The Art of the ChangeWeaver

THE INVITATION​

 

After 35 years of exploring the art of change, transformation and healing, I’m delighted to share The Art of the ChangeWeaver: A Year-Long Journey into Embodiment Facilitation. This comprehensive program weaves together the threads that have shaped my path: decades of facilitating conscious dance spaces, years of working intimately with groups and individuals as a transformational coach, somatic psychotherapist and supervisor, and my own continuous journey of learning, inquiry and discovery. I've learned that true facilitation is both an art and a practice, and that our humanity and authenticity are our greatest gifts.

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The intention of this journey is to support you to develop the skills, awareness, and presence needed to hold and facilitate transformatiional spaces through dance, movement, inquiry and embodied practice. Whether you're already a therapist, teacher, coach, or group facilitator, or simply feeling called to explore this path, you'll receive foundational tools to integrate embodied practice into your life and work.

 

Through structured learning and organic exploration, you'll develop your unique voice as an Embodiment Facilitator while joining a community of practice that can support your continued growth, self-discovery and authentic expression. My commitment is to share everything I've learned about creating spaces where genuine transformation can flourish.

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THE ORIENTATION

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“Deep beneath the water's surface lies a remarkable tale of transformation - the story of the dragonfly. For years, it lives as a nymph in the depths, unaware of its magnificent destiny, moving through cycles of growth and change in the darkness of its underwater world. Just as we often navigate through life's murky waters, unaware of our true potential, this humble creature undergoes a series of mutations that slowly prepare it for an extraordinary metamorphosis. As the nymph emerges from the depths into the sunlight, the nymph transforms into a radiant creature that flies with extraordinary precision and skill.”

-Extracted metaphor from Richard Rudd​

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The Art of the ChangeWeaver is an invitation to embody the very transformation we wish to facilitate. Just as the dragonfly must trust its body's knowing during metamorphosis, we learn to trust the deep intelligence of life itself. We develop the capacity to listen precisely to the body's wisdom, guide embodied inquiry, read field dynamics and the subtle currents of group energy, and weave individual experiences into collective meaning. Through movement, we discover how to hold space that's both strong enough to support real transformation and fluid enough to allow authentic expression to flourish. When we learn to trust this dance between form and freedom, something extraordinary becomes possible - a space where individual and collective healing naturally arises.

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In a world hungry for integrity, kind wisdom, authentic connection and meaningful change, we need facilitators who can create spaces where the wisdom of the body can guide both personal and collective evolution. Yet this capacity isn't something we can simply learn intellectually; it must be discovered through direct experience, developed through practice, and embodied through your own journey of transformation. Through this training, you will develop embodied wisdom and competancy as a ChangeWeaver; how to create containers where movement becomes medicine, where dance reveals wisdom, where authentic expression catalyzes collective change, and expansive vision of collective possibility is a guiding principle. 

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"Within each of us lies the potential for profound transformation. Like a seed holding the blueprint of a mighty tree, we carry the capacity for growth, resilience, and blossoming. It is through the dance of embodiment that we awaken this potential, nurturing the seeds of change within and becoming the weavers of our own becoming." Source Unknown​​​​

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PRACTICAL INFORMATION

Investment:

• Early Bird (until 1 Dec, 2026): 4.200€

• Normal Fee: 4.500€

• x2 Scholarship places available by application​
   

This investment comprises:

• 4 x 5 day in-person modules w/ Jo in Portugal (20 days)

• 1 x 2 day online module w/ Jo through zoom (2 days)

• food and accommodation during the residential modules in Biovilla (12 days/ 10 nights)
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Venues:

Biovilla Retreat Center ~ residential modules ~ (in the heart of the Arrábida National Park) 
Centro Upaya ~ non-residential modules ~ (in Campolide, Lisbon)

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Application Process

• Spots are limited to 30 participants​​

• To apply you will be asked to answer some questions and record a video. For more information and to request the application form, send us an email to releaseembodiedarts@gmail.com

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THE PROGRAM

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Like the dragonfly's stages of transformation, our journey unfolds through six carefully crafted modules. Throughout our journey, the perspective of ourselves as both dancer (immersed and subjective) and as facilitator (witness and reflective) will root us in an understanding that the more precisely we include our embodied reality, the more ground and capacity we have. Both are interdependant on each other. Reflection will regularly be invited from both perspectives, dancer and facilitator, in order to both fully include our own embodied reality and to evolve our capacity to see the meta-view. 

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Module 1: Embodiment Foundations
5-day Residential, Biovilla (near Lisbon), 5 - 9 May 2027 

​We must first learn to inhabit our own embodied experience as an essential foundations. Through conscious dance, movement exploration and 1:1 exchanges, we will dive dee pinto the art of embodied presence. We will cultivate the basic skills of somatic awareness, deep listening, and authentic presence.

