The study of somatics brings people together.
Community-Centered
This program is initiated based on long-term service to the community, and it serves to foster mature somatic movement teachers that place service in their hearts.
Cross-Disciplinary
This integrated curriculum surveys the most important somatic practices in the field today.
200+ Hours
Immersive workshop segments both online and in-person will cultivate a strong sense of grounding and embodied presence for teachers-to-be.
Essential Knowledge
Embodied knowledge is passed on and discussed through basic vocabularies (a phenomenological approach), finding common roots among varied somatic practices.
Open Dialogue
Co-teaching provides diverse perspectives, lifestyles, and teaching philosophies that will create a rich dialogue for the students.
Sustainable Path
Students will be led step-by-step to build their own community that will continue to nourish their personal and professional growth.
Curriculum and Pedagogical Approach
Immersive Movement Workshops
Practice
Guidance
Private Sessions
Discussion
Small Group Processes
Meet the Team
Past Faculty
Experienced Faculty
The Somatic Movement Teacher Training Program draws together a group of experienced teachers who have been actively practicing and teaching for decades.
Program Highlights
Close-Knit Community
Longer-than-usual continuity of support during your progress with in-between meetings and teaching supervisions. Small group processes foster intimate training environment, building life-long friendships in a professional community.
Practice & Theory
Topic-orientated discussions and "Bridge Segments" help you integrate theories across disciplines, building a solid foundation for teaching and sharing movement.
2025-2026 Schedule
Application Opens
October 1st, 2024
Application Ends
November 20th, 2024
Notification of Admission
December 1st, 2024
Curriculum:
Segment 1: 01/29 - 02/01, 2025
Segment 2: 02/26 - 03/01, 2025
Round Table 1: 03/14, 2025
Segment 3: 04/01 - 04/06, 2025 (In Person, Dali)
Guest Lecture: 05/09, 2025
Segment 4: 05/28 - 05/31, 2025
Round Table 2: 06/27, 2025
Segment 5: 07/09 - 07/12, 2025
Round Table 3: 07/25, 2025
Segment 6: 08/04 -08/09, 2025 (In Person, TBD)
Round Table 4: 09/05, 2025
Guest Lecture: 09/06, 2025
Segment 7: 10/01 - 10/04, 2025
Segment 8: 10/29 - 11/01, 2025
Round Table 5: 12/12, 2025
Evaluation and Graduation
Segment 9: 12/23 - 12/28, 2025 (In Person, Hainan)
Evaluation and Graduation
Closing Ceremony: 01/17, 2026
Each Online Segment day is 3 hours, 18:00 - 21:00 PST (9:00 - 12:00 Next Day China Time)
Each In-Person Segment day is 6 hours, 9:00 - 12:00 and 14:00 - 17:00 China Time Only
Each Round Table Meeting / Guest Lecture is 2 hours, 19:00 - 21:00 PST (10:00 - 12:00 Next Day China Time)
Submit
Your
Application
Our application cycle for the year 2025-2026 is now open.
Deadline for year 2025-2026
November 20th, 2024
Your application should include the following materials:
1) A 500-word self introduction and letter of intention OR a video introduction less than 5 minutes. Please introduce yourself here and share any relevant information we need to know!
2) An updated resume / CV.
3) A 500-word letter of recommendation by someone who is familiar with your practice. We would love to know how your practice has made an impact on you and your community.
4) Contact Sheet (click the arrow below to download).
Please email all required materials in PDF or MP4 format to jessicalusijia@gmail.com, or send to Jessica by adding her WeChat: Jessicalusijia.
Tuition
Deposit 165 USD
Tuition 4800 USD
Total Amount 4965 USD
Payment plans will be available for admitted students:
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Pay in 4 separate installments (quarterly).
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Pay in 12 installments (Monthly).
We will help you set up a payment plan suitable for you.
FAQ
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How large will the training group be?The total number of participants will not exceed 30 people. Small-size groups are used to foster your learning with the training staff in an intimate and personalized context. For example, in topic-oriented discussions you will bridge the gap between readings and your class experiences, to make connections between ideas and devise ways to put those connections into action. We are committed to creating a constructive atmosphere, where all students can speak and be heard. We want to expand beyond the idea of being in a group and learning individually to create a process of learning with a group and as a group. By drawing on the different skills and background that each participant brings, the training will be a place for collaborative interaction and cooperative learning.
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What is the student evaluation process?In an ongoing process, the faculty members will evaluate each student by witnessing and supervising their teaching practices. Self-evaluation halfway through the program through written reflections will envision future steps for growth. All students will also share their “crystallization” project to the community at the end of the year. The progress and learning of each student in the training program will be closely supported, guided and followed throughout.
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Why online and in-person hybrid format?The Somatic Movement Teacher Training uses a hybrid online and in-person format. This allows for a great deal of flexibility and a lot of possibilities that don’t exist when a training is limited to in-person learning only. Primary among these is the ability to meet more frequently without raising the expense for students. In fact, it reduces costs considerably. Some may wonder whether the online format sacrifices quality for this convenience. We believe that, in fact, the online structure, when used intentionally, actually raises the standard of the training program in several ways. Both online and in-person learning formats have benefits. Our training format takes full advantage of the opportunities that they each afford. The current schedule allows for 32 days of online learning and 18 days of in-person learning over the course of the training program. The opportunity to meet more often at less expense will allow students to maintain the continuity of learning and also integrate what is learned practically in daily life. A typical in-person training segment meets over many days and includes about six hours of class time each day. Online segments are shorter and each day is about 3 hours. This hybrid format also creates opportunity to address people’s different interests in developing their teaching. We know that video conferencing present particular challenges. However, due to the nature of our work, this has not been a significant issue. This is largely because a very significant portion of the training is dedicated to movement where the students do not need to be at the computer but instead are moving in space. The video feed allows the instructors to observe, but there is no need for students to look at the screen for a large portion of an online training day.
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Who is the program for?This program is for practitioners who already have some experience in bodywork, movement, or meditation practices. More importantly, it is for those who are deeply impacted by somatic practices and sincerely wish to facilitate other people on their journeys of self-inquiry. In this program, participants will gain a basic blueprint that provides the constellation of inter-related ideas, and will be able to expand and recreate this framework based on their own background and prospect. This framework allows practitioners to understand the essential knowledge common to various systems of somatic practices, substantially reducing the time and resources needed to pursue each individual disciplines. Graduates from this program will have an integrative and fundamental understanding of their own and other people’s embodiment processes.