Friday Oct. 6 / 3pm / Visionary Art Zone 

Presented by the 2017 Visionary Artists of the Convergence, John Hutton and Michael Lott 

Finding our wild mind and heart in a colonized world

There is a growing conversation about “decolonizing”, but in this discussion we will ask what this really means, especially from those still steeped in a ‘white’, western way of doing things. How do we better learn from our Indigenous relatives and live closer to our connection to the earth and to our own hearts? And how do we do this while yet utilizing the technologies and living in the structures that our colonized world has created. We are in a transitional and precarious time, but also exciting for those ready to build bridges of healing that are crucial for the survival of our species.

Those who are reconnecting to natural systems through various projects may not be as familiar with how their very way of thinking needs to also become a natural system.

Presented by Jul Bystrova

Stalking the Wild Mind

Learn how herbal medicine is bringing the power of healing into the hands of the people and building culture in diverse social movements around the world, and gain hands-on experience with new herbal allies in this workshop.

Herbal medicine brings the power of healing into the hands of the people. Come learn how people around the world, from the MST in Brazil, to activists on the streets of Oakland, to the guardians at Standing Rock, have been using herbal medicine to nourish, heal, and strengthen our social movements. Participants will gain a deeper appreciation of women’s role in working with these plant allies, and of the historic, mythic and magical elements of folk herbalism. The facilitators will share introductions to some of our favorite herbs for healing and protection, as well as offer participants hands-on experiences building a relationship with these allies and making medicine.

We are three young permaculturists, farmers, activists, and herbal medicine students. We will weave stories from our diverse experiences with social movements around the world and empower participants to strengthen themselves and their communities using the powerful and accessible tools of herbal medicine. None of us are clinical herbalists but we have a passion for healing and would like to share an inspiring context to understand herbal medicine, and community-care, as a vital part of today’s social movements. We will use an interactive format that allows for participants to share their experiences throughout, as well as a chance for all participants to connect to selected plant allies through short powerful plant meditations and a hands-on medicine making portion of the workshop.

Presented by Mallika Nair

The People’s Medicine: Herbal Allies for Social Movements

Matthew Nelson is a movement artist, activist, educator, researcher, therapist, and entrepreneur. Particularly in love with the act of dancing, Matthew experiences movement as a way of aligning energy with form. Eternally curious, Matthew makes opportunities out of questions, and encourages others to do the same. He’s collected qualifications, including an MFA in Modern Dance and certifications in Laban Movement Analysis, Massage, and Pilates. Yet, Matthew likes to play between the lines of techniques and traditions, seeking solutions to the timely question of how humans can learn to live with resilience and in diversity, efficiently and easefully collaborating with each other from a base of compassion. He breathes embodiment as ground zero for the critical realization that we are living systems, made up of living systems, and participating in living systems.

Cultivating Physical Freedom

An Ayurvedic perspective of lymphatic and breast health self-care practices for Women.

In this class we will explore Lymphatic Breast Health though the lens of Ayurvedic self care. We will dive into our inner oceans and begin to understand the importance the lymphatic system plays in self care and immunity as well as teach some tools to help support lymph flow and blood circulation. We will discuss anatomy and physiology, common health concerns for women as well as contributing lifestyle factors. Together we will come up with creative solutions to our blockages around self- care as well as mind body medicine techniques to infuse into our daily practice. This will be an exciting and inspiring journey into the juiciness that is Ayurvedic self care and Women’s Health!

Womans health, and understanding of lymphatic health in general is a vital part of sustaining resilient communities. We need to take our health and healing back into our own hands, and be empowered in our knowledge of our bodies. If we want to be vital, healthy humans working for change we need our bodies to remain healthy and resilient too. Being able to learn about how we can take good care of our bodies, minds and spirits ensures that we will be able to fully show up in all other areas of our lives. This will be presented as a skill share, a new way of looking at our health and immunity that we can take home and apply to our own daily practices. This information can and ought to be shared throughout our communities to help individuals find their best expression of health and vitality.

Presented by Anja Robinson

Know how you came here, your birth rights in and out of the hospital setting, and tools to make pregnancy and birth a naturally smooth process. Open to all Genders~ we all came through this process.

How are we bringing the next generation onto this planet? Come to learn pregnancy & birth information all beings should know. All Genders encouraged to come…everyone came from this process! What you most likely didn’t learn in school about pregnancy & birth. Simple tools to make pregnancy, birth, and conception a naturally smooth transition. We will also address your rights in California hospitals and homes regarding the birth process.

