Wednesday December 14, 6-8PM at SBA, 215 Huron Street, 9th floor

Students for Barrier-free Access (SBA) and the Centre for Women and Trans People (CWTP) at U of T invites you to join us for a new series of events that works to create space for community building, critical conversation, and support for Queer, Trans and Two-Spirit, Black, Indigenous and People of Colour (QT2SBIPOC).

As organizers of this space, we recognize that this event will be taking place on the territories of the Huron-Wendat and Petun First Nations, the Seneca and the Mississaugas of New Credit. We are here because this land is occupied. As organizations located within the University of Toronto, it is our responsibility to acknowledge that we are all treaty people that live, work and organize on occupied land.

We also recognize that this University is a space that many of our community members experience violence, including the violence of settler-colonialism, anti-black racism, white supremacy, homophobia, transphobia, transmisogyny, ableism, sanism, classism, Islamophobia and the violence of rape culture. Recent events on campus have highlighted the ongoing presence of these forms of violence. As a collective, we work to challenge these forms of violence in our communities and in our everyday practice.

We have a strong commitment to creating anti-colonial community space that rejects ableist and sanist ways of relating. We are committed to building meaningful and reciprocal relationships between Indigenous, Black, and POC communities and to acknowledge that this requires difficult conversations to be had. Through the QT2SBIPOC Discussion Night Series, we strive to hold a space for these conversations.

TOPIC: Surviving the holiday season. We will be discussing our complicated relationship with our family of origin and our chosen family, challenges around disclosure of our sexuality and gender, and ways in which madness come up during the holidays.

ACTIVITIES:
1. Compile a list of self care strategies to send out for the holidays [keeping in mind difference access to resources and community].
2. Bring in a meaningful item or object to share/show the group.
3. We will be making cards for each other (card making supplies will be provided).

Date: Wednesday December 14, 2016

Time: 6:00pm-8:00pm

Location: SBA Centre, 215 Huron Street, Suite 924, on the 9th floor.

Please note that the front doors to 215 Huron Street lock at 5:30pm. Event organizers will wait at the entrance to let people in from 5:50pm-6:00pm. If you arrive later, please call 416-967-7322 and one of us will let you in.

Wheelchair accessible. Accessible and all-gender washroom located on the same floor as the event room.

Please note that the SBA Centre is a scent-free space.

Snacks, including vegan and gluten-free options will be served.

If you require ASL to participate in the event, or if you have any other access needs please contact Nadia at sba.advocacycoordinator AT gmail DOT com

***This is a QT2SBIPOC only space. As always, we appreciate the support we receive from our white allies by respecting this space and by sharing this event information with their networks.***

FB Event: https://www.facebook.com/events/1493194857376134

Fearless Heart: Self Compassion for 2SQTBIPOC folks

FREE Full Moon Anti-colonial Mindfulness Workshop

Cultivating a fearless heart does not mean the heart ceases to feel fear. A fearless heart is one that is unafraid to turn towards fear with kindness, which is the heart of compassion. This mindfulness workshop introduces practices of self-compassion to befriend and attend to fear through the direct experience of thoughts, emotions, and sensations. Mindfulness is offered by centering embodied traditional knowledges for the liberation of ourBlack, Indigenous and POC (BIPOC) Two-Spirit, Queer, Trans, Gender non-conforming and Gender non-binary communities, and all oppressed communities, and all oppressed communities. 

To Register:

1. Read the Detailed Description below to see if this workshop series meets your needs.

2. Email or call Lu to request a spot. Space is limited.

3. If you have any questions, Lu would be happy to set up brief phone call with you.

Lu: lu AT lulam DOT ca, 416-876-8135

Workshop Date, Location & Access Info:

Date: Tuesday, December 13 from 6-8:30pm

Location: Centre for Women and Trans People UofT, 563 Spadina Ave, Room 100, Wheelchair access via Bancroft Ave.

Access Info: Light vegan dinner included. Wheelchair accessible space. Single-user, wheelchair accessible, all-gender washroom. Tokens available upon request.

