Workshops
Teaching that respects lived experience and sees students as active participants in their learning
Poetry, Consciousness, Birth
This workshop is open to anyone who is interested in processes of transformation that set the stage for moments of acute insight. In this two-hour workshop, in collaboration with artist/musician Cole Highnam, we will explore how physiological changes become pathways to access altered states. Along the way, we will chart parallels in the manner in which undisturbed childbirth and acts of creation have been co-opted by mechanistic and capitalistic worldviews emphasizing production over process. In the spirit of maintaining our creative agency, we summon the cosmic from the quotidian. Proprioceptively, we come into our bodies as they are, and through verbal, aural and visual cues, venture along an inward trajectory that brings us deep into our innate poetic capacity, for we are natura naturans: “nature doing what nature does.​
Language, Power, Psyche, Body
This is an interdisciplinary course exploring the intersections of poetry, theory, and birth through reading, conversation, and creative exercises. Designed for those drawn to intuitive, poetic, and physiological understandings of birth as well as for those interested in interpreting birth through theoretical paradigms, this course bridges experiential knowledge with intellectual discourse. Participants will delve into historical, theoretical, and systems-based contexts of birth while engaging with their subconscious through writing prompts, meditations, and stillness exercises. The curriculum considers birth and the body from clinical, ancient, and spiritual perspectives, while also considering how power structures mediate birthing experiences. Intended for birth workers, artists, medical professionals, humanities students, and individuals on their own reproductive journeys, the course culminates in either a creative project or academic paper, with flexibility for pregnant participants. Spanning several months, this course offers a dynamic, weekly exploration of texts, fostering a connection between intellect, the body, and creativity.