Radical Presence: Embodied Social Transformation

"These past few months have challenged us to continuously return to our center, consistently recalibrate in the unfolding of ourselves in and with our local as well as global communities. Practicing Embodiment Skills can support us in being Radically Present with all that we sense in order to take committed action that is aligned with our values, instead of out of old reactionary patterns that might not serve us anymore. This is a never-ending process which takes practice and needs support, as with any living organism, to grow and flourish. Whether it is Climate Change, racial or gender equity, or any of the other issues we are struggling to change, our voices and Embodied presence is political. And I believe it is not enough to have a somatic practice alone anymore. We need each other, connections, communities to facilitate deep transformations. It begins with having the ability to read the Soma: what are we sensing? What is our dissonance as well as resonance with our world? The next step is develop capabilities of coherence and cohesion with our intimate and macro connections. Yet, these skills can be difficult when one has a “systemic overload” or a density in our system as a result of Trauma or oppression. Yet, being a phenomenally responsive and adaptive soma (the embodied inter-connectedness of thinking, emotions and actions) in a safe environment, we are able to literally move beyond even inter-generational “stuck-ness”. As a result of the current global “VUCA” situation (Volatility, Uncertainty, Complexity, Ambiguity) I believe it is more important than ever to develop, deepen and expand the skills with the support of others, such as: -bringing an awareness to old patterns when feeling triggered and what is possible to chose to do instead -strengthening techniques in staying grounded when things get bumpy -finding a voice when bodily responses say that something is “off"" -practicing and experimenting with how to be present when in crisis -bringing an awareness to, as well as developing various forms of networks in order to strengthen resources and support a vision of Embodied Social Transformation in order to sense our inter-connectedness and empowerment. These are all useful skills for everyday situations, yet especially important if you are in a “helping” career. The intention for my work that I coined “Radical Presence: moving with playful compassion"" is to remind us that we are all “Wounded Warriors”. All of our narratives hold trauma and with it potential for growth and healing. When we bundle our resources, there is the strengthened ability for healing transition into new possibilities or “post-traumatic growth”."