#freeyourbody

FEBRUARY 27th-MARCH 1st, 2015                       

deepen your self-knowledge + unleash your true leadership potential

no matter who we are, + what we do, our leadership presence + style is deeply shaped by our environment + our contexts. Our soma, (so-mah: the body in its living wholeness) comprising of our biology, socio-economic status, histories, political environment, psychological + spiritual landscapes determine + influence who we are + how we show up in the world. It is by deeply understanding our soma + somatic shape that we can identify what holds us back + help us leap into + live through our true leadership potential.

what

the Oppression in the Soma Retreat uses a somatic lens to un-layer, unpack + reveal the many ways oppression limits our ability to align our leadership with the values + principles that drive our work. By awakening deep understanding, this training enables individuals to generate new pathways towards a wholesome + complete shape that can hold our true individual + collective leadership potential.

how

somatics is a methodology that combines the biological + social sciences to provide a framework for analysis + action. at its core, somatics posits interconnection + balance of mind, body, + mood.

the use of somatics in leadership, begins by examining unconscious practiced behaviors, established by our interactions with family, community, + society throughout our lives, that blocks us from taking empowered action on our own behalf + ultimately aligning our behavior with our values + principles. it continues by establishing physical, emotional, + mental practices that shake up + shed these binds.

who

this retreat is open to anyone interested in deepening self-knowledge + tapping into their full leadership potential. it is particularly useful for those who view + navigate in the world through a socio-political lens including; community organizers, advocates, activists, yoga practitioners, coaches, healers + more.

cost

for a limited period of time, we are offering an EARLY BIRD SPECIAL for $647 per individual.
once this special expires, the regular tuition fee will be $689.

here’s what you will get…

• room+ board at garrison institute
• participant fee for retreat
• jo: a japanese aikido staff for practice (you get to keep this)

when + where

February 27th – March 1st, 2015

Garrison Institute
14 Mary’s Way, Route 9D
Garrison,, NY 10524 (845) 424-4800
At Universal Partnership, we honor each individual’s commitment to personal transformation, + recognize that this work can be at once challenging + healing. Through this retreat, we at Universal Partnership do our best to ensure a comfortable, safe + spacious environment through which each individual can learn, challenge + take care of themselves at their own pace. Join us!

If you have any questions, please reach out to Sethu, out fabulous retreat coordinator, at sethu@universalpartnership.org

facilitators + staff

Rusia N. Mohiuddin, the Principle of Universal Partnership, is a leadership trainer & certified somatic coach, who pioneered the integration of somatics into an organizing framework. Her current mission, through Universal Partnership, has been developing a holistic model for social justice change work that places in its center the necessary transformation of social change agents. Rusia brings a unique style to creating pathways for individuals to bring their best selves forward when enacting social change in their organizations & communities. Learn more about Rusia + UP…

Called “the most vocal and most intriguing African-American Buddhist in America,” by Library Journal, Rev. angel Kyodo williams Sensei, is an author, maverick spiritual teacher and master trainer and founder of Center for Transformative Change. She has been bridging the worlds of personal transformation and justice since the publication of her critically-acclaimed book, Being Black: Zen and the Art of Living With Fearlessness and Grace. Her book was hailed as “an act of love” by Pulitzer Prize winner Alice Walker and “a classic” by Buddhist teacher Jack Kornfield. Ordained as a Zen priest, she recently became the second black woman recognized as a Zen teacher.

angel is an early shaper and leading voice for Transformative Social Change, and coined the name for the field. She has developed comprehensive systems for illuminating both practical personal change and the profoundly liberating potential of mindfulness, yoga, and somatic practices coupled with wisdom teachings.  Both fierce and grounded, angel is known for her unflinching willingness to sit with and speak uncomfortable truths with love. She notes, “Love and justice are not two. Without inner change, there can be no outer change. Without collective change, no change matters.”  Whether in writing, teaching or speaking, her voice is unique. Learn more about angel…

snapshot: what’s #30DaysUP + what do you get?

are you ready to change your life in 60 days?

we’re ready to take things up a notch in this next round of #30DaysUP! Like, before, we want to challenge + support you to develop superpowers that increase your self-awareness, your awareness or others, + now, unlike before, it’s all about growing happiness from the seeds of our suffering.