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Key Areas: 

• Basics of embodied movement and somatic awareness

• The fundamentals of creating safe, trauma-informed, sacred spaces

• Embodied presence, somatic awareness and tracking the felt sense 

• Understanding somatic aspects of trauma and nervous system regulation

• How to be with what is with self-love and compassion

• The capacity to listen deeply empathic resonance

• The basics of embodied heart inquiry and Authentic Relating

• How to give and receive appreciative and creative feedback

• Exchange practice : Embodied 1:1 work -  deep listening and empathy

• Facilitation practice and feedback in small groups

• Basics of working with music
   

Module 2 : Communication, Community & Relating
5-day Non-Residential, Upaya (Lisbon), 23 - 27 June 2027​

From our deepening roots, we expand into the rich territory of relationship and community. Here in the fertile waters of connection, we explore the delicate dance of human interaction. Understanding how embodied wisdom transforms our capacity for authentic communication and meaningful relationship is key to holdng space. Like learning to read the weather patterns in a complex ecosystem, you'll develop sensitivity to group dynamics, the subtle currents of the relational field and appreciate the delicate dance between individual and collective experience. 

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Key Areas:

• Mindfulness in relationship

• Safety - Boundaries and proximity

• Working with conflict as a generative force

• Working creatively with polarities

• Developing relational field awareness

• Deepening embodied heart inquiry and Authentic Relating

• Exchange practice -  Embodied 1:1 work with inner conflicts

• Facilitation practice and feedback in small groups

• Evolving work with music

 

Module 3 : Relational Dynamics of Power and Love
2-day Online Intensive, 14 - 15 August 2027​

This online intensive invites us to expand our perspective and deepen our understanding of how different lived experiences have shaped our embodied reality and influence our work as facilitators. Understanding the relational dynamics of power, privilege and intersectionality support us to more fully embrace our diversity and understand the central importance of language of inclusion. 

 

Key Areas:

• Systemic understanding - View of Deep democracy 

• Understanding social location and systemic oppression

• Developing cultural awareness and sensitivity

• Develop an understanding of ‘hidden’ power and privilege dynamics 

• Building skills for addressing microaggressions

• Creating truly inclusive spaces : language of  inclusion

• Holographic nature and parrallel processes of living systems ​
   

Module 4 : Advanced Embodiment
5-day Residential, Biovilla (near Lisbon), 22 - 26 September 2027

Now we swim in deeper waters, developing tools for working with emotional intelligence, self-states, and subtle realms of somatic experience. Our unique voice as facilitators emerges as we expand our capacity to work with the full spectrum of human experience.

 

Key Areas:

• Working with self-states and emotional intelligence

• Advanced somatic resourcing techniques

• Developing your unique facilitation style and voice

• Exploring advanced group process tools

• Deepening connection with natural world wisdom

• Understanding trauma-informed facilitation

• Exchange practice :  Embodied 1:1 work with self states

• Facilitation practice and feedback in small groups

• Evolving work with music

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Module 5 : Visioning & Manifestation 
5-day Non-Residential, Upaya (Lisbon), 24 - 28 November 2027

Like the dragonfly's final emergence into sunlight, our closing gathering celebrates the full expression of your transformation. Just as the dragonfly's past waters become the force that unfurls its wings, your journey through the program becomes the foundation from which you'll emerge as the Embodiment Facilitator that you are, guiding others through their own metamorphosis in your chosen context. This module supports the manifestation of your unique vision and contribution to the world. We'll conclude our journey together with a co-created ceremony to honor both our individual and collective transformation.

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Key Areas:

• Refining your professional, embodied vision that aligns with ‘your way’

• Concrete next steps, personally and as Embodiment Facilitator

• Community process : giving and receiving feedback

• Ceremony and celebration

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“We have known Jo for many years and recognise in her a truly beautiful blend born of her many years of dedicated practice and enquiry. She is wise, funny and a truly unique dancer with a heart of gold and an uncompromising intelligence. Jo’s wisdom and depth links the personal, archetypal, and collective. She’s a force of nature who will stay with you wherever your journey leads” - Ya’Acov & Susannah Darling Khan – The School of Movement Medicine

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'I so appreciate the deep listening and presence you brought, the way you are amongst us the people and not outside above below or elsewhere -- but simply on the ground with the rest of us. This ensures everyone feels welcome and included and gives permission and space for all parts to be seen, held and moved. Love the way you work. You have distilled it down to a fine art and I will not stop asking you to share this distillation with others - I am in the long line up of people who would love to learn from you … waiting.' Julia Ray, Ecstatic Dance Toronto

 

'I am at a loss for words to really describe how beautiful and potent the weekend was. It was simply a gift that is shining brightly in me today so powerfully and I have a feeling it will continue shining for a good long while yet. Yes, to this potent medicine you bring Jo, this sweet combination. Yes and wow, what a beautiful offering in this world.’  Sharon, Soul Motion teacher​​​​​​​​​​​​