Reclaiming Our Bodies, Retreat Wrap Up and Celebration: Coming Together in Community

Reclaiming Our Bodies 2021 was a phenomenal, community-centered virtual retreat that radiated with warmth and liberation from the opening meet-up to the closing debrief. Running from January 9-10, 2021, with an all-star lineup of guests, this inclusive and heart-filled weekend was one for the books.

The retreat kicked off with a Friday evening meet-and-greet session full of intros deserving of a love button and lots of virtual hugs. Sabia Wade, BADT founder, brought big "let's do this" energy and Jenna "JB" Brown, BADT teacher and lead course content creator, affirmed each and every participant with big make-your-face-hurt smiles. 

In the opening session on Saturday morning, Sabia pointed to the theme of Reclaiming Our Bodies, saying "[our bodies] may not always run perfectly, but they keep us here, they keep us present. [Our] bodies, [our] well-being is an act of resistance, and for that we should be proud." 

Sabia introduced keynote speaker Amber Ashley James, an abolitionist, organizer, and lawyer dedicated to the struggle for a liberated future – by ending all systems of violence and exploitation, and birthing new worlds of care and safety for all people and our one planet. Amber shared words from poet Lucille Clifton to set the tone for her stirring keynote session:

come celebrate

with me that everyday

something has tried to kill me

and has failed.

Amber discussed bringing life into the world—parenting work, birth work—as liberation work, and the importance of simultaneously burning down oppressive systems and building up mechanisms for wellness, safety, and thriving. She also pointed to the importance of reclamation for our bodies, and that this work is as collective as it is personal.

From her perspective as an abolitionist, Amber pointed to the oppressive systems of policing, violence, racism, and criminal punishment in this country (and beyond) and that these systems are not failing, but operating exactly as designed. She shared her insatiable desire to "see our people well, see our people healed," and she and Sabia talked about finding the balance between "fuck this but also, I need to be here," that many of us feel in birth and full-spectrum doula work and that Amber experiences in her work as a lawyer.

Sex and Body Positive Energy

Following the keynote session was a workshop on "The Sex Education of Tomorrow: On Sexual Liberation & Social Justice" with Cameron Glover, a Black femme, sex educator, founder, and the Chief Visionary Officer of Successful Sex Ed. Cameron cast powerful and exciting visions of what sex ed can be, sharing her perspective on how the landscape of sex education is shifting and advancing a futurist sex ed that is collaborative rather than hierarchical, value-led, people-focused, sustainable, and liberatory in action and politic.

The final workshop on Saturday was led by Erica Smith, sexuality educator and creator of the Purity Culture Dropout Program, a program aimed at helping adults learn all of the sex education that they missed growing up in purity culture. Erica spoke powerfully on purity culture in her Reclaiming Our Bodies session, and the chat (and later the conference app) was full of relatable shares from a variety of humans who've been shaped and hurt by the gender and sexual control and harm perpetuated by purity culture. 

Throughout both days of the retreat, attendees had the opportunity to reconnect with their bodies through a variety of movement and breath practices. On Saturday, Asher Freeman, of Nonnormative Body Club, led an accessible cardio and muscular endurance workout, and on Sunday, Regina of Wolf Medicine Magic led a breathwork session, followed by a barre class with Lauren Leavell.

Something for Everyone

So that retreat participants could move through content at their own pace, Reclaiming Our Bodies included two pre-recorded sessions, an exciting 2021 tarot spread with Regina, with cards for each month of the new year, and a session on ancestral food with Raeanne Madison.

Both days of the retreat, but especially Saturday was full of amazing tech support that kept things moving all the while holding space for any anxiety or FOMO (fear of missing out, it's real, y'all, and don't worry, you're not missing out if you haven't come across the acronym before). Saturday wrapped up with a debriefing session led by Aaliyah Kianna, a birthworker, educator, herbalist and community curator for the Nexus Movement. They helped participants process with thoughtful questions and encouraging reflections.

Participants shared their evenings via the interactive Whova app, with photos of pets, loved ones, and slices of pizza. Even though the retreat gathered virtual participants from across the country and beyond, the connection and participation rivaled any in-person gathering. Discussion threads on the app covered everything from BDSM and birth to American Sign Language (ASL) to purity culture.

Sunday began with an opening session led by Cheyenne Scarlett, BADT’s Administrative Assistant, with space for attendees to process and ground as we headed into another day of workshops and panels. Following the opening, Jamila Reddy, a writer, lifestyle designer, and wellness advocate led a workshop on lifestyle design. Gracefully navigating spotty internet issues, Jamila offered expansive insights into creating a sovereign life. 

After the day's breath and movement offerings, JB and Sabia returned as panelists for the retreat's titular panel "Reclaiming Our Bodies, alongside Danielle Blunt—a New York City based professional and lifestyle Dominatrix, full-spectrum doula, and yoga teacher—and Michelle Hy—the person behind the social media account Polyamorous While Asian.

The conversation was dynamic and expansive, as each participant shared their perspectives on a variety of topics centered around reclaiming our bodies, including chronic illness and pain, kink and BDSM, work and career decisions, gender, race and racism, and more. In the chat discussion, a participant mentioned that the panel almost felt like "BDSM church," and it indeed was a connective, insightful, and perhaps even holy way to spend a Sunday afternoon.

Beyond the Retreat

Aaliyah led a second decompression session at the end of day two of Reclaiming Our Bodies. Before signing off, Sabia and JB shared BADT's exciting 2021 course catalog with new additions to the list including Birth and Disability and Racism and Privilege in Birthwork Part II. In some of her closing remarks, Sabia described the retreat as an "amazing-fantabulous-exhausting-inspiring-energizing-soothing-communal-amazing weekend," and that sums it up pretty well. 

Personally, as a full-spectrum doula, a parent, a human, this retreat was an incredible, interdisciplinary gathering that nourished my spirit. This weekend  invited me back into my body as I continue to participate in liberatory work so that we all might reclaim our bodies, collectively and individually. It's an honor to be a part of this expansive and vibrant community. For anyone seeking connection, community, accountability, and acceptance, Reclaiming Our Bodies 2021 was evidence that there's room for you at this virtual (and hopefully one day IRL!) table. 

Andrew August Rich (they/he) is a full-spectrum doula, lactation professional, parent, and non-binary transmasculine human based in rural Kentucky (outside of Louisville, KY). They've participated in BADT's Full Spectrum Doula and Childbirth Educator trainings, and are currently preparing to become an IBCLC. Their work centers around gender liberation, family building, and body literacy and autonomy. You can connect with them through Instagram (@theandrewaugust) or through their website.