THE ANCESTRAL BODY

A Somatic Practice for Becoming Ancestors

A Samhain Society Dead Good Festival Event

Sunday 1st November 2026
Time: 11:00am - 12:30pm
Flints, Newgate Gap, Cliftonville, Margate

£15

What happens when we listen to the body, and let it help us feel?

 Our bodies feel what our minds often can't bear to look at.

They hold our grief for what we've lost, our fear of what we may still lose, and the love beneath both. They carry the stories of those who came before us, and they are shaping the world we'll leave for those who come after.

 We're living through a polycrisis: ecological, social and political breakdown happening all at once. Many of us carry grief, anger, fear and numbness with no place to put them. 

 What might become possible if we let the body help us metabolise these feelings, so they could move through us and become care, courage and action instead of overwhelm?

 Join Jo, Trainee Elder, Somatic Teacher and engaged citizen, for a contemplative session on becoming ancestors: learning to receive what we've inherited, and to take responsibility for what we pass on.

 This is not a talk. It's an invitation to take part in a practice.

Inspired in part by the work of Joanna Macy, Jo will guide participants through gentle somatic contemplation, listening to the body, and a practice of speaking to both our past and future ancestors. It's a chance to feel held within a much longer story than this single moment in time.

 Together, we'll explore questions such as:

What does the body know about grief before the mind has found the words?

How can we metabolise complex emotions rather than carrying them, numbing them or turning away?

What have we inherited from our benevolent ancestors that may help sustain us?

What might our future ancestors — the generations not yet born — want to say to us now?

How might our bodies come into deeper relationship with our non-human kinfolk, and help us imagine a more interconnected future?

Can honouring our pain for the world become a source of strength rather than despair?

And perhaps most importantly:

What would it mean to live today as a future ancestor?

This is not about fixing yourself.

It's not about finding answers to the crises we face, or feeling hopeful on demand.

It's a chance to slow down, feel what is here, let grief and love have their place, and remember that we belong to a long line of people behind us and ahead of us. You do not have to have children of your own to take part – this is a much bigger invitation of being ancestors for the earth we leave behind.

Samhain is a time when the veil between worlds is said to be thin, which makes it a fitting moment for this work.

Come as you are.
Come with your grief, your love and your questions.
Come ready to listen to the body you inherited, and the ancestors you are becoming.

A note on accessibility: The venue is stair-free access but the toilet facilities inside are not. Please inform us of accessibility needs ahead of time. The session will begin on time, and latecomers cannot be guaranteed entry. 

A REGENERATIVE EXPERIENCE

Ticket sales from this workshop will fund the Charity, Women for Women. From war-torn towns to the halls of the United Nations, their global community of women is working to create a more just world—a world where every woman’s voice, role, and contribution are visible and valued.  https://womenforwomen.org.uk 

 You can read our ticket terms and conditions here. 

MEET YOUR GUIDE

JOANNA MILLER

Joanna Miller is a Trainee Elder, Somatic Teacher and engaged citizen whose work explores developmental, collective and systemic trauma, shame and grief.

She is a Board Member and Senior Trainer of the Focalizing Institute, a somatic training institute that trains therapists and healers in somatic skills internationally.

Having trained directly with some of the leaders in her field, Jo describes herself as forever the student, and a very grateful teacher.

Her approach is relaxed, grounded and deeply human. Expect a warm Northern accent, an accessible approach to somatic practice and plenty of space to feel what you feel without judgement.

Jo comes from a long line of working-class, big-hearted folk from the north of England, ancestors she carries with her, and now calls the blue sea of Margate home, alongside her two cats, Zac and Poncho.

At the heart of this part of her work is a simple but powerful belief: When we let our bodies help us grieve and love this world, we become the ancestors the future needs.

@joannamiller_healing