I believe that how the next generation enters this world has great impact on the individual birthed into this world, the birthing person, and the community that being is birthed into. And how these being relate to the world, with interacts how each person interacts in the world. For example how sacred or un sacred tehy see and really feel/know the natural world and our interconnected ness with all of it. How are we choosing to support the initiation process into parent hood? How do we better honor this process, and what are tangible tools to make birth as natural as possible. By natural I mean little to no un necessary medical intervention. When needed how do we really nourish and support that intervention process in a way that minimalism trauma to all involved. In this work shop I would like to provide basic information that I feel all people (planning to get pregnant, already are pregnant, supporting pregnant people, or people who also came from this process) should know. For example how the fetus is nourished, the growing process, the process that occurs to the birthing person in labor, the recover after, that most people poop in labor (stuff we were mostly not taught in school). This will be quick but informative. Then I would like to go into California law and hospital info. What are standard proto call in hospitals, which do have right to say no to, when do you have a right but it won’t be presented to you that way. This is important to know way ahead of time! Finally a few small suggestions on simple things to help make the birth smooth. This will be interactive. For example Serving nettle and raspberry leaf tea, doing squats together, and other tools to support pregnancy into birth.

Presented by Rachel Hinds

Resilient Birth

Where Did the Witch Go and Why We Need Her Wisdom

IUDs (Intra Uterine Devices) are currently being heavily promoted to women all around the world as the “safest and most effective form of birth control”. Unfortunately, the potential risks and adequate informed consent in regards to the myriad of life shattering “adverse effects” which these devices are causing is not part of the “promotion campaign” and doctor themselves are often ignorant of what can happen. Hundreds of thousands of women who have suffered severe health problems are sharing their stories in an effort to help raise awareness about this problem. Join Tamara, who was herself one of these victims, in discussing this very important issue.

Having a healthy community of women is essential to being resilient. The adverse effects being caused by IUDs is shattering the lives of hundreds of thousands of women around the world. Participants will be empowered about how to identify problems as well as adequately informed about the risks and possible alternative methods of birth control. Many women in the group will have their own stories so the presentation will most likely be very interactive. I will share my story and some of the important history of these devices and then open it up for feedback and discussion.

Presented by Tamara Wilder

Tamara Wilder is a local Mendocino County resident who founded IUD Awareness following her life shattering experience with a copper IUD. She also helps admin a support group called IUD Side Effects, which has grown from 1,800 members to almost 10,000 in the past 2 years. She hopes that by sharing her story, women who are currently suffering but who haven’t yet “made the connection” may be able to begin their road to recovery.

IUD Awareness – Are They Really Safe?

In this Contact Improvisation class, we create a safe space to explore our edges, offering tools, techniques, and exercises to deepen our trust in our solo, partner, and group dances.

How can we build trust in ourselves, our partners, our dance, that we may open new spaces of freedom in our movement? In this Contact Improvisation class, we create a safe space to explore our edges, offering tools, techniques, and exercises to deepen our trust in our solo, partner, and group dances. Trust sometimes means fearlessly saying “yes” to opportunities to grow… sometimes means clearly saying “no” to that which is beyond our boundaries… and sometimes means honestly saying, “I don’t know,” in faith that it’s ok to not know. One of the greatest gifts of Contact Improv is the opportunity to develop and honor boundaries, so that we can trust one another and be more free in our dance.

Contact Improvisation is a form of Improv movement that helps connect us more deeply with ourselves and each other. This movement form offers powerful tools for cultivating qualities of boundaries, connection, trust, play, and mindfulness that are fundamental in community-building. Creating containers for authentic movement and safe touch helps communities become healthier and more connected. This workshop will be presented as an experiential movement class.

Friday, Oct 6| 3:30pm| Mediterranean

Presented by Autumn Turley

Autumn Turley spent four years as Assistant Director of Dance Odyssey, a Contact Improvisation class and jam in Santa Cruz, CA. In 2016 she began organizing and teaching Contact Improv classes and events all along the West Coast. She now teaches Contact across the US and Canada as part of Bridge Within. Autumn’s teaching is inspired by her experience studying for ten years under a wide variety of teachers of Contact Improv, as well as Taoist Energy Arts, Spinal Awareness, and Esalen Massage. She carries an extensive toolbox, customizing each class to meet the desires and skill-levels of her students. Autumn uses improv movement as a spiritual practice, a healing technique, and a tool for deepening self-awareness and connection with others.

Friday Oct 6| 3pm| Mediterranean

Contact Improvisation: Rising into Freedom by Deepening Trust in our Dance

John founded Nutiva in 1999 with a mission to nourish people and planet. In 2002 Nutiva along with the HIA, Dr Bronners and Nature Path sued the U.S. DEA in the 9th Circuit leading to a successful ruling in 2004 that cleared the way for hemp foods to be legally sold and consumed.

He helped jumpstart the modern home-composting movement in the early 1990s and has written four books on environmental topics that have combined sales of over one million copies.

A longtime advocate for healthy people and ecosystems, John has founded 5 nonprofit ecological groups. In the fall of 2012 John founded GMO Inside, a group dedicated to educating people on the dangers of GMO foods. Nutiva via its 1% of sales program has donated over $4M to groups promoting sustainable ag including VoteHemp and the HIA. John is also co-producer of the Kiss the Ground movie scheduled for a 2018 release. To learn more about John;s work visit http://johnroulac.com

2017 Workshop: Ocean Farming & Restoration