I won't lie, I've been feeling a lot of fear and anger. While talking to many of you, I see that I'm not alone.
When you feel fear or anger, where do you feel it in your body? What is it telling you? Does your heart race, your throat tighten, your belly clench? Fear is visceral. Undeniable. If we're even remotely awake to the world right now, one news clip alone can evoke a deep, horrific fear, about a world gone off the deep end of cruelty, hate, violence, and exclusion.
It can be especially difficult when we're told that what we see before our eyes isn't real, when we're gaslit into questioning our perceptions, when fear or concern for fellow humans is mocked as if acknowledging the truth of kindness, love, and inclusion makes us weak.
Think of all the ways we numb, so we don't feel fear. Scrolling. Drinking. Smoking. Exercising. Eating. Binging Netflix.
What's your numbing of choice?
In a world that numbs, practicing embodiment is an act of defiance.
Embodiment provides ways to reclaim presence, to remember our humanity, to anchor ourselves in reality, feel joy and expansiveness.
I've been re-learning and practicing:
Feel your body, feel your breath. Ground in the earth, in the sky, in connectedness. Stare at the trees for a few minutes. Listen to the birds as you walk. Breathe deeply and consciously. Let your breath be a reminder that you are here. You are alive. Your breath nourishes you.
Find joy. Watch ridiculous reels on social media platforms. Call a friend to share an embarrassing moment. Laugh at yourself. Laugh at memes. Respond to your friend or partner with a silly meme instead of text. Watch a funny movie. Don’t forget to laugh. Remember the things that bring you deep, intense, shockingly gorgeous joy.
Notice who, what, when, and where you feel safe and loved. Seek out more of that. Find people you belong with. Consider saying no to events, engagements, spaces in which you can't be your full self. Tell people your truth. Listen to their truth. Trust those who celebrate and love you and your special, awkward, and amazing being-ness.
What embodying practices are giving you life? Please share via email or in the comments below. Crowd-sourcing joy is so freaking beautiful.
Drink water. I've been forgetting to drink water most days lately, and am parched in the evening. Maybe it's a byproduct of caring for others throughout my day; I often forget my basic needs.
Move your body in a way that feels good. Stretch. Walk. Rest. I crawled into my cozy bed for 10-15 minutes during the work day last week between meetings. I stared at the sun streaming through the windows onto the ceiling while it was -10 degrees outside. It was a tiny, restorative move.
Eat nourishing food. Don't be restrictive or cruel to yourself about the amazing food that sustains and nourishes you. Connect to your body, to the earth, to the sky.
These aren't rigid instructions. Notice if you are "should-ing" yourself. Let that shit go. You don’t have to do ALL the things ALL of the time.
When the world feels overwhelming, when fear grips, when numbness threatens to drown, when hopelessnes creeps in, these simple practices bring me back to joy, back to life, back to the present.
This present moment is all we have, and it's freaking beautiful.
From a very young age I wanted to work for justice. I saw how people were cruel to those with little money. How the powerful were revered and got away with bad things.
As I grew into young adulthood I wondered if experiencing joy, love, and rest meant that I wasn't hard-core or dedicated enough. As I heal, I'm learning that as long as I'm not burying my head in the sand to protect my privilege, I CAN be present, healthy, joyful, AND work for justice. In fact, how else do we fuel ourselves for a reality where all belong, thrive, and flourish?
We can hold depths of rage at injustice, AND learn, grow, and LOVE simultaneously. It is dizzyingly beautiful.
I am grateful to be living life out loud in joy with you all—even when I forget to breathe or drink water, just for a moment. Then, that nourishing breath floods my body and energizes my cells.
We lift our heads up again after we rest. We try again. We love. We are liberation. We heal.
Fellow leaders and learners, I wish you courage, rest, and Beloved Community for the journey. Together we catalyze a brave, bold, and liberatory future.
Peace to you,
PS, here are a couple of snapshots of joyful-things and snorting-laughter things. What are yours? I'd love to laugh with you, especially in these times, ya'll.
gorgeous puffy clouds, sunny sky, and cold face