• the challenge: you have 60 days to get 30 consecutive days of meditation in. you can take it up a notch and join me for 60 consecutive days! if you miss a day, no worries, just start anew and reset to day 1
• journal your progress: one of the best ways to track your change progress is to journal. it’s data we can look back on and see the ways in which our blossoming shifts actually happen so we can invoke those actions later on, at will. journaling doesn’t just mean writing… you can journal any way you would like whether it be short or long written pieces, drawings, or even pictures and videos! I will be blogging through the DayOne app. I can also provide you with a blogging platform through the UP site so let me know if you would like to do this!
• social share: I personally use public accountability to keep me on track and last round, folks shared that they super appreciated learning about my practice and supporting me as I posted from day to day. whether you post your daily progress on facebook, twitter, or some other place, please use #30DaysUP each time. this makes it easier for all of us to find each other! this is an optional practice, so if you just don’t feel comfortable sharing, no worries, keep your journal private!

• somatic sensibility = superpowers: you may know that meditation is one of the fastest ways to create more center and ground in your life, increase your self-awareness, and sharpen your focus. these are all critical skills necessary for effective leadership. the combination of all these skills, develops your somatic sensibility, which is your ability to feel yourself and others with accuracy. that is, each moment is about what is happening right now rather than a projection of what has already happened or what you hope or fear will happen onto the present.
• mood enhancement: one of the most fantastic side effects of regular meditation is a significant shift in your mood. hopefully, this will be the first thing you notice about yourself and the first things folks around you notice in the way your show up.
• shredding our outter layer: what are your patterns of behavior that limits your leadership and impact? what will it take for you to see these patters and shed them? together, through our meditation practice, we will cultivate tools to understand ourselves and how we can sharpen and refine our leadership by shifting our patterns. our discoveries will be juicy and i can’t wait to dive in with all of you!

Below you will find, UP’s snapshot video, “mind the gap”, is so you will have everything you need to work those superpowers. To learn a bit more about #30DaysUP, click HERE.

Like most things, there are many layers to these main takeaways. Lucia Gomez-Jimenez + Jaritza Geigel wrote about these many layers after the first round of #30DaysUP.

Ready to get your superpowers on? I know I am because changing me IS changing the world!

Solidarity In Struggle
Rusia N. Mohiuddin
Principle, Universal Partnership (UP

what do i have to do?

nothing. we want it to be about choice not absolutes. 🙂
bare bones, we want you to chose to complete 30 consecutive days of meditation in 60 days. this means, you can start on day 1 of the challenge, do 7 days of meditation, perhaps miss a day or two, + still have time to start over at 1 + be able to complete 30 straight days of meditation before the challenge ends.

dope.

essentially, there is one thing you will want to do to successfully complete the challenge… meditate at least 5 minutes every day for 30 consecutive days.
pretty easy, huh?
you can also chose to do the following things, as well, that will dramatically enhance + solidify your practice towards embodying your new superpowers:

• journal every day to log your progress + the many things that come up for you from day to day. since this challenge has a theme of growing happiness from our suffering, journaling your thoughts + experiences will be a healthy + healing way to progress throughout the 60 days.
• share your progress with the #30DaysUP community or your own community. this is a great way to stay motivated + motivate others. inspiration is a big part of this work, both for you + for others. last round, many folks used the DayOne app publishing feature to post to twitter + facebook to share their progress + inspire many to join or renew their own meditation practice. it was quite the mini revolution!
• invite others to sit with you! sharing is caring + sitting with others is something rather beautiful.

 need more info?

that’s cool. email us directly at rusia@universalpartnership.org

watch the mind your gap instructional video

Caring for myself is not self-indulgence, it is self-preservation and that is an act of political warfare.

welcome to the #reboot registration page. this is a private link + only available to those accepted into the #reboot retreat so please do not share or forward this link.

purpose
we work super hard + some of us play hard or harder but we rarely make time to develop + practice real self-care tools that ignite our resiliency in a way that gives way to healing. #reboot is designed to create a relaxing out-of-the-city environment, where you can decompress from the fast pace of the concrete jungle, + learn practices that you can take back to your busy life.

