SWAMPING

We live in a society where we are taught not to feel.  Not to express our emotions.  We are especially taught to disconnect, to shove down, to ignore our uncomfortable feelings.  Only express emotion when we feel good. Tears are only acceptable sometimes and from some people.  Anger should be controlled.  This leaves us disconnected.  From ourselves, from our knowing, from each other.  It also takes a lot of energy.  And can be bad for our physical, emotional and spiritual selves.  It can make us sick.  It can leave us feeling numb.  

We want to counter that.  We want to FEEL our feelings.  Expressing our difficult emotions helps release them.  It supports us in getting unstuck and feeling more freedom in our bodies.  Releasing our challenging emotions makes space for us to feel our other emotions.  Being in collective witness of one another while experiencing our emotions allows us to feel less alone.

There are few spaces in our society where womxn are welcome to express all of ourselves – both the light and the shadow – in full unapologetic ways. 

We aim to be that space together: space for a multi-racial group of women, womxn-identified, femme-identified folx and gender non-conforming folx who feel comfortable in a space that centers the experience of womxn and people socialized as women to feel our emotions – and move them through our bodies.

It's a place...

• to feel our anger, grief, rage, frustration, loneliness, jealousy and all the other feelings. 

• to dance, move, yell, pound on the floor and feel our feelings.

• to be in community where big feelings are welcomed, honored and encouraged by others.

• to sway our hips and feel what feels good and right and sexy and erotic in our bodies and to be in our RADIANCE. 

 
For over 5 years, I have been using this practice of swamping to both honor and move my anger, fear and grief through my body.  And I need this practice now more than ever.  
 
I learned the essence of this practice as a child.  Just like we all did.  I learned the tool of Swamping from one of my brilliant teachers, Regina Thomashauer, author of the book, Pussy, A Reclamation.  It’s helped me to be in – and reclaim - my body in new and deep ways.

How do we do this ‘Swamping’?  

• We set a container that feels comfortable for everyone to be wherever you are.

• I will lead us through some opening sharing and movement and then guide us in opportunities to dance and move our dark feelings through our bodies.  We’ll have an opportunity to be witnessed, held and encouraged by one another.

• We’ll then – AND THIS IS IMPORTANT - dance to sexy and sensual songs to turn ourselves back on with our erotic fuel and into our radiance.

• At each stage in the process, you are welcome to participate as little or as much as you want.  

• We'll close with a short ending as a group.