Transmuting Poison into Medicine: Intersecting Cultivation Practices and the Power of Spoken Word for Somatic Trauma Healing

Abstract: Harvard Divinity School has the honour in hosting the premiere of “SanBao and the Tao of Healing.” A live performance of a collaborative work by Billy and Heather: combining a somatic narrative through Spoken Word, partnered with the hermetic practice of Taijiquan’s publicly taught first 3 books (series of forms), revealed by Billy’s Sifu Hon, Sat Chuen. This session will begin with contextualizing the unique method of the work. Participants will then be invited into a sensory journey while witnessing the live offering. To integrate, participants will dialogue with Billy and Heather in facilitating a personal somatic healing practice.

Presenter bios: Billy J. Choi-Gekas is the founder of the School of Radical Healing and Sacred Activism (SORHSA) www.myradicalhealing.com and is a wholistic practitioner, educator, and anti-oppression consultant, working with numerous social justice, Queer, and inter-religious organizations across Canada. Billy currently works out of the University of Toronto and serves on the Board of Directors for Toronto Urban Native Ministry.

Heather Beamish is co-founder of Voices Canada www.voicescanada.org and an ex-evangelical pastor turned spoken word artist, author, and facilitator. In her work, she prioritizes resourcing communities with tools for rebuilding, reimagining, and reconciling differences through art and education. Heather is committed to creating curriculum and content birthed out of her Queer, Black, and Indigenous identities. www.heatherbeamish.com

Presenter affiliation: The School of Radical Healing & Sacred Activism (SORHSA) (Choi-Gekas); University of Toronto (Choi-Gekas); Voices Canada (Beamish)