Kaila Keliikuli

Kaila June Keliikuli is a daughter, sister, mother, spouse and auntie whose ancestors arrived and settled Turtle Island, aka USA, in the early 17th century during the colonial period. Born and raised in the Rocky Mountains, her last name is Hawaiian and is gifted through her wife, Maile Kahealani Keliikuli. Kaila (she/they) is the Creative Director of the School for Somatic Groundwork. With a background as a performing artist, personal trainer, somatic movement educator and curriculum designer, Kaila’s movement pedagogy has emerged through her interest in somatic patterning. Somatic patterning is a creative way to shift movement limitations and embodied behaviors through bottom-up learning and bodily-based inquiry. Kaila advocates for a 'movement' movement to maintain body literacy, structural hygiene, connection with land and to encourage joy in our aliveness. As a lifelong student and teacher of movement practice, Kaila has earned a BFA in Dance & Choreography and MS in Rehabilitative Science. She is also a Registered Somatic Movement Educator with ISMETA and holds multiple certifications in professional fitness training. About 25 years ago she began developing the movement system Somatic Groundwork (or they began developing her). She mentors other practitioners to guide Somatic Groundwork in synergism with their unique offerings in the 2-year teacher training program Interdisciplinary Movement & Somatics, an ISMETA Approved Training Program.

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