***UPDATE: the fundraiser will close on January 23. Thanks to a generous donor, all donations in the final stretch will be matched up to $10K!***

The School of Unusual Life Learning (SoULL) is a non-traditional school that teaches about wisdom, nature and somatic awareness with a lifespan perspective.

We are at a beautiful yet vulnerable moment in SoULL, as we transition in leadership from our founder, Jeanne Denney, to a co-directorship between LiZhen Wang and Nandita Batheja (past SoULL students, doulas and teachers). You can read more about who we are and how we came into our roles in our December blog post.

It is admittedly challenging to ask for donations at a time where there is so much urgent and dire need around the world. We sincerely hope that all of us can contribute wherever we can to the people on the frontlines of great suffering. At the same time, we believe in SoULL. We believe that this school has something unique and necessary to offer our world-in-crisis.

SoULL teaches a whole-life curriculum that speaks directly to the existential panic of our current times. It speaks to the primal places in us that, often unconsciously, experience daily terror around death, change, loss and grief. This terror can feed all kinds of things that we don’t want. Violence. Separation. Othering. Exploitation of the earth and natural resources.

On the personal level, it can lead to a deep anxiety and chasing lives that don’t feed our deepest nature. It can lead us to pursue aggressive medical interventions for ourselves or loved ones at end-of-life – even when doctors tell us it will only add a few more weeks or months – instead of the chance to die at home, or in hospice, with time for our goodbyes.

SoULL offers a balm that helps us experience the truth of our own nature. Through curriculum and embodied experiences, we study and observe for ourselves: Why is there so much fear around aging and dying? What is the truth about our lives? Incredibly, after taking our program, many students say they no longer fear death or losing loved ones; that they can feel the continuity of life beyond endings.

We see so much potential for this material. We are fundraising so that it has the chance to continue on to more people, in more places, in increasingly creative ways. Your donation will go towards student scholarships, as well as new programming. Some of our visions include: programs for first responders who face life and death daily; programs for communities facing divisions as well as bridge-builders working at this nexus; bite-sized workshops for ‘ordinary mortals’, and more!

Your donation means a lot to those of us who have found a home in SoULL. Whether you are a fellow SoULL-mate and believe deeply in this work, or your friend is a SoULL stalwart and you want to support them/us, we are so grateful for your donation. No amount is too small or too big. Whether $5 or $500, your support gives us the energy to keep growing the school.

We have a few special elements to this fundraiser. First, given our work with death & dying, we welcome you to donate in memoriam, on behalf of a loved one who has passed. After the campaign, we will mail you a small surprise; something to honor and give thanks to your loved one.

Finally, our fundraiser celebrates and features the many gifts in our SoULL community! Below (and on our website) you will find a beautiful array of gifts that SoULL students have generously offered as a thank you for your donation. We hope you will enjoy their creativity and healing gifts :)

If you would like to receive one of these limited gifts, you can donate at the amount listed below (or more), and then head over to our site to select the gift. We will follow-up to connect you with the SoULL student or item!

Thank you!!!

With love,

Nandita, LiZhen & the SoULL team

SoULL Gifts & Offerings - See Full Descriptions & Photos on our Site

$10 Gifts

One page moon calendar collage (unlimited)
Digital Print of Original Illustration (10 total)

$35 Gifts

Pack of 5 Handcrafted Cards (1 total)
Hand-carved incense holders (10 total)
Watercolor on Paper (3 total)
SoULL Bracelets (5 total)
Personalized Music Playlist (1 total)
The Nature of Being Human (SoULL’s first book), signed with a note from Jeanne (10 total)
Fierce Vulnerability Signed/Personalized Copy (2 total)
Healing Resistance Signed/Personalized Copy (2 total)
The Road Must Go Somewhere/Personalized Copy (3 total)

$100 Gifts

Art Prints of Original Illustration (3 total)
Handmade ceramic mugs (8 total)
Hand-sewn 노리개 (norigae) (1 total)
Tarot Readings (3 total)
Hand-knit wisdom shawl with original poem (2 total)

$150 Gifts

Whole Life Doula Sessions (3 total)
Preparing for Childbirth Sessions (2 total)
Spiritual Counseling Sessions (3 total)
Coaching Call for Writers (3 total)
Intuitive Massage (1 total)

$200 Gifts

Conversation with Kazu Haga on gift economy or nonviolence (1 total)
Returning to Wholeness Sessions (2 total)
Embodied Leadership Coaching Sessions (2 total)
Living Eulogy or Life Obituary & Session (1 total)
Virtual Osteopathic Self-Treatment Session (1 total)

School of Unusual Life Learning Fundraiser 2025

By School of Unusual Life Learning Inc

School of Unusual Life Learning Fundraiser 2025