in case you missed our group hypno, here’s the replay! next month’s theme on March 12th is *self-forgiveness as a pathway to self-love*

Here are the notes from the meeting:

Body Drift Healing Arts — Capitalism x Burnout 

–REST: AS RESISTANCE___ 

is a concept that states that rest and self-care are critical for collective liberation. In addition, rest is a form of opposition against societal pressures and expectations that prioritize productivity/labor/ business over one’s innate humanity (as perpetuated by capitalism in the Global West) 

Concisely rest as resistance affirms: 

1. Rest is VALUED: We recognize that taking time to rest and relax is essential to our survival & critical for our well-being; Rest is not a waste of time or considered laziness unless taken to an extreme degree. REST IS NOT A REWARD, IT IS A REQUIREMENT. 

2. Rest Challenges Norms: In a capitalist economy, the emphasis is to ‘’work hard & keep grindin’’’. By choosing to rest, we resist these imposed norms. Instead, we prioritize our well-being, health, and contentment. We recognize we are more than laborers. We are divine human beings containing multitudes. Work is just one thing we do. It does not define us. 

3. Self-care is NOT self-indulgence: We recognize the difference between indulgence and the need to prioritize our mental, physical, and spiritual well-being. To live a balanced, fulfilling life and to extend our care for others, we must replenish our cup, nourish ourselves, and only give of ourselves / energy when we are resourced. If we do not do this, we risk burning out, which becomes detrimental to our health and that of our communities. 

4. Rest can be empowering: Rest can be a form of empowerment, especially for people navigating financial barriers to health & wellness services and treatments. Rest allows for dreaming, idea generation, meaning-making, self-discovery & reflection, and integration of lessons learned throughout our journeys. 

In essence, “rest as resistance” encourages us to recognize that rest is a necessary and powerful act that allows us to reclaim our time, energy, and well-being in a society

that often devalues our humanity. Without rest, we simply react to life and lack intention or the ability to process our experiences. Rest takes us from beyond simply surviving to thriving. 

—Healing Justice Principles___ 

Healing Justice Principles (adapted from YO!California): 

1. Healing Justice as in – we practice wholeness (or WHOLE body being) Wholeness is to feel seen, heard, and have a felt sense of belonging in the space. 

● We encourage practicing wholeness – as in welcoming the ability to show up fully as ourselves, as we are, (without having to ‘fake’ a mood to please others), and to acknowledge, accept, and re-integrate all parts of ourselves. Dark + light. 

● Wholeness calls us to be considerate & fair with one another, ourselves, the Earth, and all living creatures to the best of our abilities. 

● We are in a constant practice of seeing the wholeness in one another – even when relationships or situations become complex. We step back to ground and center when it feels difficult to see. 

2. Healing Justice as in affirming that we are the experts of our bodies, experiences, and needs. 

● We honor our bodies as our greatest teachers. We aim to build, create, honor, and learn to listen to its wisdom. We aspire to cultivate a deep understanding of our wants, needs, and desires. We further aspire to normalize expressing our needs, making requests, and creating & honoring boundaries. We create sacred containers/spaces of care, love, joy, and safety that honor all bodies. 

3. In a Healing Justice-centered space, we honor cultural practices, wisdom teaching, and honor lineages. We also welcome & integrate new traditions into our spaces. 

We educate ourselves on the harm perpetuated by colonization and settler colonialism.

● We uplift and celebrate the richness of the history of intergenerational wisdom, cultural practices, and holistic support that has been shared with us. ● We call on and honor our ancestors to be guided, protected, & reminded of our gifts and power. 

4. Healing Justice means we center love and joy in our spaces. 

We recognize the ways historical trauma and structural violence have caused harm, grief, crisis, and continued cycles of violence for all marginalized peoples. (National Queer & Trans Therapists of Color Network) ● We step into Individual and collective care and liberation: by taking care of ourselves to care for others and interrupting the habit of ‘pouring from an empty cup’. ● We center the voices of and follow the lead of those most impacted by systemic injustices; our Black, Indigenous, Native, Disabled, QTPOC connections, friends, teachers, authors, etc. 

● Healing justice spaces allow us to create a world where we are encouraged to dream, imagine, and experience freedom ● 

● It requires us to constantly re-imagine & invent another world while dismantling outdated systems of oppression. 