Facilitator: Lead Facilitator, Lu Lam, M. Ed, CCC, is a trans-identified, Chinese-Taiwanese Counsellor and Mindfulness Consultant. He is trained in mindfulness and critical diversity counselling practices. Lu has 8 years of daily meditation practice and is in continual mindfulness study.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

Fear can be carried in our cells through the impacts of colonization, historical trauma, and ongoing systemic, interpersonal, lateral violence of the everyday-even scientific research has caught to this truth. Instead of denying, disciplining, concealing fear, what if we honoured fear? What would be known we view fear a respected teacher? How could we be curious about fear-based insecurities like thinking we are too f*cked up to be loved in order to re-member our inherent wholeness and reclaim a deep sense of belonging.

When we begin to pay gentle attention to fear, we radically change our relationship to difficult or scary experiences. Our brilliant, once life-saving ways to push away, numb, ignore the stress of fear in the long-run impacts our holistic personal and community health. And every one of us has the capacity to heal our soul wounds with a fearless heart. When we become first, aware that fear is present, we can then greet fear with deep self-compassion. This radical act of noticing taps into our intrinsic potential to grow resiliencies to the hardships in life. When we grow resiliencies, we also grow our possibilities to live with more trust in ourselves, more ease and wonder which ripples out into all our relations, offering power and sustainability to our liberation movements.

This workshop will be facilitated from an anti-oppression approach, which means that experiences of Indigenous and traditional ways of knowing will be privileged, lived experiences of intersectionality and oppression are welcomed with respect, humility and sacred understanding. A critical perspective on mainstream mental health which promotes the medical industrial complex and white supremacy will be woven throughout.

Is this workshop for me? Take a few moments to reflect on these questions:

Do I have an interest to meet my own direct fear experience (feeling, thought, sensation), whatever that may be, with facilitative support?

Do I have a readiness to practice a little bit every day for 7 days.  Daily commitment to practice is the intention – even a few minutes a day; length of practice is not the focus.

Am I looking for a non-judgmental non-pathologizing space where my whole being and the wholeness of my life are welcomed?

How many people will be in this workshop?

Approximately 8 participants.

What happens in this workshop?

In the first part, information will be shared on how self-compassion from a mindfulness paradigm may benefit us and our collective well-being. Psychoeducation on how fear activates our heartmindbody systems will be integrated. Poetry is also used to illustrate mindfulness and compassion concepts. A mindfulness practice will be introduced and we will engage in this practice.  In the second part, the facilitator will open the workshop for any questions or reflections on the mindfulness and compassion practice.

What can I expect from attending this workshop?

This is a practice based experiential workshop. You can expect to experience practices in a supportive environment which encourages you to directly explore your feelings, thoughts, and sensations.  You can expect to have time and space to ask any questions related to your experience of the mindfulness practices.

You can expect to learn how mindfulness based practices and paradigm can benefit our well-being in order to strengthen our social justice, anti-colonial activist work.

Can you provide an example of a mindfulness and compassion practice?

An example of mindfulness practice could be being mindful of the breath or sounds. Self-compassion practice, you bring your awareness with kindness; to whatever you are experience with an allowance for the experience, with kind acceptance, no rejection, no changing, no pushing away what is present.

Facilitator

Lu Lam, M. Ed. C.C.C.  is a Counsellor in Private Practice and a Mindfulness Consultant. He finds joy and is skilled in creating spaces for people to make contact with who they truly are in order to re-inspire and strengthen our social justice work.  Lu brings over 18 years of front line counselling and facilitation experience to his work and is trained in mindfulness and critical diversity counselling approaches. He has a daily mindfulness practice of 8 years, is in continual mindfulness study, and regularly attends meditation retreats. www.lulam.ca

Fearless Heart: Self Compassion for BIPOC Two-Spirit, Trans, Gender non-conforming and Gender non-binary people

FREE 2 Part Anti-colonial Mindfulness Workshop Series: December 1 & 8

Cultivating a fearless heart does not mean the heart ceases to feel fear. A fearless heart is one that is unafraid to turn towards fear with kindness, which is the heart of compassion. This two part mindfulness workshop introduces practices of self-compassion to befriend and attend to fear through the direct experience of thoughts, emotions, and sensations. Mindfulness is offered by centering embodied traditional knowledges from an anti-colonial paradigm, in service to the liberation of ourBlack, Indigenous and POC (BIPOC) Two-Spirit, Trans, Gender non-conforming and Gender non-binary communities, and all oppressed communities.

