Embodied Leadership Labs IV
a space to belong and become.
your leadership is required daily. it’s needed to speak up when it matters. to hold yourself when things get hard. to take up space where you’re meant to. and to break through patterns that are keeping you stuck.
embodied leadership labs is a monthly workshop experience to help you step into your next level of leadership in your life, your work, and your relationships.
WHY LEADERSHIP? most of us think we need a title or team in order to call ourselves leaders. that’s B.S. if there's anything you want in this life ~ in your work, your relationships, yourself ~ you have to lead yourself toward it. this is where you learn the leadership skills you weren’t taught in school.
WHY EMBODIMENT? your body is wise. it holds your intuition, your gut knowing, your beyond-the-thinking-mind intelligence. when you learn to listen to it, and lead from it, the trajectory of your life changes completely. this is how you learn to take aligned action.
WHY NOW? our planet is calling for a new kind of leadership. leaders who are connected to themselves and their innate intelligence. who live in alignment, authenticity and integrity. who lead with real confidence and team orientation. this is when you step into being the leader the world needs now.
LAB 04: LEAD WITH CLARITY
the gift of giving and receiving feedback
“hey, do you have a minute? i wanted to talk to you about something.”
your stomach drops before you even know what they’re going to say. did i do something wrong? are they upset with me?
your defense goes up before the conversation even happens, or you start avoiding them all together.
or you’re on the other side ~ there’s something you want to share, but you keep putting it off. you want to be honest ~ but you also don’t want to hurt them or risk the relationship.
so how do we have more honest conversations that actually build connection instead of breaking it?
feedback lets us understand what’s working, what isn’t, and how we affect one another. it gives us a chance to stop guessing and actually hear each other. when we share with care and listen with curiosity, even an uncomfortable conversation can become an opportunity to build trust, repair a misunderstanding, and feel more connected.
learning to give and receive feedback can help you:
tell a friend, partner, or coworker something isn’t working while making room for their experience, too.
hear something uncomfortable and work with the urge to defend, shut down, or pull away from the person.
ask “how is this working for you?” instead of guessing where you stand or letting unspoken tension build.
tell someone specifically what you appreciate, so they know how their presence or contribution matters to you.
address missed expectations at work with a conversation about what happened and what’s needed, rather than letting frustration turn into blame.
consider another perspective without abandoning your own ~ staying connected doesn’t require agreeing on everything.
that’s the gift of feedback: the chance to understand each other more deeply, see our impact more clearly, and grow together.
in this embodied leadership lab, we’ll practice giving feedback with honesty and care, and receiving it with curiosity. we’ll work with what happens in our bodies when we feel challenged, building the capacity to stay connected to ourselves while listening to someone else. we’ll practice discerning what reflects their experience, what we can learn about our impact, and what’s useful to take forward ~ without making it a verdict on our worth.
this lab is a place to practice the conversations you’ve been avoiding ~ so honesty can support connection, and you can lead yourself, your relationships, and your work with more clarity and trust.
what to expect at the labs
while the theme changes every month, in each lab you can expect to…
connect deeper with yourself ~ learn nervous system regulating techniques to drop out of your head and into the wisdom of your body (think: movement, meditation, or breathwork)
connect deeper with others ~ practice relating skills you can bring into every personal and professional relationship in your life
leave changed ~ this is a safe, sacred space where you have the opportunity to be vulnerable, go deep, experiment and make some real shifts in your life
who is ELL for?
YOU! if…
you know what you want but something keeps getting in the way ~ practice tools to recognize when your nervous system is running the show, interrupt patterns like avoidance, perfectionism, or people-pleasing, and take aligned action even when you don't feel ready.
you want to communicate with more confidence ~ practice skills like how to give and receive feedback, speak your truth, communicate so that you’re heard, and use your voice to make an impact.
you’ve done the therapy, read the books, know the concepts ~ but you’re still stuck in your head and ready to try something that will actually make a difference.
important note! you don’t have to prepare or perform here. you just have to be willing to show up.
Embodied Leadership Lab : Face The Dragon
a monthly workshop experience to help you step into your next level of leadership in your life, your work, and your relationships. different themes, skills, and practices every month. same intentionally held space and community.
