Welcome Mahfam & Yashna and more

Reminder: application deadlines for gs NYC courses and SOEL coming up in May.

generative somatics (gs) community,

All of us at gs are moved and humbled by the level of interest in our courses so far this year. For Somatics & Trauma (S&T) alone, we received over 120 impressive applications. We sadly, can only accept 35 people into each of our courses. We want to take this opportunity to let you know that we are grateful to each and every applicant who took the time to share yourself with gs! We read every application. You all are amazing.

We look forward to each of you being part of the gs community, in different ways, for years to come. W e increased our programatic offer significantly this year, and are hopeful about continuing to grow, so we can offer even more programming, to more people, in the years to come.

To that end -- we are thrilled to share that Mahfam Malek and Yashna Padamsee have joined the gs staff program team! Both bring tremendous skill and vision to this work. We are certain that their contribution will support gs to grow our impact over the next months and years. Please read more about Mahfam and Yashna below , and as you hear from them, please send them welcoming words.

Also -- we're currently hiring a Communications & Fundraising Associate. Please check out the job description, consider applying, or pass it on. Thanks.

Finally -- a reminder: applications for our courses in New York City, as well as the School of Embodied Leadership (SOEL), are due May 21st! Please also check out our Transformative Resourcing programs. Consider applying to courses and share the information with organizers and other movement workers who you think would be a good fit.

Thank you for being committed to transformation, both personal and social.

In appreciation,

Staci

Staci K. Haines

Executive Director

Welcome new staff!

Mahfam Malek, gs Program Coordinator, has held different roles in racial, economic, & environmental/climate justice movements over the years, including facilitator, non-profit staff of many stripes, social justice-oriented stand-up comic, direct action organizer, environmental educator, and more. Some years back, their passion for justice began to fuse with their obsession with politicized healing and transformation. This brought them to the path of somatic practitioner (in training) and now, to Program Coordinator at gs.

Mahfam is originally from Tehran, Iran, was raised mostly in the Los Angeles area, and has now lived in Oakland longer than they've lived anywhere else. Though their longing for homes past is strong, they happily identify as a California kid who loves cavorting about in the woods wit h their dog and hitting the Town with their partner & friends.

Yashna Maya Padamsee, gs Program Manager, is a first generation south asian immigrant queer femme raised in and by the US South. Yashna has spent over a dozen years supporting social movements through creating innovative infrastructure and sharing liberatory healing practices. Seven of those years was in her previous work and role as the Events Director for longtime gs partner, the National Domestic Workers Alliance. Yashna has been a gs student since 2008, in gs Teacher Training since June 2017, she joined gs staff in November 2017 as the Program Manager and staff lead of the Disability Justice committee.

When not working, Yashna enjoys listening to podcasts, texting with her niece who is in North Carolina, eating dumplings with her partner Ang, and taking their dog Monkey to Point Isabel for a beautiful California sunset.

Notes from Mahfam and Yashna --

"When I first experienced somatics through gs coursework, I was rocked to my core! As I continued to practice, I notice my relationships with family, friends and community were steadily growing more connected and honest, and that our conflicts no longer felt insurmountable. I am honored to help make individual and collective transformation accessible to the gs community. I feel lucky to work with the team that invites healers and movement leaders to this path, offering transformative tools that can help our movements grow stronger and ever closer to the world we envision."

- Mahfam

"The gs community of students, teachers and movement partnerships are all brilliant and bold and I am so honored and delighted to be on staff at gs! I am excited to offer a deep dedication to sustainable and scalable transformative social movements through solid yet flexible systems, and an ever expanding love of the People. May our work together thrive! n."

- Yashna

Photos:

1) Mahfam (left) in gs Transformative Fundraising Program.

2) Yashna (right) at an action with the National Domestic Workers Alliance.

www.generativesomatics.org