This event takes place in person at Charis and on Crowdcast, Charis' virtual event platform. This event is free, but registration is required for virtual attendance.

Charis welcomes Michelle Cassandra Johnson in conversation with Octavia F. Raheem in celebration of You Are Protected: Invoking Spiritual Support to Sustain Your Energy, a powerful collection of spiritual practices and tools to support readers in standing strong amidst whatever the world throws at them.

Revered educator and activist Michelle Cassandra Johnson knows firsthand that we can’t pour out of an empty cup—that we can’t show up fully in our lives, care for others, or hold space for change if we’re not strong within. In You Are Protected, she shares the resources and guidance that are available to protect us at any time. She writes, “We have an entire team of guides, allies, ancestors (both blood and otherwise), deities, archetypes, elemental energies, plant spirits, and many more supports to help protect us and our energy.” This heartfelt book helps us recognize and connect with that support.

Throughout the book, Johnson offers a range of potent protection practices and tools—from somatic practices to natural curios. She helps readers determine which resources feel aligned to them to build an effective daily spiritual hygiene practice. She also offers guidance for various situations, including computer work or what to do before, during, and after leading or participating in a meeting or group.

Drawing from ancestral wisdom, various spiritual lineages, and nature-based traditions, Michelle urges us to consider how we can pour into ourselves as much as we pour into others and the world, inviting us to engage in a wealth of practices to sustain our spirit, souls’ work, and highest good.

Michelle Cassandra Johnson is a beloved teacher, activist, and clinical social worker with a background of over two decades of practice. She has led dismantling racism work in many settings and her work centers on healing from individual and collective trauma, coming back into wholeness, and aligning the mind, body, spirit, and heart. She is the author of several books, including Illuminating Our True Nature.

Octavia F. Raheem teaches both sacred and strategic rest practices to leaders and transformational organizations worldwide. As founder of Pause, Rest, Lead® School of Sacred Studies, she trains rest facilitators and works with companies to bring sacred rest practices to hundreds of leaders and employees.

An award-winning author of three books (Rest Is Sacred, Pause Rest Be, and Gather), Octavia has 10,000+ documented teaching hours and over 20 years of experience weaving yogic practices, Black American Southern wisdom, and trauma-informed somatics into leadership development.

In 2021, Yoga Journal recognized Octavia as one of fifteen experienced professionals who have elevated the field on a global scale.

She holds advanced certifications in Restorative Yoga, Yoga Nidra, and meditation, plus 10+ years developing innovative curricula for K-12 education.

The event is free and open to all people, but we encourage and appreciate a donation of $5-20 in support of the work of Charis Circle, our programming non-profit. Donate on Crowdcast or via our website: www.chariscircle.org/donate or in person at the event.

Charis Books is a fully wheelchair accessible space with on site van accessible parking, two ramps, and additional overflow accessible parking nearby. Additional accessibility information can be found on the Accessibility page of our website.

Please contact us at info@chariscircle.org or 404-524-0304 if you would like ASL interpretation at this event. If you would like to watch the event with live AI captions, you may do so by watching it in Google Chrome and enabling captions: Instructions here. If you have other accessibility needs or if you are someone who has skills in making digital events more accessible please don't hesitate to reach out to info@chariscircle.org.

Please read the in-person event guidelines below to be sure you can participate in the event.

All attendees must wear a face mask during the event.

We will begin seating people at 7:00 PM ET.

This event will be live-streamed via Crowdcast.

As a reminder: If you are not feeling well, please do not come to the event.

If you have any questions regarding these guidelines or to request specific accessibility accommodations, please contact info@charisbooksandmore.com or call the store at 404-524-0304.

By attending our event, whether in person or virtually, you agree to our Code of Conduct: Our event seeks to provide a harassment-free experience for everyone, regardless of gender, gender identity and expression, age, sexual orientation, disability, physical appearance, body size, race, ethnicity, religion (or lack thereof), class, or technology choices. We do not tolerate harassment in any form. Unsolicited sexual language and imagery are not appropriate. Anyone violating these rules will be expelled from this event and all future events at the discretion of the organizers. Please report all harassment to Charis staff immediately or email info@chariscircle.org.

You Are Protected: Invoking Spiritual Support to Sustain Your Energy by Michelle Cassandra Johnson