we are fearless radical love.
our love song of humanity comprised of all the mantras each of us practice.
WEL is open to people of all backgrounds who are committed to advancing diverse leadership and inclusive movements.
warriors for embodied liberation
WEL is an invitation only offering of Universal Partnership (UP) and led by master trainer, coach, and facilitator, rusia mohiuddin. A 2-year, certified embodied leadership and coaching training program, wel centers inclusive leadership development, enabling participants of all backgrounds to coach, teach, and heal in their communities and movements.
our work is funded & supported by Robert Sterling Clark Foundation.
embodied coaching creator & teacher
rusia n. mohiuddin is a master trainer, facilitator, coach, and strategist who pioneered the integration of somatics into an organizing framework. drawing from her experiences in life and in movement work, she has developed a coaching and training model specifically designed to serve leaders from diverse communities.
embodied coaching™
this model of coaching centers humanity & is driven by practices of change that acutely align with who & how we want to be in the world. embodied coaching integrates both how unique experiences shape individual as well as integrating a model of how we tend to change, intentionally & unintentionally.
embodied training & facilitation
WEL students engage in, practice, learn to facilitate and train on a growing number of core methodologies, specifically created for the WEL community. This work serves first as a grounding in lived experiences of transformation, then as a springboard for people to take those experiences to create models & methodologies of their own to use in their own communities.
BEAT-wel Leadership Council
purpose
Being Embodied Authentic Teachers (BEAT) is a convening of wel cohort leaders to harness the collective wisdom of the wel community and to ensure that, as wel grows, the community remains connected and accountable to one another.
BEAT-wel leadership council members also play an active role in assessing and recommending Year 2 student-teachers for certification.
roles & responsibilities
BEAT-wel reps will serve on the leadership council and be called upon to shape future programming and structure. The primary roles of BEAT-wel are as follows:
Participate and support in decision-making for Year 2 students performing their finals;
Engage in fundraising activities for special wel community events and/or programs;
Work with other BEAT-wel representatives to design and pilot points of engagement for transitioned cohorts; and
Ensure our wel community is living and embodying our collective values both internally and externally.
process
Each BEAT-wel rep may nominate themselves and another person to serve with them. Each rep must have one nomination from wel community member from their cohort, the cohort before theirs, or the cohort after theirs.
WEL COMMUNITY OF CERTIFIED COACHES, STUDENTS, & STUDENT-TEACHERS
️ Statement on Confidentiality
We intentionally do not share participant names for the WEL and WEL+ programs. The work we do together is deeply intimate—rooted in healing, embodiment, and leadership transformation—and often involves exploring lived experiences and trauma in personal and vulnerable ways. To protect participants’ privacy and the integrity of our container, we share collective demographic and impact data rather than individual identities. For certain purposes, our communities have agreed to share a roster of students upon request.
Years Active
2015-Present
Total Participants: As of 2025, over 83 leaders have completed or are currently in the wel track.
Demographics
Primarily women and gender-expansive people
Inclusive of trans and nonbinary leaders across generations
Racial & Ethnic Representation:
Majority Black, Latinx, Asian (including Southeast Asian and South Asian), and Indigenous participants
Broad representation of mixed-race and Afro-Latine organizers & executive directors
Intergenerational participation—from emerging youth leaders to seasoned movement elders
Geographic Reach:
Participants span 10+ states, with strong anchors in New York, New Jersey, California, Wisconsin, Minnesota, Texas, and New Mexico
Deep concentration in the Bronx and New York City, reflecting Ma Mukti’s home base and community partnerships
Organizational Representation:
Draws from 45 organizations, including long-standing community-based groups, national coalitions, and grassroots networks engaged in racial, gender, climate, and housing justice
Many participants serve as directors, founders, strategists, healers, and educators
Key Themes Across Cohorts:
Healing justice and sustainability in organizing & consulting
Intergenerational leadership development
Somatic and embodied practices as tools for social change
Deep community organizing in housing, education, climate justice, and economic justice movements
APPLICATION PROCESS WILL OPEN IN MARCH 2026... BY INVITATION ONLY FOR COHORT 9!
Warriors for Embodied Liberation (WEL) is a 2-year teacher training program for individuals looking to cultivate skills and certification on embodied coaching™ and training, specific to the developed model of embodied leadership and embodied organizing™ as innovated by its creator, Rusia Mohiuddin, the principal of universal partnership.
The WEL program includes 24 daylong trainings and 24 (50 minute) coaching sessions. Sessions will be a hybrid of in-person & virtual monthly engagement between February 2023 to January 2025.
The cost of the yearlong program is as follows:
$3500.00 per year, for self-pay; or
$4700.00 per year, for institutional support.
everything you need to know to…
make a grounded decision.
WEL is a rigorous cohort-based teacher training program. to complete the program and certification process requires a grounded understanding of the expectations and requirements.
This is a practice-driven program.
Attending all sessions, for the entirety, is a critical aspect of the training, practice, and cultivation of the wel community. It is rare for anyone, who missed 1-2 sessions, to achieve certification in a 2-year period.
This application processes are designed by teacher-students entering their 2nd year of the program.
interested? email usapplication process
complete application
schedule interview
complete interview
applicant notification
cohort 8 sessions begins with May 30th, 2025
decision-making process
WEL cohort 7 (C7) invites & reviews applicants/applications
C7 will determine which applicants to interview based on application
Paired C7 teams interview applicants
C7, based on interview teams’ recommendations, make a collective decision on applicants to invite into C8
C7 makes final recommendation to teacher & facilitator, rusia, to determine cohort 8 participants
Invitations sent out to those selected to join WEL Cohort 8
timeline
Application available week of February 7th, 2025
Application deadline by March 14th, 2025 no later than 5pm
Info Sessions February 24th – March 7th, 2025
Interview period: March 17th – April 2nd 2025
Finalists selected and notified: April 30th, 2025
New Cohort starts May 30th, 2025
things to consider
applicant understands requirements & expectations
organization (if applicable) is aware of & supports applicant’s participation in WEL
applicant plans & creates availability for the full application process & all sessions
timely availability of applicant to complete & engage in process with cohort 7
objectives
during and after the program, participants will…
Formally be certified as an Embodied Coach™ and Embodied Trainer/Facilitator;
Cultivate a client base to coach using UP’s Embodied Coaching methodology, principles and values;
Develop sharp skills in:
Supervisory and managerial excellence;
Authentic embodied leadership skills that inspire others to bring their best selves forward in their life and work;
Focus on generative problem-solving;
Develop effective collective and group work; and
Increase effectiveness and efficiency with acuteness that honors their work and their humanity.
Design and facilitate embodied leadership retreats, such as #practicingJUSTICE 1.0 (daylong versions);
Integrate embodied leadership practices into their work using innovative and personal styles; and
Develop grounding relationships, throughout the program, to serve as a support community moving forward.
certification requirements
190
hrs
training/learning
100
hrs
grounded practice
55
hrs
accrued coaching hours
50
hrs
accrued training hours
