Islands of Coherence: Grounded Presence & Collective Belonging

"When a complex system is far from equilibrium, small islands of coherence in a sea of chaos have the capacity to shift the entire system to a higher order," - Nobel Prize-winning chemist Ilya Prigogine.

What does it mean to be fully human—awake, connected, and rooted—With systems actively trying to pull us out of coherence?

How do I stay rooted in myself…without closing my heart to the world?

This workshop is a response to these questions, a space to return to yourself—and to remember that you are not alone.

We are living in a time of increasing polarization, fragmentation, and rising forces that thrive on fear, disconnection, and overwhelm.

The invitation here is not to bypass that reality. It is to meet it differently.

To cultivate:

• Inner coherence — a regulated, resourced, anchored self
• Collective coherence — a shared field of belonging, presence, and possibility

Reconnect with your nervous system as an ally.

Learn how to stay permeable without becoming overwhelmed

Feel what becomes possible when a group drops into shared presence

We will work with:

• Somatic awareness practices
• Expressive arts including sounding, writing, art, movement
• Playful approaches
• Guided reflection and integration

This is not about “fixing” yourself. It’s about remembering how to be with yourself—and each other—in a deeper way.

• You feel the impact of the current political and cultural climate in your body
• You want to stay engaged with the world without burning out
• You are longing for deeper, more authentic connection
• You’re navigating leadership, caregiving, or community roles in uncertain times
• You sense that how we are together matters as much as what we do

• A felt sense of grounded inner stability
• Tools to return to coherence in real-time
• A deeper capacity to stay open without losing your center
• A lived experience of belonging in a coherent field
• A renewed trust in your ability to meet this moment

This space is held with care for the many ways we arrive—in body, history, and identity, with an invitation for each person to participate at their own pace in ways that feel authentic and self-defined. We welcome participants of all racial, cultural, gender, and sexual identities.

Co-facilitated by and , Licensed Marriage and Family Therapists (click on links to read about Sonya and Carrie and their psychotherapy practices)

Sonya and Carrie have 48 years of combined therapeutic experience in somatic and creative arts work, and perform together in The Fertile Void Project. We draw inspiration from Generative Somatics, Hakomi, playfulness, and the music, story and ritual gatherings of The Fertile Void Project.

Please arrive between 10:30-10:45am

TO BRING:

A journal and pen

Water bottle

Snacks

We will have yoga mats for sitting on and limited backjacks and chairs. If you have and would like a backjack, please bring that

We look forwrd to being together!

Event Venue & Nearby Stays

The Green Yogi TELEGRAPH, 2807 Telegraph Avenue, Berkeley, United States

Concerts, fests, parties, meetups - all the happenings, one place.

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