To Register:

1. Read the Detailed Description below to see if this workshop series meets your needs.

2. Contact facilitator Lu Lam to request a spot. Space is limited. Registration closes November 29. Spots may still be available after this date; contact Lu to ask.

3. If you cannot attend full series, contact Lu to ask if single workshop spots are available.

4. If you have any questions, Lu would be happy to set up brief phone call with you.

Lu: lu AT lulam DOT ca, 416-876-8135

Workshop Dates, Location & Access Info: 

Dates: Thursday December 1 & Thursday December 8, 6-8:30pm

Location: Centre for Women and Trans People UofT, 563 Spadina Ave, Room 100, Wheelchair access via Bancroft Ave.

Access Info: Light vegan dinner included. Wheelchair accessible space. Single-user, wheelchair accessible, all-gender washroom. Tokens available upon request.

Facilitator: Lead Facilitator, Lu Lam, M. Ed, CCC, is a trans-identified, Chinese-Taiwanese Counsellor and Mindfulness Consultant. He is trained in mindfulness and critical diversity counselling practices.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

Fear can be carried in our cells through the impacts of colonization, historical trauma, and ongoing systemic, interpersonal, lateral violence of the everyday-even scientific research has caught to this truth. Instead of denying, disciplining, concealing fear, what if we honoured fear? What would be known we view fear a respected teacher? How could we be curious about fear-based insecurities like thinking we are too f*cked up to be loved in order to re-member our inherent wholeness and reclaim a deep sense of belonging.

When we begin to pay gentle attention to fear, we radically change our relationship to difficult or scary experiences. Our brilliant, once life-saving ways to push away, numb, ignore the stress of fear in the long-run impacts our holistic personal and community health. And every one of us has the capacity to heal our soul wounds with a fearless heart. When we become first, aware that fear is present, we can then greet fear with deep self-compassion. This radical act of noticing taps into our intrinsic potential to grow resiliencies to the hardships in life. When we grow resiliencies, we also grow our possibilities to live with more trust in ourselves, more ease and wonder which ripples out into all our relations, offering power and sustainability to our liberation movements.

This workshop will be facilitated from an anti-oppression approach, which means that experiences of Indigenous and traditional ways of knowing will be privileged, lived experiences of intersectionality and oppression are welcomed with respect, humility and sacred understanding. A critical perspective on mainstream mental health which promotes the medical industrial complex and white supremacy will be woven throughout.

Is this workshop for me? Take a few moments to reflect on these questions:

Do I have an interest to meet my own direct fear experience (feeling, thought, sensation), whatever that may be, with facilitative support?

Do I have a readiness to practice a little bit every day for 7 days.  Daily commitment to practice is the intention – even a few minutes a day; length of practice is not the focus.

Am I looking for a non-judgmental non-pathologizing space where my whole being and the wholeness of my life are welcomed?

How many people will be in this workshop?

Approximately 8 participants.

What happens in this workshop?

In the first part, information will be shared on how self-compassion from a mindfulness paradigm may benefit us and our collective well-being. Psychoeducation on how fear activates our heartmindbody systems will be integrated. Poetry is also used to illustrate mindfulness and compassion concepts. A mindfulness practice will be introduced and we will engage in this practice.  In the second part, the facilitator will open the workshop for any questions or reflections on the mindfulness and compassion practice.

What can I expect from attending this workshop?

This is a practice based experiential workshop. You can expect to experience practices in a supportive environment which encourages you to directly explore your feelings, thoughts, and sensations.  You can expect to have time and space to ask any questions related to your experience of the mindfulness practices.

You can expect to learn how mindfulness based practices and paradigm can benefit our well-being in order to strengthen our social justice, anti-colonial activist work.

Can you provide an example of a mindfulness and compassion practice?

An example of mindfulness practice could be being mindful of the breath or sounds. Self-compassion practice, you bring your awareness with kindness; to whatever you are experience with an allowance for the experience, with kind acceptance, no rejection, no changing, no pushing away what is present.

