Module 7
Polarization
Polarization
This module explores the lived experience of polarization through the Irish context, while connecting it to broader global patterns. Ireland carries deep histories of division: Catholic and Protestant, Unionist and Republican, English and Irish, brother against brother in the Civil War, class divides, language divides, and tensions between the homeland and the diaspora. These layers show how polarization embeds itself not only in politics and history, but also in families, communities, and the body.
Drawing on The Art of Collective Integration (ACI) - a practice of expanding awareness to include both self, other, and collective - we will invite participants to sense polarization not as an abstract idea but as a visceral experience. Through guided practice, participants will learn to recognize how polarization lives in their nervous systems: what it feels like to resist, to other, to not understand, or to not want to understand. Rather than rushing toward empathy or resolution, we will hold space to feel the reality of division, the ache of grief, opening the possibility of a deeper collective field.
Across two sessions, we will create a foundation for encountering polarization consciously, and then deepen into uniquely Irish themes as they emerge.
Polarization with David Young
Polarization is not just around us, it lives in us.
In this module, David Young invites us to explore polarization as a lived, embodied experience. Through somatic practice and collective inquiry, we’ll learn to stay with division and fragmentation, opening the possibility for deeper integration and understanding.
David Young, M.A., CMMT
David is the Co-Executive Director of Somatic Experiencing International, where he leads global initiatives in trauma-informed leadership and organizational alignment for a worldwide network of healing professionals.
A facilitator of collective trauma integration, mindfulness teacher, and executive coach, David helps communities and organizations heal from trauma, navigate complexity, and foster healthy communication in polarized environments. With over 20 years of experience, he integrates somatic awareness, collective intelligence, and wisdom traditions to build resilience and adaptability.
He has designed leadership retreats and community healing initiatives across the US and Europe, and co-created programs such as Attuned (accredited by the Law Society of Ontario) and The Leadership Dojo. A long-time student of Thomas Hübl, David is also the creator of The Art of Collective Integration, a methodology for addressing societal polarization through somatic and systems-based practice.
“The real border in Ireland is not a line on a map. It’s in the minds and hearts of people; you can’t get rid of that in a week or a fortnight. You need a healing process…”
~ John Hume