Boundaries for Caregivers

Boundaries for Caregivers: A Somatic & Creative Workshop
Thursday, September 3 · 6–8pm

Facilitated by: Ashley Hartman Annis
Hosted by: Madison Death Studio, Meghan Allynn Johnson
Support: This program is made possible through the Madison Arts Commission Artist Grant (MAC) and is offered free to participants as part of community programming at Madison Death Studio.

A two-hour workshop for caregivers to somatically and creatively explore our boundaries. For this workshop we are defining caregivers broadly, as anyone who offers sustained care, emotional labor, presence, or support to others in formal, informal, personal, or professional contexts.

As caregivers, we are often asked to give a lot of ourselves - our time, our energy, our intellect, our physical body - in service to others. Often without even noticing, we end up depleting our inner resources, creating exhaustion, resentment, lack of creativity, and a loss of self. When we (re)learn to listen to our bodies and identify what a yes / no / maybe feels like, we can more easily create kind, compassionate, & sustainable boundaries that allow us to care both for ourselves and for the people in our lives & community.

We’ll begin with some simple somatic practices that help to create a sense of safety, groundedness, & presence, and will also allow participants to safely begin checking in with their own bodies to identify feelings, emotions, & sensations that are present.

We’ll take some time to craft a mini clay talisman or representation of the self, and use that representation to explore our spatial, energetic, emotional, and spiritual boundaries.

Participants will leave with grounding practices they can use “in the wild,” embodied practice identifying their boundaries, a zine about boundaries, and a mini-talisman / representation of self as a reminder of their boundaries & intentions.

This project is funded in part by a grant from the Madison Arts Commission, with additional funds from the Wisconsin Arts Board.