Facilitator

Lu Lam, M. Ed. C.C.C.  is a Counsellor in Private Practice and a Mindfulness Consultant. He finds joy and is skilled in creating spaces for people to make contact with who they truly are in order to re-inspire and strengthen our social justice work.  Lu brings over 18 years of front line counselling and facilitation experience to his work and is trained in mindfulness and critical diversity counselling approaches. He has a daily mindfulness practice of 8 years, is in continual mindfulness study, and regularly attends meditation retreats. www.lulam.ca

DATE:Sept 27, 2016

TIME: 3:30-6:30PM

Are you LGBTQ2SIA and Black, Indigenous or POC? Want a short hair cut, fade, shave, buzz, undercut or design? Come by for a free haircut by Kou! By appointment sign up at coordinator.cwtpAT gmailDOTcom

Part of the University of Toronto’s Queer Orientation Week

DATE: September 21, 2016, Wednesday

TIME: 6-8PM

Join us for an evening to write letters to the detainees and a discussion about immigration detention, how our communities are continually affected by intensified policing, and how to build a movement towards ending immigration detention, double punishment, and policing!

Please note the following changes to our office & drop-in hours this December and January:

CLOSED: Tuesdays December 2, 9 & 16
OPEN 12PM – 6PM: Wednesdays and Thursdays until December 18
CLOSED: December 19 – January 5

Regular hours resume: Tuesday January 6

*Want to feel more grounded and less stressed in your day to day life?
*Join us to learn about mindfulness practices and what it can do for you.
*Health care and settlement info will also be available.

Free workshop. TTC tokens, food and winter clothes (first come, first serve) provided.

Date: October 29, 2014
Time: 5:30 pm – 8:00 pm
Location: Centre for Women and Trans People, 563 Spadina Avenue
Facilitators: MJ Rwigema & reachOUT Newcomer Network

To register, contact Edmond Du at eduATgriffin-centreDOTorg or 416-738-8210 by Oct 28, 2014.
For ASL contact us by Oct. 15, 2014
Wheelchair Accessible

Facilitators:
MJ is queer, African and Ph.D student at U of T’s school of social work. She has over 15 years of experience doing popular education, counselling, group facilitation and community development using anti-oppressive and various healing-based approaches.

reachOUT Newcomer Network provides free, confidential settlement services, offered in multiple languages, for newcomers with a focus on lesbian, gay, bisexual, trans, queer, and questioning newcomers, and newcomers with disabilities.

This free American Sign Language class will be led by a Centre volunteer!  Learn ASL in a trans-inclusive, anti-racist, and relaxed environment.  Over 8 weeks we will learn fingerspelling, numbers, vocabulary, food, greetings, and more.

EVERY WEDNESDAY 5PM – 7PM, starting October 8th to November 26th.

Spots are limited.  Registration for full series is required.  Email cwtp At utoronto DOT ca to register.

Please note that this class does not grant formal certification in ASL.

WHEN: Tuesday October 21, 2014, 6PM-8:30PM

WHERE: Centre for Women and Trans People at U of T

563 Spadina Ave., Room 100.  Wheelchair Access via Bancroft Ave.

Facilitator: Lu Lam, M. Ed, is a trans-identified, Chinese-Taiwanese counsellor trained in mindfulness and critical diversity counselling practices.

This workshop will offer participants a way to respect and connect with their pain (emotional, mental, physical, spiritual, inter-generational) with mindful awareness and compassion. Often, we push away our pain with judgment, fear, and distraction. Although reacting to pain in this way can at times be brilliant action to take, in the long-run, it impacts our holistic health at great costs. Introducing skills in mindful awareness can offer a way for us to become aware of how we relate to our pain and how to relate to the pain with deep self-respect, compassion, kindness and gentleness. Consistent evidence shows how mindfulness based interventions show potential for improving a wide range of physical and mental health issues.

This workshop is for our many communities of self-identified genderqueers, gender fluid, many gendered, 2-Spirit, transsexuals, gender fuckers, gender non-conforming, gender transcending, trans people.

Learning Objectives:

1. Provide a critical perspective on the cultural social impacts toll on the health of trans communities, who live complex and intersectional identities.
2. Present a non-pathologizing non-diagnostic integrative health paradigm highlighting “ways of being” in practices of awareness, compassionate acceptance, in juxtaposition to Western culture’s overemphasis on “ways of doing” and pathologization of pain.
3. Offer mindfulness skills to supporting emotional, mental, physical and spiritual pain and/or illnesses.

Spaces are limited! RSVP is encouraged, but not required. Email cwtpATutorontoDOTca if you are planning to attend.

Tuesday, September 23, 2014 @ 2:00 pm – 4:00 pm @ Hart House (7 Hart House Circle)