Community-Supported Retreat Spots for the Resilience in Movement
Yoga and Social Justice Retreat
We wish that this retreat could be free for whoever feels called to come and feels they could use the support and time focusing on self-care, community-care, and resilience in our movements. Unfortunately, we exist within the current system of capitalism, which means that even though we are not putting on this retreat with the goal of making money (but rather because we believe in it and think that this work is important and want to hold space for it!) it does cost money to rent the space and pay for the food. We’ve also set the standard rate for the retreat to compensate us somewhat for the time that has gone into planning and coordinating the retreat, as well as the time that we are there teaching, tending to, and holding the space. That said, we hope that nobody who feels called to join us is unable to because of finances.
To make sure the criteria and availability of community-supported spots is as clear and as fair as possible (while acknowledging that it can never be completely fair as long as we exist within an inherently unfair and inequitable system of capitalism), we are offering these parameters:
- The number of community-supported spots available in the retreat will depend on how many other spots are filled, as well as how many folks who register pay at the higher end of the sliding scale.
- The community-supported spots will be discounted $150-200 from the regular rates for the retreat.
- These spots will be available on a first-come, first-served basis, while prioritizing the following criteria:
- Prioritizing access for people of color
- Prioritizing access for folks with disabilities
- Prioritizing access for working class folks and people who would otherwise not be able to attend the retreat without a discounted rate
- Prioritizing access for people of color
Before August 1, community-supported spots will be reserved for people of color and folks with disabilities. After August 1, if there are still community-supported spots available, or if more open up as more folks register for the retreat, spots will be available to anyone with financial need.
To check on availability or express your interest in a community-supported retreat spot, please fill out and submit this brief form.
If you would like to help us provide more community-supported spots - either by paying above the standard rate, or by making a contribution towards community-supported spots, we welcome that and will make more spots available!
*A note on language:*
We are using the term “community-supported retreat spots” rather than “scholarships” or some other term in part to shift away from any mindset of “charity” or “assistance”. RW has experienced being the “scholarship kid” in environments where that meant less-than, or needing to prove that one had earned one’s spot or really deserved to be there in a way that others never had to. We'd prefer to use the frame of community-care (the community all contributing to the whole and taking care of the collective) to suggest that we all benefit when folks with a diversity of experiences, identities, and backgrounds are in space together, and having community-supported (discounted or sliding-scale) retreat spots is one way to support the creation of a diverse retreat ecosystem, and support access for folks who otherwise wouldn't be able to access the space.
We also choose not to use the term “scholarship” to make clear and transparent the fact that we are not a large institutional organization with grant money and funders to fund scholarships. We are asking our communities as well as other folks who come on the retreat to consider giving money to support access for those for whom the standard rates are a barrier, but we are also allowing that we as the folks organizing the retreat may simply absorb some of the lodging and food costs for sliding-scale and commmunity-supported retreat spots.