Thanks Shilpa. I am with you in praying for a global grief circle for humanity to get off the trauma hamster wheel. Moving the energy of rage and grief through my body has been essential to sanity. Standing barefoot on the earth and unloading on a kickboxing bag have been the most effective ways for me to do that. I pray we all find the ways to release whatever blocks us from experiencing love.
Thank you dear Gino for this reflection. I wish we could get kickboxing bags around the world, as well as so much more earth medicine for all. Getting to sanity and humanity, so many paths and so important. Thank you for the prayers and the love. <3
All this seems so right on to me. I would also add "fear" to your list. I suspect there are at least five kinds of fear, but two that come to mind are fear of rage (It doesn't solve anything) and fear of grief (It doesn't change anything). Closing off access to rage and grief closes the heart to love as well.
Yes, fear of rage and grief really blocks are our healing process, personally and collectively. Facing the fear and coming into our stretch zones together is so vital. Thank you Richard!
Thank you for this piece... It ecoes many things I have been feeling and thinking lately... I am quite disappointed about humanity and being human right now and feel a bit stuck in this grief... But reading you helped me realize that I am not frozen and I am doing the best I can...
I have been invvlolved in one of Francis' spaces, a Soulful Living Community for the last 6 months and starting next week I will facilitate a reading group on The Wild Edge of Sorrow. While it sometimes feels really hard to continue doing anything at all, it is good to remember that these circles at least helps our hearts to go through....
Love to you and Austin and all the beautiful hearts you are surrounded with
This is beautiful and helpful, Shilpa - thank you.
I'm back working with The Center for Mind-Body Medicine on large scale trauma healing in Gaza, as well as Israel. It's been the deepest grief, trauma, and love work of my life.
Accompaniment is the word most on my lips, with few others that seem to fit.
I've also been thinking a ton about how much I want/wish (need?) for there to be a direct action grief ritual in DC. I'm talking to some folks about this.
Amazing, thank you Elizabeth. I hope that grief ritual can happen -- small-scale and large-scale, we need them all. I look forward to hearing more about it.
Thank you dear Pancho for your support and reflections! Yes to keep un-sticking together, and being in our shared humanity. You are reminding me, I am not my panic zone, and neither is anyone else. When I remember that, I see all the pain underneath, connect with the heart, and know that I and we are whole and can find better ways forward.
i had some more to say about your lovely article , and why in my opinion , despite having all the tools and awareness available , society continues to not use them .... prefering instead to use violence .
an immediate reply would have felt like going into "fix it mode" especially as there was so much beautiful heart-felt emotion in your writing .
Thank you, yet again, Shilpa, for your brave, articulate self speaking painful truth to me and all of us. I so deeply love and appreciate you - your courage and love to express to all of us the depths of your heart. I so need to hear you, as I wonder what in the Universe is behind our ongoing attempts to break through the walls of fear and fight? Hearing you speak today, I wonder if our walls of fear and fight are not even the point? What if we - I - could take a deep breath of annoyance and recognize that it is all a test in the process of our growing up DESPITE what in the world is currently diverting our attention from the real work of learning how to love, no matter what?
Because, I wonder if that is the real, ultimate, and most difficult lesson in our journey of form and humanity in this world of ours? Carolyn North
Yes, dear Carolyn! I feel and hear all of that. Learning to love and loving -- taking down those walls of fear and pausing from the fight and flight -- and doing the big journey work of love, together. Thank you for framing this core lesson and for doing all you are to try to practice it every day. <3
Thanks Shilpa. I am with you in praying for a global grief circle for humanity to get off the trauma hamster wheel. Moving the energy of rage and grief through my body has been essential to sanity. Standing barefoot on the earth and unloading on a kickboxing bag have been the most effective ways for me to do that. I pray we all find the ways to release whatever blocks us from experiencing love.