goals
  get out of your typical environment + into a relaxing setting to decompress;
  learn + share with other movement leaders experiencing burnout with a desire to shift practices towards self-care;
  nourish your mind, body, + soul with activities that impart real self-care that can easily be adapted into your every
day life; and
  enjoy a beautiful day, in a beautiful serene place + have fun!

features
  delicious foods made by a  movement chef to fill your belly
  big swimming pool to cool down + relax or play some volleyball or basketball
  exercises + activities planned throughout the day to learn various tools for self-care
  optional 30-minute coaching session with rusia n. mohiuddin
  1 acre of land to explore + relax into
  outside movie night under the stars or in the pool

fees
since this retreat is an act of love for us at universal partnership, we are keeping the cost low + affordable for everyone. the retreat fee will be used entirely to cover the cost for the best food + tools to make #reboot both memorable + lasting for you.

$192 per participant

are you ready to get liberated?

welcome to the admission + registration process! we are pleased to offer this exclusive opportunity for you to join us at #PJWst2017 + reserve your spot this July!

what’s in the works:

here’s some things we have planned for the retreat:

• Registration begins Thursday, July 20th @ 4pm
• welcoming circle: meet + greet @ wine hour @ 5pm
• opening circle: mindful, revolutionary leadership
• our leadership’s historical shaping
• storytelling
• 3|One Jo Kata
• moving through our leadership barriers
• talent show + dance party
• developing practices + cultivating mindful leadership
• closing circle + integration
• end Sunday, July 23rd @ 1pm

retreat fees & costs

food costs (automatically added to the registration cost) is $150/per person for the retreat, plus:

• Supporter $800: cover yourself & support others as well

• Sustainer $700: covers yourself

• Community $600: discounted to include scholarship

excited yet?

got questions? email us at info@universalpartnership.org

NEW DATE: SUNDAY, NOVEMBER 13TH, 2016!

hey there beautiful people!

you made the call + we’re answering!

many of you have asked for space to reconnect + deepen your work from #FreeYourBody: Oppression In the Soma retreat. we’re ready to convene a fabulous day of practice to do 3|one jo kata + engage in more exercises to deepen our commitment to our own liberation through intentional practices.

are you ready to join us?

here are some highlights of what we hope to achieve together:

• reconnect with your #OIS cohort + other cohorts
• deepen our jo kata practice
• new exercises to deepen + reveal how we may be holding ourselves back
• revisit + reshape your developed practices from #OIS
• good food + great company

looking good, yeah?

we like to roll organic + go with the flow but here’s how the day has been planned:

9:45am – arrive at 1 sonoma rd, cortlandt manor, ny 10567
10:00 – opening practices
10:30 – opening circle
11:15 – centering purpose in action (jo kata)
12:15pm – LUNCH
2:00 – change process: progress check
3:00 – Alqus: what’s emerging?
4:45 – discussion
5:30 – closing circle: the purge
6:00- dinner

got questions? email us @ ois@universalpartnership.org

hope you can join us for this first-of-its-kind day of practice!

Practicing Justice 2.0 is here.

(formerly called #FreeYourBody: Oppression In the Soma retreat)

ready to take your leadership to the next level?

the next level of practicing justice (oppression in the soma) is here, ready to make a deeper dive towards self-liberation of the key patterns that hold you back.

adding a new suite of practices, 2.0 will focus on aligning values + principles, with precision, so what we deeply care about is manifest in all we do in the world.

• 3|one jo kata work to deepen our awareness of how are leadership shows up in action + under pressure

• group coaching to ID out-dated patterns that hold you back

• sharpening practices to reflect new possibilities + desires

• developing relationships to support you beyond the retreat

May 11th to May 14th 2017

• arrive at the Watershed Center between 2:00-4:00pm on May 11th

• opening circle @ 4:00pm

• closing circle ends @ 1:00pm on Sunday, May 14th.

retreat fees & costs

room & board at the watershed is $330 for the retreat, plus:

• Supporter $800: cover yourself & support others as well

• Sustainer $700: covers yourself

• Community $600: discounted to include scholarship

requirements & participation

• limited spaces are available

• selection will be first come, first serve

• must have participated in Oppression In the Soma/Practicing Justice 1.0