Every week there is a new horrifying or gobsmacking event happening in the US. I try to write in ways that are relevant to current events and how to navigate them while tending to our inner world and the collective, but I don't have the capacity to respond to them every time. Now that my cued e-letters for Reiki training are up (we've postponed the start until we have more registrants, so let me know if you are interested!), I'm confronted again with what to write. 

I'm going to speak plainly today. 

If you haven't been paying attention, you need to now. 

If you listen to Fox News, it's time to find another source. They've been lying to you. 

It's time to find non-violent ways to respond, and repeat, ad nauseam. This is the necessity of these times. 

Minnesotans are brave. Resilient. Scared. Doing the thing anyway. In frigid, unsafe temperatures. I love them. I wish they didn't have to do this.

I know many of you have Minnesotans in your life. Check on them. Send them care packages. Protest in solidarity with them (there are many ICE Out protests going on around the country.) Let them know they aren't doing this alone.

Us Midwesterners are hearty folk. We've lived through the bitter cold and snow year after year. We care about our community, and that is showing in the unwillingness to submit to bullies who just want us to lay down and take it. Fuck that.

The macrocosm is the microcosm. Imagine (or remember) an abusive family system. The emotionally and physically abusive parent hurts one of the children. The other is the golden child (immune to the physical harm, but also steeped in the emotional harm in different ways). The child who is being hit says something, speaks out about the abuse. "How dare that child say anything?" thinks the abusive parent or enabler. They should just sit there and take it. The abusers thinks the child is making them hit them, because the child upset them. It would all just be better if they were quiet.

Well, that's the narrative for the US right now coming from those in positions of power.

Historians and political scientists have a world for it when it's a government: Totalitarianism.

From Britannica.com:
Totalitarianism is a form of government that attempts to assert total control over the lives of its citizens. It is characterized by strong central rule that attempts to control and direct all aspects of individual life through coercion and repression. It does not permit individual freedom. Traditional social institutions and organizations are discouraged and suppressed, making people more willing to be merged into a single unified movement. Totalitarian states typically pursue a special goal to the exclusion of all others, with all resources directed toward its attainment, regardless of the cost.

My work is all about healing and releasing trauma. This administration is generating so much trauma it brings me to tears. Sometimes I collapse on my floor, head in my hands, before I rally myself. 

Alex. Renee. A baby that stopped breathing from being teargassed. An autistic woman carried away as she was on the way to the doctor. A peaceful protestor blinded. Oglala Sioux Tribal members detained (they are the only ones who never immigrated! wtf?!?!). People of color (citizens and those here legally) profiled, harassed, detained because of how they look, how they speak, how they dress. I could go on and on.

All of these people, they need us. We need us. 

The Republican members of Congress have the power to stop this. There is still time to pressure them to rein in ICE. Congress: 202-224-3121. You don't have to have the perfect thing to say. You just need to call. Honestly, I find it rather cathartic hounding Ron Johnson. ;)

What I do believe in is the power of the people. You and me. There are more of us than there are of them. We are fed up, and this doesn't have to continue. We just have to be willing to do something about it. Stand in your power. Don't give it away to them in complacency or fear. We are stronger together. 

Voces de la Frontera has resources to support immigrants, and rally to protect them in Wisconsin. Donate, volunteer, get involved. We need to be ready.

Monarcha is the rapid response line in Minnesota. They need our support. 

Keep an eye on the 287g program, and speak up! This gives municipalities federal money for local law enforcement to collaborate with ICE. Because they've been deputized in this way, essentially any police officers in participating counties are also effectively ICE agents. They often also have beds reserved in their jails for detainees. There are numerous counties in Wisconsin that are currently participating at the time of this writing: Brown, Calumet, Fond du Lac, Kenosha, Kewaunee, Kewaunee, Manitowoc, Marathon, Marquette, Outagamie, Sauk, Sheboygan, Washington, Waukesha, Waushara, Winnebago, and Wood Counties Sheriffs' Offices, and the Palmyra Police Department. This is also reversible! So if you live in one of those counties, speak up and say you do not want your police department participating!

Know that I'm doing what I can to stand with you in this. I've been standing up to bullies since 1987. Standing up to these bullies has become my new hobby.

If you need help regulating your nervous system, or finding moments to recharge to keep doing the thing, I'm here. 

I'm also wanting to offer Reiki to immigrants and those being harmed by this administration. If you would like to donate funds to help sponsor folks, or donate your own Reiki skills to help, let me know. Hopefully, our little bits of effort will lessen some of the long lasting impacts of this harm. 

Keep showing up.

Love ya'll and stay safe out there,

Sarah

We exist in the broader context of our society, local communities, and the time we live in. We can never fully separate ourselves from this atmosphere in which we reside. Even if we were to run off to live alone in the woods amidst lichen and fox, we'd have to consider what conditions led to that choice. What would we return to if we left those woods? The air from afar would still blow and drift into our wooded realm. Some may be able to distance themselves from the things they wish to run from, others do not have the privilege to be able to do so. This climate has a direct influence on our physical, mental, emotional, and relational health, and I see the effects it has on clients all the time.

