for lack of funds). We highly encourage people who have financial access to pay as much as they can (perhaps more than $150) to help fund folks who do not have access.
We would like people to register and pay for the event in advance so that we know that we will have enough attendees.
Please submit your pre-payments to @lovingtheskin .
FB message us or email us at the email below if you need to pay another way.
No refunds except for health/disability related reasons.
If you cannot pay until the day of for financial reasons, please email us so we know you are serious about attending and we can reserve a spot for you.
We need 6 people registered and paid by March 27, 2019 to run the workshop.
Please email us if you have any issues – accesscenteredmovement@gmail.com
About the Teachers:
India Harville is an African American queer disabled femme teacher, somatic bodyworker, dancer/dance instructor, performance artist, social justice activist, and educator dedicated to facilitating people in personal and collective growth and transformation. India has been a student of movement for over twenty years. Due to chronic illness/disabilities, India had to create her own modifcations to attend many movement classes that were not accessible. She then went on to become and instructor of different mixed abilities dance styles including DanceAbility and American DanceWheels Wheelchair Dance. India dances with the Interdisciplinary Inclusive Ensemble at Cal State Hayward, a mixed abilities dance company, Sins Invalid, and creates her own works. India adopted a radical disability politic in 2011 after hearing Mia Mingus speak and has been a student of disability justice since that time. She is grateful to all of her teachers, both living and ancestral, whose work is the foundation of all she does.
Jess Dene Schlesinger is a white/Jewish queer disabled femme teacher, healer, and social justice activist. She began practicing yoga 17 years ago in an attempt to manage the physical and emotional pain resulting from various disabilities and traumas. She found, however, that most yoga classes she attended were not accessible for her needs. Jess continued to practice yoga on her own and explored various spiritual, psychological, and physical tools for healing personal and sociological trauma. She created Access-Centered Movement by combining trauma informed language, Disability Justice (a movement started by disabled queer people of color), and her lived experience as a sick and disabled queer. Jess is deeply grateful to the ancestors of these spiritual traditions.
