How do we repair the relationship with ourselves and support our bodies to heal, when we’ve experienced harm or have caused harm to others? Restorative Justice for the Body (RJB) explores the integration of somatic practices and compassionate mediation, guided by the principles of Restorative Justice, to identify conflict and unmet needs behind an illness or challenge in our bodies, while creating accountability with ourselves and our community. The project aims to support both individuals and organizations, with an emphasis on women of color, healers, artists, and change-makers that are working to make a positive impact.
This project is an exploration for the resolution of conflict within our bodies. The goal is to identify the conflicting parts within ourselves that negatively impact our well-being and together create agreements to support our bodies to heal and move forward as a whole. This process also focuses on restoring and growing the relationship we have with ourselves.
Conflicts are not caused by our needs. Our needs are valuable parts of the human condition and serve as signals of what is required to live a fulfilling and authentic life. What creates conflict are the strategies by which we go about getting our needs met. Many of our strategies stem from learning to survive, or may have been passed on from past generations, or through culture. They may not be aligned with who we aspire to be. By working through conflicts, we give ourselves the opportunity to grow and learn who we are, our needs and desires. Through mediation, we also give ourselves choices to shift and heal.
Providing RJB intakes and sessions to at least a dozen of individuals and five organizations/communities.
Gathering data, input and insight from the sessions. Researching and consulting with experts, advisors, and other resources in the healing, psychology, and restorative justice fields.
Build a booklet and/or training to support individuals, practitioners, and organizations to build their own practices.
In my early twenties, after training and completing my first marathon, I was unable to stop binge-eating. I would eat myself sick and then, within the hour, I would feel hungry again, and shove more food into my mouth until I passed out. I’d wake up to a shame spiral and begin to find a way, any way to get rid of the added weight and other damage I might have done to my body. This perception of “damage” was informed by not looking the way my family thought I should, to how characters on whatever television show I was watching looked. The emptiness was not in my stomach but in my heart and no amount of bagels, chips, and ice cream was going to fill that hole. The saddest part about this is I love food so much. Food brings me great pleasure and joy. It feeds my creativity, brings our family together, and provides such comfort and nurturing.
For years, on and off, I struggled with eating: how much, too much, not enough, longing to eat but afraid I wouldn’t be able to stop. I’ve sought professional help and found healthier ways to soothe my pain, but when something fell apart, I’d find myself in that unclear zone of replenishing or destructing myself with food again. It’s impossible to deny myself food; I need it to live, and I also need it for joy, pleasure, replenishment and healing. How do I have a loving relationship with food again?
I have been privileged enough to explore, participate, and teach various modalities of somatic and holistic healings. I draw upon many of the following wisdoms and knowledge into our sessions.
We begin with an intake process to identify the conflicts and challenges you want to focus on during our session. In this process, the parts of you that are in conflict will have a chance to share their stories.
During our session, I act as a guide and support, holding all parts of who you are equally. I am not there to judge or make decisions about different parts of you. I am here to:
We cannot heal alone. Our wellbeing is integrally linked to one another through our families, friends, ancestors, culture, and society. Restorative Justice for the Body seeks to repair and replenish our relationship with our bodies through accepting responsibility and creating meaningful accounting with ourselves and our community.
When we are healing the relationship with ourselves, we are also healing the relationship we have with others. When we are able to identify our needs and desires, we are able to build and choose relationships in reciprocity. When we make a shift from surviving towards thriving, we liberate ourselves and our ancestors and, have a better chance at of ending generational trauma.
Restorative Justice for the Body focuses on serving women of color, healers, artists, and change-makers because they are the people working to build a loving world. However, they are often depleted and burned out from resisting and living in a culture rooted in White supremacy and misogyny. As we restore our bodies and replenish our souls, we can offer a helping hand from a place that is full, sustainable, and non-destructive.
While capitalism tells us that healing can instantly happen by purchasing the next new trend, Restorative Justice for the Body helps us to connect to our greatest assets and intelligence, our bodies and our communities, thus creating more equity and empowerment in our healing path. It strives to lessen our pain through creativity and exploration. It offers us a tool and permission to be our whole authentic selves as we continue to heal and build relationships with ourselves and our communities.
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