Somatic Liberation: Tending to the Effects of Racism and Supremacy Within the Body

What does it mean to heal racialized trauma held in your bones, your nervous system, your very cellular memory? In this groundbreaking retreat, acclaimed author and somatic practitioner Resmaa Menakem invites you into Somatic Liberation—an embodied antiracist practice that addresses the invisible yet deeply felt impacts of racism and white supremacy. Held at the serene Omega Institute in Rhinebeck, NY on Sunday, October 18, 2026, this extended workshop offers far more than intellectual understanding. It is a full-body homecoming, a chance to befriend and transform what has been locked inside you.

Drawing from his New York Times bestseller My Grandmother's Hands and his evolving work in Somatic Abolitionism, Menakem recognizes that racism doesn't live only in our minds or institutions—it lives in our flesh. Whether you carry the ancestral and ongoing trauma of an Indigenous body, a body of culture, or the inherited shame and confusion of a white body, this retreat creates space to witness, tend to, and ultimately liberate yourself from these racialized patterns. Through guided group discussion, somatic awareness practices, and honest personal reflection, you will make visible what has remained invisible in both your own system and in the collective body of our culture.

This is profound, demanding work that calls for courage and willingness to interrogate your own embodied experience. You will leave with foundational skills for cultivating liberation—not as an abstract concept, but as a lived, felt reality in your body and relationships.

What to Expect

Expect a carefully held container that honors both shared humanity and identity-specific experience. The retreat weaves together full-group sessions and concurrent offerings organized by body identity, allowing for both collective inquiry and spaces where your particular racialized reality can be truly witnessed. You'll move, breathe, speak, and listen. You'll explore your somatic responses to racialized systems—the tension, the dissociation, the grief, the resilience. Menakem's teaching style is grounded, accessible, and unapologetic, meeting participants where they are while naming hard truths. By the end of this day, many leave with a renewed sense of agency in their own healing and a clearer path toward personal and communal liberation.

Venue & Logistics

The retreat takes place at Omega Institute, a renowned sanctuary for holistic learning nestled in the Hudson Valley near Rhinebeck, NY. Wear comfortable clothing that allows for movement. Please plan to arrive early to settle into the space. Scholarships are available for Black, Indigenous, and People of Color participants—reach out to Omega directly for application details. If you have accessibility needs, contact the venue in advance.