About

Alana Brekelmans is a researcher, writer, and facilitator exploring the connections between embodiments, emotions, and environments. Inspired by both ancient wisdom and cutting-edge research, Alana's work blends social science, relational practices, embodied therapies, and fine art to consider the diverse ways people relate with each other and the world.

 

Alana's unique approach to scholarship and practice is informed by her eclectic experiences and education, ranging from Buddhist meditation to outback cattle mustering, from a Phd in anthropology to hiking solo in the mountains, from nude performance art to learning from Indigenous Elders. Whether she's leading workshops on embodied writing, mentoring students in environmental anthropology, or conducting ethnographic research on affective political ecology, her work is informed by principles of creativity, collaboration, and care. 

 

As a researcher and writer, she is recognised for her work across diverse landscapes and cultures. Her PhD, which investigated narratives of place and belonging in remote Queensland, was awarded the 2021 Australian Anthropological Society Thesis Award. Her collaborative community-led research with Mavis Kerinaiua was honoured with the Ecological Society of Australia and Bush Heritage Right Way Science Award for conservation research that recognises the sovereignty, connection, and knowledge of Traditional Owners. She has contributed to a range of academic and non-academic publications, and is currently developing her debut manuscript on the affective afterlives of settler-colonial dreams in Australian environments.

 

At the heart of her work lies a lifelong fascination with the connections between mind, body, and world. She has trained in modalities spanning yoga, meditation, somatic stress release, Internal Family Systems therapy, somatic trauma therapy, and embodied social justice. Her six-year mentorship with the late Ralph de la Rosa profoundly shaped her approach to this work. Artistically, she draws from her studies in creative writing, fine art, and physical theatre.

 

Alana is currently a research fellow as part of the Sherman Research Group in the T.C Bierne School of Law, University of Queensland. She is also an adjunct fellow in The North Institute and Centre for Creative Futures, Charles Darwin University, and a Visiting Fellow in the School of Life and Environmental Science at Deakin University. 

 

Beyond academia, Alana facilitates community workshops and speaks at public events. She is the wellbeing, advocacy, and inclusion adviser for Kin Management, where she assists emerging artists to develop a sustainable creative practice, and an outdoor facilitator with Arcadia Women's Adventures, where she helps women build confidence and community in nature. ​

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Alana's regular essay series, Imponderabilia: Field-notes from an Unmade World,  examines the art of attention and things that cannot be measured. You can follow it here.