In-person retreats are on for 2022! In the meantime, Kimberly's trainings and workshops are a great introduction to some of the material covered in these retreats. Kimberly is also available for one-on-one coaching to incorporate social change, justice, and equity into your work (and everyday) life—get in touch.
Body Wise Professional Development Retreat
Red Road, Hawaii
Upcoming Retreat: January 2-7, 2022
It happened just the other day. My friend and I attended a new yoga class. The teacher is well-known for working with arthritic bodies and I was hoping to benefit from her approach. It was immediately clear that she was not accustomed to working with fat students, and she seemed uncomfortable with my companion's gender non-conformity. That's right, even someone who is lauded for working with disabled bodies can carry other body biases. I'll go a step further. Every one of us was taught to freak out about certain bodies, regardless of our own marginality. Unless we continue working on our own comfort with others' bodies - probably for the rest of our days - that freakout is going to compromise our professional abilities.
Join Kimberly Dark, sociologist, facilitator and yoga teacher for the Body Wise Professional Development Retreat, a five-day experiential retreat where we practice caring for ourselves in order to care better for others. We'll use writing, nature and movement to help uncover what makes our work effective, and how to grow in both skill and compassion. We'll explore the influence of social hierarchies and power imbalance on our work. Chances are there are some areas in which you are expert—either because of your experiences or training. In other ways, you'll be surprised by your vulnerability. We'll work on uncovering unconscious bias and explore our own intersections of privilege and oppression and how they influence who we are to others. We'll also rest, write, meditate, move, spend time in water and nurture ourselves and each other on the journey.
Join Kimberly Dark, sociologist, facilitator and yoga teacher for the Body Wise Professional Development Retreat, a five-day experiential retreat where we practice caring for ourselves in order to care better for others. We'll use writing, nature and movement to help uncover what makes our work effective, and how to grow in both skill and compassion. We'll explore the influence of social hierarchies and power imbalance on our work. Chances are there are some areas in which you are expert—either because of your experiences or training. In other ways, you'll be surprised by your vulnerability. We'll work on uncovering unconscious bias and explore our own intersections of privilege and oppression and how they influence who we are to others. We'll also rest, write, meditate, move, spend time in water and nurture ourselves and each other on the journey.
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Who this retreat is for:Body Workers
Therapists Yoga Teachers Fitness Teachers Counselors Life Coaches Health Coaches Personal Trainers Nutritionists Teachers |
This retreat is for anyone who wants to explore the intersection of body, ability, size, and perceptions from social, therapeutic, and personal perspectives. Anyone who wants to move beyond "beliefs" to address the often unconscious micro-aggressions we perpetuate in our work and our own lives too.
In particular, I want to welcome those whose bodies live at the margins and intersections of public acceptabilities, personal practice, and working with others. As a fat, queer-femme, disabled (and of course, aging) yoga teacher and sociologist-writer, I'm well aware of how our marginalized selves become specimens for learning in classes and workshops, while our other acquired intelligence may be dismissed. I aim to create a setting in which everyone's lived experience, practice, and learning are valued, where we contribute and receive as experts and learners—acknowledging as many of our identities and experiences as we choose.
In particular, I want to welcome those whose bodies live at the margins and intersections of public acceptabilities, personal practice, and working with others. As a fat, queer-femme, disabled (and of course, aging) yoga teacher and sociologist-writer, I'm well aware of how our marginalized selves become specimens for learning in classes and workshops, while our other acquired intelligence may be dismissed. I aim to create a setting in which everyone's lived experience, practice, and learning are valued, where we contribute and receive as experts and learners—acknowledging as many of our identities and experiences as we choose.
What to Expect Professionally: |
What to Expect Personally: |
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Rates and Booking
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All rates include your vegetarian meals, tuition, and adventures. Not to mention the beauty of Hawaii.
There is a variety of lodging options available (all rates include sales tax):
A deposit of 50% tuition reserves your spot in the retreat. Please contact info@kimberlydark.com with any queries! |
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A Few Testimonials
"Such a great professional development retreat... The retreat is personally and professionally impactful. Taking home so many good memories and ways to carry this work forward!"
"Please, please, please attend the retreat if you can. I have experienced so much movement and insight this week, and made amazing new friends and colleagues from the US. It was well worth the trip from the UK."
"Such a wonderfully held space... perfect balance of group time and time on our own. Perfect balance of meeting us where we were, and pushing us a bit beyond."
"This retreat has been personally transformative... This retreat helped me take a large step into my power [and] to observe the unconscious biases that might be a barrier around collaborating with my clients on their own well-being."
"It sounds cliche to share that her work changed my life, but I do not have other language for it. Through her, I am learning to not only accept my body but to treat myself with kindness. Her work plays at the intersections of queerness, fat, gender and anti-racism work."
"Please, please, please attend the retreat if you can. I have experienced so much movement and insight this week, and made amazing new friends and colleagues from the US. It was well worth the trip from the UK."
"Such a wonderfully held space... perfect balance of group time and time on our own. Perfect balance of meeting us where we were, and pushing us a bit beyond."
"This retreat has been personally transformative... This retreat helped me take a large step into my power [and] to observe the unconscious biases that might be a barrier around collaborating with my clients on their own well-being."
"It sounds cliche to share that her work changed my life, but I do not have other language for it. Through her, I am learning to not only accept my body but to treat myself with kindness. Her work plays at the intersections of queerness, fat, gender and anti-racism work."
Carlsmith Beach Park, Hilo
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Accessibility:
The Puna coast, while magnificently beautiful, is not accessible to all. The retreat building and yoga practice space are each accessed via a short stairway. Lodging can be provided on the ground floor where the yoga room is located. Terrain is uneven as well. For those who can navigate stairs at least once or twice a day, this retreat will be appropriate and we'll include visits to the sea where entry is easy and currents are calm. For those unable to navigate stairs, this retreat won't be suitable. |
Please inquire if you'd like to work toward bringing this retreat closer to you, in an accessible format. Kimberly has traveled to provide classes and workshops in accessible venues in the past, and is committed to continuing to helping East Hawaii become more accessible over time.
Additional Resources:What is Intersectionality? from Peter Hopkins on Vimeo. |
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