Roots and Branches
3 Dreamwork & Somatic Writing Workshops
to connect to hidden sources of wisdom
Co-facilitated by
Jennifer Campolo and Alexander Nemser
Ancient cultures believed in an unseen world that was full of power and wisdom.
Biblical prophets were visited by angels. Native Americans encountered the Great Spirit during rites of passage, which clarified their life purpose. Greek pilgrims went to the Asclepian temple, sleeping there for a night in hopes of receiving a healing dream from the Divine.
But modern life rarely makes space for a living relationship with the Mystery. So how can we encounter, and learn from, what often feels so hidden?
These workshops offer a safe, generative container for connecting to two mysterious realms that are more accessible to us: our dreams and our bodies.
Our nighttime dreams can become a source of guidance in our lives, opening us to deep emotion and surprising encounters; the intelligence of our bodies can anchor us as we navigate even the deepest tides of feeling.
Using somatic meditations, dreamwork practices, and expressive writing, we will gently tend to these anchoring "roots" and draw up nourishment from their depths.
By tapping these reservoirs inside ourselves, we can find the support to embrace change with grace, and allow for new "branches" to flourish in our life.
Meeting Descriptions
Sunday, December 7
Roots
In our first gathering, we dig into the fertile darkness, where growth first takes root. Like seeds hibernating in the earth, we explore what lies hidden in our depths—the dreams that speak in symbols, the body's ancient wordless wisdom, and the awareness that emerges when we stop striving and simply listen.
Using a somatic grounding practice and the portal of dreamwork, we invite more trust in the intelligence of our depths and anchor ourselves in the richness of our inner resources.
Sunday, December 14
Branches
When we feel deeply rooted, we also feel safer to reach upward and outward. In this meeting, we explore how our inner wisdom can extend into the world: how dreams can inflect our daily choices, how body awareness can support our relationships, and how creative expressions can prime new growth.
We will work with somatic and dreamwork practices that carry illumination from the inner realm into our outer lives. Like tree branches, which take nutrients up from the roots while offering shelter to small creatures, we will explore how to be more connected to our core while engaging with the world around us.
Sunday, December 21
(Re)generation
The winter solstice, the longest night of the year, births the return of the light. In our third and final session, we work with the poles of dark and light, death and life, resting and taking action. We will use dreamwork and somatic meditations to help us reconcile apparent binaries and land in a fuller awareness of the generative potential within and around us.
Endings hold the seeds of new beginnings. Together we make room for what is ready to be released and prepare space for what we hope to bring into the light over the coming weeks and months.
What You'll Receive at Each Meeting…
Short Readings
Wisdom literature and poetry illuminating each weekly theme.
Guided Somatic Contemplations
Gentle, guided meditations to nurture deeper body-mind connection.
Group Dreamwork
A 3-layer dreamwork process to revisit moments from your night-dreams, deepen their resonance, and tend to your vision in waking life.
Expressive Writing or Art
Time for engaging with prompts that prime your creative flow & clarify your vision.
Optional Sharing
An opportunity to share and be witnessed in what you are expressing and weaving together.
Who This is For
This group is for you if…
- You remember fragments of dreams and would like a potent and welcoming way to work with them to deepen your insight, spiritual vision, and compassion.
- You want to nurture your somatic awareness and experience creative flow.
- You would like structured time and supportive witnessing at this point on your journey.
This group is NOT for those seeking crisis support, as it is an educational and creative offering.
Details and Registration
Each 90-minute meeting will be held live on Zoom, and recordings & materials will be available for all registrants, even if you can't attend live.
Times:
12pm Pacific | 2pm Central | 3pm Eastern | 8pm GMT
Spaces:
Minimum 8, maximum 16 per workshop.
Price:
$40 per workshop
Register by the Friday before each workshop to receive the dreamwork worksheet in advance.
After checkout, you'll receive a welcome email with Zoom links and orienting information.
Please select the workshops you'd like to register for:
After your registration is received, look for an email from Jennifer Campolo with all the details you'll need to join.
We look forward to exploring together!
Ask a questionAbout The Facilitators
Jennifer Campolo, MFA
Jennifer Campolo, MFA is a copywriter and editor in St. Louis, Missouri. She has taught literature and creative writing to children and adults and facilitates workshops blending somatics and expressive arts. Jenn trained through the Kevah Teaching Fellowship for Jewish educators and served as a volunteer facilitator at Annie's Hope: The Center for Grieving Kids. She is currently training in NeuroAffective Touch, a somatic healing modality developed by Dr. Aline LaPierre, which utilizes attuned touch to bridge the divide between the body and mind.
Alexander Nemser
Alexander Nemser is a poet, writer, and facilitator in Los Angeles. His work has appeared in The New York Times, The Atlantic Monthly, and The Paris Review, among other publications. He has facilitated workshops on creative spirituality at Limmud, the Jewish Federation of Los Angeles, Lab/Shul, the Council of American Jewish Museums, Songleader Boot Camp, and NewCAJE. He completed the Mindfulness Meditation Teacher Certification Program with Jack Kornfield and Tara Brach, and is currently a practitioner-in-training of Natural Dreamwork under Rodger Kamenetz and Laura Smith-Riva.
You can visit his website at https://www.alexandernemser.com/.