DEEP BODY RIVER:
Breast & Chest Care
as Re-membering for Self and Community
with Mo Washburn, Willa Mamet & Pamela Samuelson
April 26-28, 2024
Friday evening 6-9 pm
Saturday & Sunday 9:30 am-6 pm
Our breasts and chests are, along with the pelvis and genitals, the most vulnerable, sensitive, and culturally loaded parts of our bodies. Many of us walk through the world feeling tuned out and guarded in these places at the best of times, let alone in times of such great stress as the ones we are currently living through.
As the part of the body most connected with the architecture of breath and the nest of the heart, there is a deep well of power and love to be found in reclaiming and tending to our breasts and chests. Equally, we can strongly support our systemic immunity through accessing and optimizing the lymphatic flow in these parts of our bodies.
In this hands-on weekend intensive, we’ll offer an elemental framing for understanding all aspects of health, discuss the lymphatic system and its many roles, and learn to work with breast/chest/armpit tissue as an often-neglected and absolutely vital area of the body. We will learn to clearly perceive and work with these tissues with our hands as well as learning how to practice with gua shas and cups as tools of support.
This workshop will include:
An introduction to basic elemental theory for understanding our bodies, and how we can begin to identify types, tendencies and expressions in ourselves and others by observing the tissues of the body
Learning the exquisite anatomy of the lymphatic system as the waterways of the body
A guided hands-on exploration of the tissues of the breasts, chest and armpits
Scar tissue remediation for those who have had surgery or other procedures
Demonstrations and supervised practice working with gua shas and cups
Recommendations for lifelong self-care and care for our loved ones
A thorough discussion of consent, courtesy, empowerment and agency in giving and receiving responsible, responsive touch
This workshop is offered to anyone who has a body, and is of particular interest to healthcare providers, bodyworkers, birthworkers, anyone who is/was/will be breast/chestfeeding or supporting someone who is, anyone who has or whose family has a history of cystic or fibrous breasts, and anyone who has had or is supporting someone who has had breast/chest/top surgery.
This is a 1000000% trans- & queer-inclusive joint.
Facilitators
Mo Washburn (Sebastopol, CA)
Mo (they/them) has walked a service path of bodywork for well over a decade and are dedicated to supporting folks in re-weaving together parts of themselves that have fallen out of proper connection.
They emphasize the importance of moving slow, listening and responding to the body’s many cues in the tissues, breath, energy body and directly from the guidance of clients, using her hands as well as physical tools to support shifts toward renewed vitality. Their work is deeply rooted in Ayurveda, energy work, and ceremony as well as multiple forms of bodywork.
They deeply believe in the importance of attending to the whole body with consent and stand firm as an unconditionally loving presence for their clients.
For more info: www.mowashburn.com
Willa Mamet (Grafton, VT)
Willa Mamet (pronouns: any spoken in kindness) is a bodyworker, teacher, and musician, living on the unceded ancestral lands of the Abenaki people, of present-day Vermont. Their session work and teaching includes Five Element acupressure and shiatsu, craniosacral work, abdominal massage, breast & chest care, and scar tissue remediation. General witchery always included.
For more info: www.wmbodywork.com
Pamela Samuelson (Los Angeles, CA)
Pamela (she/they/wizard) is a multidimensional manual therapist, somatic educator and ritualist who has been offering trauma-sensitive hands on care and responsive, inclusive body literacy and sex education for 25 years. She aims to be a clear mirror in her practice and teaching, as a full-spectrum doula holding the edges and as a community organizer, as a self-defense instructor, and as the founder of both the nonprofit Center for the Advancement of Body Literacy and the UK/US-based School for Ethical Touch.
For more info: https://embodyworkla.com/about
LOGISTICS!
We will be in a beautiful private home in Westchester, about 5 minutes drive from LAX airport. Convenient!
This class is non-residential - please ask if you would like support finding places to stay!
TUITION
We offer a sliding scale for tuition for Deep Body River in order to provide access to community support for those who need it at this time, and to provide an opportunity for those with more access to resources to support others.
Our sliding scale is $600-800 for the weekend, which is comprised of one 3 hour evening and two 8 hour days.
Please choose the amount that feels appropriate and in integrity for you!
Payment plans are available, as are a limited number of scholarships. We will prioritize BIPOC for scholarships.
To hold your spot, please send your deposit of $200 to @Pamela-Samuelson on Venmo or to mercuria69@gmail.com on Paypal. This deposit is nonrefundable unless the class is cancelled, in which case we will of course immediately refund everything.
There will be a short materials list for participants to procure before the weekend of class.
COVID POLICY:
In order to protect those participants who are or are in proximity to those who are immunocompromised, there will be strong Covid safety measures in place for this workshop. Hooray for community care!
What that looks like:
We request that all participants be assiduous about masking whenever in an indoor or crowded public place, beginning one week before class.
We will require proof of a negative covid test beginning the day before class, and every day before arrival onsite.
Participants agree that they will not attend should they develop any symptoms of illness whatsoever.
Masks will be strongly encouraged in all indoor spaces.
To apply for a spot in Deep Body River, please fill out the form below. We will reach out to you to arrange a brief call.
XOXOXO