Healing justice principles remind us that hope is a discipline that we must practice every day to make the unimaginable possible! 

— PAUSE PRACTICES___ 

● Body Sensations Practice 

Find a place to sit that is comfortable for you. It might be on the floor, on the ground, outside, or on a chair. Wherever you land, set a timer for 3 minutes. For each minute, identify and write down your feeling tones/body sensations without judging or thinking about them. 

Begin by considering your body’s weight against the ground. How do your feet feel on the ground? Your belly breathing? Your head? Neck? Hands? etc. 

You may try to label them ‘pleasant’ // ‘neutral’ // ‘unpleasant’// as you scan through your body. Know that there is no wrong, right, good, or bad, there just is. Be curious

about what you discover. Revisit this practice any time you may benefit from a reset! This practice teaches you to listen to your body. 

● 3 Mindful breaths throughout the day -3 breaths 3 x’s a day to deep belly BREATHE (exaggerate the exhale) (in time, this will become habitual and slows your transitions throughout the day) 

● Concentration practice – candle meditation, bowl of water, feet in the dirt – just try to pay attention to what you are seeing, feeling, etc for a few minutes (connection to earth/spirit – nurtures and trains focus) 

● If you’re with others, try a SELF-COMPASSION PRACTICE – breathe in compassion for yourself, breathe out compassion for them, this allows you to stay in your own energy while supporting others 

___MINDSET SHIFTS— 

● Non-striving – (often linked to non-clinging or non-doing) in Buddhist practice is the conscious, non-judgmental acceptance of the present moment, allowing experiences to unfold without attempting to force, fix, or change them. It aims to reduce suffering by letting go of cravings and attachment to specific outcomes, fostering a state of “just being” rather than doing. 

● Radical Acceptance – accepting the reality we live within, and applying WISDOM to the situation (there will always be a ‘perceived lack of time’ so, follow YOUR flow consciously) 

● REFRAMING – journal on how much you lived in alignment with your values and how present you were today, rather than how productive you were 

__ACTIONS– 

● SCHEDULE REST– BLOCKS IN YOUR WEEK FOR REST/ NOTHING ● Consume less, Create more – demand free time at home, be creative or connected 

● Prioritize your peace by setting boundaries around tech/email, computer, work, draining bosses / toxic work dramas, etc 

● Connect with like-minded, supportive community groups like this one!!! They are your raft in the ocean!!

● Develop a CARE PRACTICE – one way to experience reconnection with people of similar values is to VOLUNTEER – according to Ajahn Brahm, ‘caring’ is one way out of feeling like you’re out of the rat race; it has been researched that the happiest (or most content people) are those who offer care and lend support within their communities 

—Talks__ 

Ajahn Braham 

● Spontaneous Acts of Kindness 

● Buddhist Realization of Non-Self 

Josh Korda, Dharma Punx NYC 

● Internalizing Shame: The Psychological Tolls of Late Stage Capitalism and How to Protect Our Sense of Self 

● Freedom in Spite of Capitalism 

● The Revolution Within: Some of the Ways Capitalism Colonizes the Mind And the Tools For Liberation 

__Related Reading— 

● Decolonizing Trauma Work: Indigenous Stories and Strategies – R. Linklater ● The Four Pivots – Reimagining Justice, Reimagining Ourselves – S. Ginwright, PhD. 

● The Politics of Trauma: Somatics, Healing, and Social Justice – S. Moore ● Teaching Community – bell hooks 

● Beyond Survival: Strategies and Stories from the Transformative Justice – E. Dixon 

● Bullshit Jobs – David Graeber 

● Rest as Resistance – A Manifesto: Tricia Hersey

“I use the energy of dreams that are now impossible, not totally believing in them nor their power to become real, but recognizing them as templates for a future within which my labors can play a part. I am freer to choose what I will devote my energies toward and what I will leave for another lifetime, thanking the goddess for the strength to perceive that I can choose, despite obstacles.” 

“The energies I gain from my work help me neutralize those implanted forces of negativity and self-destructiveness that is white america’s way of making sure I keep whatever is powerful and creative within me unavailable, ineffective, and non-threatening.” 

Audre Lorde (From Sister Outsider and A Burst of Light) 

REST IS A PORTAL 

Follow @thebody_drift 

bodydrifthealingarts.org

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