S7E7 - Finding Your Ancestral Practices & Decolonizing The Body with Kelsey Blackwell

School of Embodied Arts Podcast with Jenna Ward

Today on the podcast, we’re discussing somatic practices to help recognize and unhook from the embodied impacts of systemic oppression with Cultural Somatics Practitioner, Facilitator, and Author Kelsey Blackwell.

When we start contemplating the question… How did we all get so disembodied, one quickly arrives at a few core factors. One of them is colonization & white supremacy. The impact these systems have on *every* *single* *body* is profound. Whether our identity is black, white, or persons of culture/color.

From perfectionism, body shame, keeping silent, controlling & generally feeling like we’re not enough. Many (most) common challenges modern women face have roots in the culture & practices of past/current colonization.

Exploring how these systems are alive & living within us is a key inquiry if we are to shift from the “I have so much work to do on myself” mindset, and into the greater realization that ‘it’s not you, it’s the system”.

This conversation is also a wonderful exploration into reconnecting with your ancestral lineage in embodied ways - even if you hold multiple lineages or have no idea what your lineage actually is.

One of our school's teachers, Sharon Kaur, recently pointed me in the direction of Kelsey’s work on embodied liberation - thank you Sharon.

​​In this episode, we discuss:

• What is a colonized body?
• Kelsey shares her personal discovery from “there’s something wrong with me” to rediscovering the movement & songs of her lineage and the power of decolonizing practices
• The Patterns of Emboidment in colonized bodies & how it shows up
• We speak about ‘narrowing the body’, into smaller size & space
• How can we find our sincere ancestral practices when we are amelange of people & places
• If you’re seeking initiation or a textbook of practices for your lineage Kelsey offers some significant perspective shifts
• We dive into three delicious embodied, decolonizing practices lead by Kelsey

Kelsey works specifically with women of colour, however all identities will take something away from this rich conversation.

Kelsey Blackwell, MS is a cultural somatics practitioner and author dedicated to supporting women of color to trust and follow the guidance of the body so we may powerfully radiate our worth, dignity and wisdom in a world that sorely needs this brilliance. As a facilitator, coach, and speaker, she has brought abolitionist embodied practices to such diverse groups as riders on Bay Area Rapid Transit trains to students at Stanford University to the offices of LinkedIn. She works 1:1 with clients as well as leads the eight-week group program, Decolonizing the Body. Kelsey is the author of the viral article, Why People of Color Need Spaces Without White People, published by The Arrow Journal. She is a Certified InterPlay Leader, Strozzi Certified Somatic Coach, and holds a master’s degree in Publishing from the Medill School of Journalism at Northwestern University. In addition to being impactful, Kelsey believes working towards personal and collective liberation must also bring joy. She lives in San Francisco, California.

Also, good to know… Earlier this year our school recognized Jen’ work in our 2022 Excellence In Coaching Celebrations in the category of Founders Flourishing Award which recognizes a practitioner in the multi-dimensional mastery of her body of work. Awarded by Founder Jenna Ward, this practitioner's work transcends categories.

Would love to hear what you took from this podcast, drop me a reflection on Instagram here →

Resources mentioned in this podcast:

• Kelsey Blackwell - website
• Kelsey on Instagram
• 📚Decolonizing the Body: Healing, Body-Centered Practices for Women of Color to Reclaim Confidence, Dignity, and Self-Worth by Kelsey Blackwell
• 🎵 Decolonizing the Body playlist on Spotify
• Kelsey’s lineage of learning - Interplay & the Strozzi Institute
• Feminine Embodiment Coaching - an emotional embodiment & vulnerability-based professional training for coaches
• Find a Feminine Embodiment Coach in our Professional Directory
• School of Embodied Arts
• Leave a podcast review on iTunes here
• Thought or reflection to share? Leave a comment on Instagram here

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Find Jenna on the following platforms:

Website: http://jennaward.co/

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/jennaward.co/

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/jennawardco/

We hope you enjoyed today’s podcast. Make sure you subscribe so you’ll be updated when new episodes become available. Also, it would be greatly appreciated if you would take a few moments to leave your feedback. Simply click on “ratings and reviews” then “write a review” on iTunes to get started. Your reviews are so helpful in making future episodes even better. We would also appreciate it if you share the podcast with your friends or anyone who you think might enjoy these episodes. The School of the Embodied Arts podcast is also available on Spotify.