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It’s no secret that we’ve been collectively moving through some BIG feelings these last few years. How are you doing? While I can’t speak for everyone’s journey, I can say that I started out by riding a giant wave of fear and uncertainty back in March of 2020. This eventually broke and a new wave of anger and hurt took shape as we witnessed discord and violence in our communities. From there, recognizing how much had been lost and how much we were all hurting, I swam into grief and eventually took to hiding and tending my wounds in isolation. And where am I now? I’m healing. I’m ready to apologize for the hurtful things I did out of fear and anger, I’m ready to listen deeply and forgive the hurtful things that were done by others, I’m ready to flex the muscle of social vulnerability, and I’m ready to build up my own resilience.

What do I mean by resilience? I’m talking about the ability to recover from difficult and challenging experiences. Sound like something you might be interested in too?

Here are some physical ways I’m building resilience:

  1. Backbends
    • Opening your heart/chest and exposing your belly can bring up feelings of fear, disorientation, and vulnerability. Choosing to step in and out of that sensation (at a pace of my own choosing) has allowed me to practice experiencing, moving through, and recovering from those feelings – with breath being my primary tool. I often find myself feeling more strong and courageous when I’m done. (Here are some mild backbend ideas to get you started.)
  2. Cold Water
    • Diving into cold water usually stirs up a sense of panic in the body; our breath tightens and shortens while we think, “get me out!” When I practice entering cold water, I practice self soothing, breath control, and I remind myself that, “I am safe.” When I step out of cold water I often feel more alive, powerful, and capable.
  3. Meditation
    • Sitting in stillness often makes us think, “I’m so done! Let’s move on to whatever comes next!” Meditation is a way for me to practice interacting with my own impatience and discomfort. I can explore how it feels to react to it and how it feels to acknowledge it without reacting. It reminds me that nothing, including my own discomfort, lasts forever. A little over a month ago I reset my daily practice by sitting for 1 minute, then I sat for 2 the next day. I’ve continued in this way, adding 1 minute each day. Many meditation teachings will encourage us to sit without a goal but rather for the sake of curiosity. I personally am choosing to sit with a goal of reaching 60 minutes, then gradually stair stepping my way back down to 1 minute to mirror a rising wave of discomfort and the way it subsides. Breath, rest, and self compassion have been my greatest allies.

We all experience physical manifestations of our emotions. Coming to recognize what our emotions feel like in our physical body empowers us to practice moving in and out of those feelings. What does fear feel like for you? Anger, impatience, sadness? I invite you to consider the types of movement, shapes, and positions that bring up similar sensations in your body. And, if you choose to explore a resiliency practice, I encourage you to listen to your body and honor what it asks for without any pressure to mirror what I’ve described above.

Do you have other ways of cultivating resilience or musings on the topic? Do you plan to try any of the practices I shared? Let me know next time you see me! I’d love to hear about it.

Warmly,

Hayli Nemeth, Marketing Director

P.s. for those of you who may be interested, here are some resources that supported me when I was moving through anger, fear, and grief.
When Things Fall Apart by Pema Chodron
Wintering by Katherine May
The Dance of Anger by Hariet Lerner

P.p.s. Here are some resources that have been supporting me in mending relationships by learning to navigate hard conversations, cultivate humility, and practice apologizing & forgiving.
Being Wrong by Kathryn Schulz
We Need to Talk by Celeste Headlee
Braving the Wilderness by Brene Brown
Dialogue & Exchange : TED Radio Hour by NPR