The Crazy Wisdom Community Journal • January through April 2022 • Page 45
It took time. I slowed down and listened. I observed my habits of thought and my body sensations in different situations. I also redirected my attention to teachers, influencers, healers, and artists of color in my social media feed. I began studying with folx experienced in unpacking racism from our bodies and started to really unwind the way my body carries white supremacy. By ‘white supremacy,’ I mean a construct created around colonization, centered on the idea that someone or something is innately and inherently better than someone or something else. This shows up in so many ways: power-over aggression, extraction, urgency, productivity: a constant inner dialog and way of being that insists we must compete and dominate and “be on top of.” I invite other white folx to look inside and to see this, too. This is going to create discomfort. That’s okay. I want to care for us as we hear and listen to each other. Instead of bypassing awareness of the differences in our experiences due to racism, I wish for us to acknowledge them. Instead of thinking we’re not part of the problem, let’s gently bring awareness to the ways we continue to perpetuate both the external systems and the internal habits of thought and being that are so deeply engrained in our bodies that we don’t even see them. Let’s bring our awareness into the blind spots. For example, if you are a white woman, have you ever clutched your purse or bag closer to you when walking by a man of color? Or locked the car doors while driving by a man of color on the street? Do you respond in the same way when you are near a white woman? A white man? An excellent resource for getting curious about many other examples, and what’s emerging in your own body is the book “My Grandmother’s Hands” by Resmaa Menakem.
I’m now seeking to co-create a culture of care where we can lean into our discomfort together and unwind these old stories from our bodies and be responsible for our actions. I’m now seeking to co-create a culture of care where we can lean into our discomfort together and unwind these old stories from our bodies and be responsible for our actions. How do we do this together? Staying swallowed up with feelings of guilt is not the answer. We’ve had a huge rupture in the relational space of our shared human experience. That’s where the trauma happened. People killing people, people losing awareness of the interconnectedness of ourselves with one another and the planet, people forcing others into mistrust of their own bodies. The way through is to find the support needed to stay in and continue to grow our awareness. Since the rupture happened in the relational space, the healing needs to happen in the relational space. In my own process I’ve identified four key foundations to feel safe again to be who we are, to make mistakes and still be loved, to relax and allow instead of brace for impact. Repairing our relationships with: 1. Body 2. Ancestors/Spirit 3. Community 4. Nature/Earth Where do we begin, and how can we contribute? There are many ways to begin addressing the problems of this pervasive and systemic dis-ease. Introspective self-work is a foundation for conscious relating, and vice versa. So, to heal racism systemically and socially, going inward with self is a great place to start. For example, healing our relationship with ourselves and our own bodies can support feeling safe to reach out for human support. Or perhaps the care of a trusted friend can help us feel safe in our own body. Or maybe establishing a felt connection with the land and nature brings some ease to remember our ancestors. It’s a nonlinear dance to rebuild, repair, and settle our nervous systems to be able to receive and open to our vitality and pleasure. And from this place we can move into deeper healing together. My prayer for all people is to return to our compassion and wisdom as humans: to remember our interconnectedness, our accountability for our actions, and our responsibility for co-creating a culture of care for our bodies, ourselves, each other, nature, and the planet.
Out of My Comfort Zone is continued on the next page.
Sacred Sound Journey Cacao Ceremony www.victoriaschon.com
