The Musician's Guide To Being Healthy, Wealthy, and Wise podcast

Episode 253: Belonging to Yourself ft. Shawn Copeland

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In this episode, Karen interviews Shawn Copeland, an Alexander teacher and body mapping educator, about his work in the inclusivity space. They discuss the importance of body maps and how they reflect our experiences and identities. Shawn shares his journey of realizing the need for a deeper somatic understanding in education and the positive steps forward he sees in the new generation. 

They also delve into Shawn's work with the Pulse Commission, where he commissioned a clarinet sonata from Carlos Velez to commemorate the lives lost in the Pulse shooting. Shawn shares his journey of creating space for gender queer and non-binary individuals in the performance and clarinet communities. This experience led him to pursue training in diversity and inclusion work and somatic trauma therapy. As a result, he founded Embodied, a company that offers training in Alexander Technique and body mapping. 

The company initially started as a way for Shawn to sustain himself through graduate school but quickly grew due to high demand. Shawn emphasizes the importance of belonging and the connection between belonging to oneself and belonging to a community. He also discusses the intersection of gender inclusivity, body awareness, and performance success.

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