Thank you dear Gino for this reflection. I wish we could get kickboxing bags around the world, as well as so much more earth medicine for all. Getting to sanity and humanity, so many paths and so important. Thank you for the prayers and the love. <3
All this seems so right on to me. I would also add "fear" to your list. I suspect there are at least five kinds of fear, but two that come to mind are fear of rage (It doesn't solve anything) and fear of grief (It doesn't change anything). Closing off access to rage and grief closes the heart to love as well.
Yes, fear of rage and grief really blocks are our healing process, personally and collectively. Facing the fear and coming into our stretch zones together is so vital. Thank you Richard!
Shilpacim,
Thank you for this piece... It ecoes many things I have been feeling and thinking lately... I am quite disappointed about humanity and being human right now and feel a bit stuck in this grief... But reading you helped me realize that I am not frozen and I am doing the best I can...
I have been invvlolved in one of Francis' spaces, a Soulful Living Community for the last 6 months and starting next week I will facilitate a reading group on The Wild Edge of Sorrow. While it sometimes feels really hard to continue doing anything at all, it is good to remember that these circles at least helps our hearts to go through....
Love to you and Austin and all the beautiful hearts you are surrounded with
Take care
Yaprak
Thank you dear Yaprak. Yes to un-freezing and hosting circles for the grief and love. So much love to you and all the hearts that surround you. <3
This is beautiful and helpful, Shilpa - thank you.
I'm back working with The Center for Mind-Body Medicine on large scale trauma healing in Gaza, as well as Israel. It's been the deepest grief, trauma, and love work of my life.
Accompaniment is the word most on my lips, with few others that seem to fit.
I've also been thinking a ton about how much I want/wish (need?) for there to be a direct action grief ritual in DC. I'm talking to some folks about this.
Amazing, thank you Elizabeth. I hope that grief ritual can happen -- small-scale and large-scale, we need them all. I look forward to hearing more about it.
how to BE more healthy together , with our words and emotions and prayers . absolutely the first step of the process , to unstuck ourselves .
and you described this side so eloquently and with so much heart .
And i really enjoy being able to hear your voice saying it too 🥰 it really helps me see your own humanity as you expertly dissect my thoughts .
Thank you dear Pancho for your support and reflections! Yes to keep un-sticking together, and being in our shared humanity. You are reminding me, I am not my panic zone, and neither is anyone else. When I remember that, I see all the pain underneath, connect with the heart, and know that I and we are whole and can find better ways forward.
hiya Shilpa
i had some more to say about your lovely article , and why in my opinion , despite having all the tools and awareness available , society continues to not use them .... prefering instead to use violence .
an immediate reply would have felt like going into "fix it mode" especially as there was so much beautiful heart-felt emotion in your writing .
you ready for that reply now ?
Sure, feel free to share, Pancho. Always welcome.
I saw Liana Fink's weekly cartoons just after reading your essay, and thought they were a wonderful compliment. https://lianafinck.substack.com/p/weekly-cartoons-57b
Thanks for these Melanie! They are great!
Thank you, yet again, Shilpa, for your brave, articulate self speaking painful truth to me and all of us. I so deeply love and appreciate you - your courage and love to express to all of us the depths of your heart. I so need to hear you, as I wonder what in the Universe is behind our ongoing attempts to break through the walls of fear and fight? Hearing you speak today, I wonder if our walls of fear and fight are not even the point? What if we - I - could take a deep breath of annoyance and recognize that it is all a test in the process of our growing up DESPITE what in the world is currently diverting our attention from the real work of learning how to love, no matter what?
Because, I wonder if that is the real, ultimate, and most difficult lesson in our journey of form and humanity in this world of ours? Carolyn North
Yes, dear Carolyn! I feel and hear all of that. Learning to love and loving -- taking down those walls of fear and pausing from the fight and flight -- and doing the big journey work of love, together. Thank you for framing this core lesson and for doing all you are to try to practice it every day. <3
Thank you so much for this Shilpa.
Thanks for reading Melanie. <3