Three Activities from
White Women’s Race and Class Laboratory

Body-Mind Centering Hands-On Bodywork Exchanges
Some of us in the Race and Class Lab have studied experiential anatomy for many years with Bonnie Bainbridge Cohen and teachers from The School for Body-Mind Centering. (click on Somatic Lineage Charts). The following is one way we might apply hands-on bodywork in a White Women’s Race and Class Lab session.

• In a climate of non-judgmental awareness, one partner reflects aloud on an early childhood memory regarding race. Her partner gently places her hands on the speaker and listens with her hands to the subtle anatomical shifts in the speaker’s body.
  
  
• We discuss our perceptions, and the possible meaning in our lives for our subtle anatomical responses to talking about a personal memory regarding race.

For example, in one of these exchanges I had a clear somatic (bodymind) image of the inner membranes of my cells tightening around dark-skinned people. My story about this tightening is that it is a kind of boundary within my body that preserves a sense of tribe. My bodymind expresses racism by rigidly separating mine from not mine. This insight led to a conversation about how racism affects us white people right down to the tone of our cellular membranes. With the kinesthetic support of my partner’s hands, I practiced talking about race, while visualizing my cellular membranes being responsive, flexible and porous. In this way, my partner’s attentive hands became resources to transform patterns of racial prejudice that were instilled very early in life.

Facilitators: Margie Fargnoli, Rebecca Frost and Wendy Morris

Victim, Perpetrator, Rescuer Triangle Exercise
Purpose: To increase awareness of the cycle of victim, perpetrator and rescuer in our own thinking.
Activity: Designate a triangle of three spots on the floor to represent roles of victim, perpetrator, or rescuer. During a conversation about a challenging real-life situation related to race or class, each person moves to the most relevant spot on the triangle as she speaks. Facilitator: Erika Thorne

Full Responsibility Duet
Purpose: To physically explore our habits regarding responsibility in relationship, and the implications of these habits concerning racial and economic justice.

• Start a movement duet by standing in physical contact with a partner. Remain in contact with your partner throughout the duet. Begin with both partners taking less than full responsibility for your own experiences.

Notice what is satisfying and what is not satisfying.

Notice what is familiar or unfamiliar.

Notice how change happens in this mode.

Notice what you recognize about this.

• Next, both take more than full responsibility – try to get your partner to have the experience you want them to have.

Notice what is satisfying and what is not satisfying.

Notice what is familiar or unfamiliar.

How do you decide when and how to change?

Notice what you recognize about this.

Notice how much awareness you have of your own experience when you focus on your partner’s experience.

• Shift into a third possibility where you and your partner go back and forth (without discussion) between taking less than and more than 100% responsibility.

Notice at what point you feel a shift from taking less than to taking more than 100% responsibility.

Notice how you feel when you shift roles or when the other person shifts roles.

How do you decide to make a change?

What determines a change in roles?

What is the dynamism of being able to go back and forth?

• Make one more shift, when you feel ready, in which each person is taking complete responsibility for her or his experience. Choose from moment to moment what you want to explore.

Notice how the relationship may change or not.

Notice how you decide to make a change in this mode.

Notice what is particularly satisfying or unsatisfying.

Notice how you stay aware of the connection (or not) when you are taking full responsibility for your own experience.

Notice what is familiar or unfamiliar about this way of relating.

• Let this duet come to an end, whenever you feel ready, in an organic, satisfying pause.
  Separate in some way that feels rhythmic and sensually satisfying to you, so you have some time again on your own, just aware of your own body.

Separate your physical contact with your partner in some way that feels rhythmic and sensually satisfying to you, so you have some time again on your own to be simply aware of your own body.

Just notice whatever you notice.

What was enlivening for you?

What was challenging for you?

What was familiar or unfamiliar?

• Come together as a large group and discuss the implications of your discoveries for your work and life, especially regarding race and class issues.

Facilitator: Ann Scott-Dumas