4.28 | the elements of leadership series: water
the elements of leadership: water
rsvp
flow, receptivity & the depth to feel it all
we are mostly water.
every emotion you feel, every moment of connection, every time you soften enough to truly listen — that's water moving through you. whether you've always felt at home in your depth or you've spent years learning to navigate it, this element has something to show you.
water is the element of emotion, intuition, and relational depth.
water may look soft — but over time, water erodes rock. it reshapes landscapes. in leadership (and know that if you’re reading this you are a leader), this is the capacity to influence through presence, to stay connected under pressure, and to navigate change without losing yourself.
weather you’re flowing with life, in a drought, or feeling flooded, this workshop is an invitation to find your current.
in this session, you will:
reflect — explore how water is showing up in your life right now. where is it flowing? where has it gone still?
receive — through a guided herbal tea ceremony and sound experience, slow down and practice filling your own cup. receptivity is not passivity — it's a quiet, powerful leadership skill.
feel — practice staying present with emotion without being swept away by it. build the capacity to feel and lead at the same time.
move — through movement and somatic exercises, explore what it means to follow before you lead, to adapt without losing yourself, and to influence through presence rather than force.
you'll walk away with:
greater emotional fluency — the ability to feel your feelings and make decisions from them
a deeper relationship with receptivity as a leadership strength
tools for staying responsive under pressure instead of reactive
a felt sense of what adaptive, relational leadership is — in your body, not just your mind
important details:
wear: comfortable clothes you can move in
bring: a journal & pen
doors will close at 6:15pm and there is no late entry. thank you for giving yourself ample time to park, arrive and settle in to protect the integrity of the container. ♡
tea and light snacks provided.
this is part of the elements of leadership — a 4-part experiential workshop series exploring earth, fire, air, and water as living forces that shape how we lead, relate, decide, and show up. you're welcome to attend individual sessions or the full series for a deeper arc of integration.
rise: the body as a compass
the nervous system is the compass of our truth: every “yes” or “no” begins as sensation: a whisper of what feels right or doesn’t. this session activates that inner compass through movement, visualization, and somatic inquiry rooted in the psychology of embodied leadership. participants will learn to recognize physiological alignment and dissonance as guides for decision-making and direction. it’s not about resolutions, but recalibration: moving into the new year with clarity, vitality, and nervous system resilience.
receive: the science of receptivity
when we are in chronic output mode, the nervous system forgets how to receive, especially during the busy holiday season. this session invites participants to soften through somatic practices and gentle partner exercises, integrating the science of co-regulation. reflection and receptivity become physiological acts of safety: as we honor the year behind us, we signal to the body that it is safe to rest, to feel, and to open, even amid the busyness. this ritualized close to the year blends neuroscience, gratitude, and embodied awareness — a reminder to reflect, receive, and honor what the season is truly meant for.
Discovering Your True North
If you’ve been feeling stuck, standing on the edge of change, or sensing there’s something more waiting to move through you—this is your invitation to break through.
Join Leadership & Embodiment Coach Dayna April and Breathwork with Carly for a free 75-minute somatic experience designed to help you:
✨ Release emotional or energetic blocks keeping you stuck
✨ Reconnect with your body’s natural intelligence
✨ Access clarity, courage, and calm for your next chapter
You’ll move through guided reflection, partner connection, and a powerful breathwork journey that supports you in shifting from resistance to renewal—opening space for true transformation.
You’ll leave feeling lighter, clearer, and more connected to the part of you that knows what’s next.
💫 What makes this special
This workshop also offers a glimpse into Dayna’s upcoming group program, True North—a 3-month journey beginning January 2026 designed to help you anchor your authentic blueprint and lead from deep alignment.
Carly will be joining as a guest facilitator inside the program, leading one of the embodiment calls—so this session gives you a first taste of that collaboration in action. You'll also have an opportunity to learn more about Carly's unique 1:1 breathwork offerings and the free resources she offers to the community.
🎥 Come as you are—camera on, heart open.
No prior experience with somatic work or breathwork needed—just a willingness to show up for yourself and your next evolution.
root: returning to center
as the seasons slow, our bodies mirror the natural descent into stillness. this session focuses on down-regulating the nervous system through somatic practices that shift the body from sympathetic overdrive (fight, flight, or freeze) into parasympathetic restoration (rest and repair).
participants will explore breath, grounding, and awareness practices that retrain the body to feel safe in stillness. by understanding how regulation anchors presence, we rebuild the foundation for nervous system balance and inner coherence.
Cultivating Authentic Confidence
Learn transformative tools that allow you to embody genuine confidence so you can step into your next level of leadership in any season of your career.
S.A.B.S Club @ Upward Spiral
I’ll be teaching the See And Be Seen Club (S.A.B.S. Club) at this small festival in the trees.
S.A.B.S. Club | Somatics
in this special edition of the s.a.b.s. club, we’ll explore the somatics of seeing and being seen.
somatics (from the greek soma, meaning “body”) is about using the body—through breath, movement, and awareness—as a doorway into richer connection with ourselves and each other.