The backdrop in which we are living is changing. We can all feel it. I've been listening to lots of folks lately; there are a lot of feelings and impulses. Some common themes: fear, anger, despair, exhaustion, confusion, disbelief, sadness, regret, hoping it will get better, a lack of desire or inability to pay attention to what's happening.

While we are always moving forward into the unknown, that is the nature of life, this unknown feels particularly precarious for many right now.

Like you, I do not know exactly how things will play out. Obviously, there are potentials that are out there, and we will see how things unfold. What I do know, is that each of us does have power and agency, and we can stand in that to help guide the direction we go (on a smaller and larger scale).

Suggestions for Navigating Through These Times  

Ground, Center, and Calm Your Nervous System
It is essential that we give ourselves space to feel our feelings when they come up, to air them out, offer yourself validation, kindness and compassion. It makes sense why you feel the way you feel given your experiences and what/who you care about. Even if there is a lot going on in your world, please try to find little pockets of time that you can take deep breaths and acknowledge what's there.

Practices that allow ourselves to settle help us get out of fight/flight (where a lot of us, myself included, have been lately), and into a more grounded, productive space. It makes sense why many have gone into survival, AND our actions, and words are going to be more effective if we can come from a more grounded, centered space.

The way each of us will need to navigate through the times to come will be different, because of our unique circumstances. Specific advice for some won't apply to others. Yet, if you are able to find that calm, regulated place within you, you will have greater access to your own inner knowing and guidance. If you check in regularly, you may find a pull to do certain things or reach out to certain people to help you find your way through.

If you don't already have go-to practices that help you check in with yourself, you might try: breathing deeply, meditating, doing yoga, journaling, receiving Reiki, walking in nature or looking at the clouds, doing an activity that gets you "in the zone" (music, movement, art, cooking, etc.).

Lean Into Your Community
We rely on others, and no matter how things play out we will need to give and receive support. Think of your values (i.e. love, truth, empathy, equity, freedom, respect, integrity, curiosity, etc). Who are the people in your life that share your values? Who can you turn to for a safe place to land, fill up your cup when you need a little more support and encouragement, and who do you want to provide care to in return? These might be people close to you like friends and family, but they might also be neighbors, community organizations, and maybe even strangers.

Some of us may already have a good support network, others might feel theirs is a bit sparse. Regardless of where you find yourself, how might you strengthen that web? Who can you reach out to? Deepen friendships or connections, initiate contact with someone you might have lost touch with, introduce yourself to your neighbor, or others at a local community group or store.

At this time that we are all feeling so divided, it is important that we remember each others' humanity. How can you call others in? How can you stay open-hearted? How can we create bridges?

Stay Engaged
Focusing on our locus of control helps us in remaining connected to our personal power. This suggestion flows from the last of leaning into community. Think of concrete ways that you can use your agency to feed the world you want to exist. Find one or two organizations with visions you align with to which you can volunteer, and/or donate. Aim to do so on a regular basis. Already involved? Are you able to up the ante in your time or monetary investment? Maybe you are able to invite others in? Do you have special skills, knowledge or privilege that might be of particular value and effectiveness right now?

Here are some ideas if you're looking for places to get involved: GSafe (shares an office building with us!), Sierra Club, SURJ, Planned Parenthood, your local food pantry, community center, child's school, or county park. Your local library is also a good place to see what is going on in your community and connect with resources. If you are motivated, maybe you create something of your own.

Also where are the sources where you can stay informed? Many folks have already been doing work that we believe in. We don't have to create from scratch by ourselves. Turn to the leaders and folks who are already doing the work, the ones who are well-acquainted with the terrain. Listen, learn, act accordingly.

That leads me to my final suggestion...

Do Not Obey in Advance
Timothy Snyder is a historian who has studied Europe, the Soviet Union, the Holocaust, and the rise and fall of authoritarian governments throughout history. With the threat of authoritarianism looming in the US, we have a lot we can glean from Snyder's teachings.

As Snyder says, authoritarian regimes are weakest at the beginning and end. This is where we are now. This is where we need to stay engaged so that this does not progress.

The first (of 20) lessons he shares is "do not obey in advance." Much of the power of authoritarianism is freely given. People will anticipate what these leaders will want, and offer that preemptively. This allows the leader to get away with more than they may have originally thought possible. 

So now, I ask you to use your voice, stay engaged, stay in your power, hold the line of your values.

To learn more about these essential lessons, you can read this short article, watch a playlist where Timothy describes the essence of each lesson, or read Snyder's book On Tyranny.

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To make it easier to contact my representatives (and so I don't have an excuse not to call) I've added them as contacts on my phone. You can find the info for your representatives here:

• Congress: 202-224-3121 (you'll be asked your zip code, and forwarded to your local representative)
• Senators
• House of Representatives

Making a call is easy, and only takes a couple minutes.

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Well, there you have it. This was a long one, but it all felt important during these times. If you stuck with me thank you. If you feel some healing work, meditations, or classes might help you, reach out! I'm here for you.

Let us know in the comments, what's helping you right now? Are there any causes that you are getting more involved in? Let's make that space a spot where we can share ideas and inspire each other.

Take good care of yourself, and each other,

Sarah