Thread by @KriteeKanko

Thread:

It is my 40th birthday this weekend. I wondered: What can a climate scientist, Zen meditation teacher, & social justice advocate gift herself in these times?

Guiding a grief, anger, fear and confusion sharing ritual.

Before you dismiss this as new agey, read on.. 1/n

Even if we have not faced outright trauma of growing in a turbulent or abusive family, our body gets used to entering fight, flight, freeze and fawn (FFFF) modes of operation since childhood. Evolution created these modes of operation to protect us from snakes/tigers 2/n

The problem is that without active ways to relax our body & mind, we get stuck in fight/flight/freeze modes. We respond to everything as if we are under attack. Ongoing ecological, social & political trauma doesn't help. Personal & ecological traumas interact with each other 3/n

We carry a subconscious burden in our bodies, & can't feel creative. We act as if there is a tiger in front of us & our body remains activated to run as fast as possible or to become a frozen camouflaged chameleon. When in FFFF, our left & right brains aren't integrated. 4/n

Simplistically, left brain thinks/executes and right brain feels and connects. In FFFF, our responses to personal & political situations are not integrated. Either rationality or basic need to connect with other beings go missing. We can't hear or take apt action. 5/n

The way to calm our neurobiology & integrate two parts of our brain is to relax and activate right parts of our vagus nerve (also "soul nerve"). It starts with being in an emphatic atmosphere, slowing down, breathing deep, giving body a chance to face old/new grief/anger ... 6/n

When we feel safe in the moment, when we take long breaths from our abdomen, make sounds together (including but not limited to singing) and when we can move our bodies in ways that release stress, our nervous system can relax. I wanted to gift myself that deep relaxation. 7/n

Like everyone else (yes, including those on the conservative right), my primal helplessness, grief or anger kicks in when I hear climate news. Or experience vicarious trauma of watching kids face dehumanizing experiences. My body forgets its ancestral resilience. 8/n

Even though I attend/lead regular meditation retreats to reorient my nervous system and get in touch with reality bigger than myself, there is something extremely healing about community grief and anger sharing rituals. It helps to know I'm not alone in my ecological grief. 9/n

External triggers won't go away but our reaction to what is happening can & must change.

Needless to say, everyone in Boulder/Denver area is welcome to join our sharing circle on 27th. I will facilitate the process. There is no cost. Please RSVP. n/n
boundlessinmotion.org/honoring-and-t…

Afterthought to thread: Whenever I get to embrace and release grief and anger stuck in my body, I unearth love. And my creative resilience! It takes courage to allow vulnerability but it unlocks even more courage!

@MaryHeglar @rachelmalena @annajanejoyner