Work with Dr. Shawna
Murray-Browne

This workshop is part of the Oral History Summer School series and invites participants into the practice of gathering and honoring the spoken stories of our elders, ancestors, and communities. Oral history is not merely documentation — it is an act of love, a form of resistance, and a way of stitching together what has been fragmented. Come prepared to listen, reflect, and practice. Sliding scale pricing available.

In Chinese medicine, fear lives in the kidneys — the seat of ancestral energy, willpower, and vital essence. When fear becomes chronic, it depletes the very root that connects us to who we are and where we come from. This session uses QiGong movement, toning, and breath to gently release stored fear while drawing on the vitality of those who came before us. All levels welcome. No prior QiGong experience necessary.

When the mind races, the body rarely feels safe. This session draws from QiGong traditions that work with the heart-mind (xin) — calming the internal chatter and creating conditions for spaciousness and presence. We'll use slow, deliberate movements paired with specific breathwork to draw energy down from the head and return it to the body. Ideal for those navigating anxiety, busy schedules, or simply seeking a moment of genuine rest.

In Chinese medicine, the Liver governs the smooth flow of qi throughout the body, and holds the energy of vision — our capacity to see ahead and move toward what we're building. When the Liver is congested, we feel stuck, frustrated, or plagued by a low-grade anger that has nowhere to go. This session uses Liver-specific QiGong movements, side-body stretching, and visualization practices to release stagnation, reclaim your anger as information, and reconnect with your deeper vision. Spring is Liver season — perfect timing.

About Womanist Wisdom Circles:

These circles are sacred containers designed specifically for and by Black women and femmes. Rooted in womanist thought — which honors the full humanity, spirituality, and resistance wisdom of Black women — these gatherings weave together intellectual inquiry, embodied knowing, and collective healing.

This Session — "Cycle Syncing & The Original Clock":

Long before productivity culture demanded we perform the same way every single day, our bodies were already moving in seasons. Cycle syncing is the practice of aligning rest, nourishment, movement, creativity, and work with the four phases of the menstrual cycle — and it has both deep historical roots and a growing body of modern health research behind it.

In this circle, we'll explore: What did our ancestors know about living in rhythm with the body's cycles? How have African diasporic and Indigenous traditions honored cyclical time? What does contemporary science tell us about hormonal phases and their effects on energy, cognition, mood, and immunity? And how do we practice cycle syncing in a world designed to ignore these rhythms — especially as Black women navigating unique health realities?

Note: This conversation holds space for all cycle experiences — including those navigating perimenopause, post-menopause, hormonal differences, or cycle irregularity. The "original clock" belongs to everyone.

In Chinese medicine, summer is the season of the Heart — fire element, peak yang, the height of expansion and outward expression. The Heart governs not just blood but consciousness itself: our joy, our capacity for connection, and our inner clarity. This session uses Heart-opening QiGong movements, chest-expanding breathwork, and cooling practices to help us embody genuine joy (not performed happiness), protect the heart from overwhelm, and stay clear and present through the fullness of summer.

Anxiety and worry are often the body's signal that it doesn't feel safe or doesn't feel like it belongs. This QiGong session works with the Earth element — the energy of grounding, nourishment, and belonging — to help settle the nervous system and restore a sense of being held. We'll use slow, earthward movements, humming, and practices that connect us to the ground beneath our feet and the communities that surround us. Ideal for times of transition, loneliness, or chronic nervous system activation.

About Womanist Wisdom Circles:

These circles are sacred containers designed specifically for and by Black women and femmes. Rooted in womanist thought — which honors the full humanity, spirituality, and resistance wisdom of Black women — these gatherings weave together intellectual inquiry, embodied knowing, and collective healing. Watch this space for the July topic announcement.

In Chinese medicine, grief lives in the Lungs — and the Metal element teaches us about the beauty and necessity of letting go. Late summer moving into autumn is naturally a time of release: the trees prepare to shed what they no longer need, and so can we. This session uses breath-centered QiGong, chest-opening movements, and gentle practices for honoring what we've lost and making space for what's to come. This is a tender, slow session — tears are welcome. All forms of loss are held here.

About Womanist Wisdom Circles:

These circles are sacred containers designed specifically for and by Black women and femmes. Rooted in womanist thought — which honors the full humanity, spirituality, and resistance wisdom of Black women — these gatherings weave together intellectual inquiry, embodied knowing, and collective healing.

This Session — "Adorning as Prayer":

What does it mean to dress a body that has been surveilled, commodified, and legislated? What happens when we reclaim adornment as an act of devotion — to ourselves, to our ancestors, to our liberation? This session explores the spiritual and political dimensions of how Black women and femmes adorn ourselves: the stories held in our hair, our jewelry, our fabrics, our fragrance. We'll draw on African diasporic traditions, womanist theology, and each other's wisdom.

Note: This session is tentative — date confirmation coming soon.

This shorter, focused session is designed to give the nervous system exactly what it needs: gentle rhythm, predictable movement, breath, and permission to settle. Drawing from QiGong traditions that work with the Kidney-Adrenal axis (the body's stress-response center), we'll use slow shaking, rocking, humming, and grounding postures to move out of survival mode and into rest-and-digest. Perfect for beginners, for those short on time, and for anyone who needs a reset.

About Womanist Wisdom Circles:

These circles are sacred containers designed specifically for and by Black women and femmes. Rooted in womanist thought — which honors the full humanity, spirituality, and resistance wisdom of Black women — these gatherings weave together intellectual inquiry, embodied knowing, and collective healing.

This Session — "Mothering Toward Liberation":

Mothering is not only a biological act. It is a practice of protection, of nourishment, of teaching children and communities to survive and thrive in a world that was not designed for them. Drawing on the womanist tradition — which centers the "mama" as a site of spiritual and political wisdom — this circle will explore mothering in its many forms: biological mothering, community mothering, self-mothering, and othermothering. We'll ask: what does it mean to mother toward liberation rather than merely toward survival? And how do we care for ourselves in the process?