This project examines how cultivating embodied learning environments within carceral spaces can create opportunities to reclaim agency and disrupt control over the body. During weekly visits to a prison, I experienced how spaces structured by surveillance, submission to authority, and the threat of violence often prompt the body to engage in protective responses like disconnection from one’s identity and physical self. My research asks how participating in the Philosophy & Literature (PHILLIT) circle as an embodied practice can cultivate collective safety and healing by inviting participants to reconnect with their bodies and identities.
To investigate, I joined somatic workshops, collaborated with the Core Community Team facilitating the PHILLIT Circle at Dominguez State Jail, and reflected on sessions at the Torres Unit, where I engaged in discussions with incarcerated classmates. I also examined literature on somatic abolitionism, a framework focused on dismantling the internalized effects of white supremacy and systemic violence through embodied healing.
Though grounded in incarceration, this research speaks to the broader potential of embodied practices to cultivate trust and connection across groups. I approach embodiment as an ongoing process experienced within ourselves and in relationship with others. This work highlights the value of embodiment in education and explores how the principles of the PHILLIT Circle can be applied to other settings, supporting the reclamation of humanity and dignity.