Our Brothers are Precious

Black Lives Matter.

Hello Dear One,

How are you feeling? What is arising in your inner world today?

What an intense and overwhelming time this has been.

To my brothers and sisters of color, I am holding space for you and all that you might be feeling. I am listening, and here for you if you need a safe space to land, and receive energetic support. I stand with you. Black lives matter. I trust that you know what is best for you to tend to the wounds set upon the community after yet another senseless killing. I am here for you.

To my white brothers and sisters, I am here for you also as we release our unconscious biases, hold curiosity in coming to understand the experience of people of color more fully and deeply, and shift our actions so we can more constructively dismantle systemic racism in our society. I am holding these intentions for myself, doing the best I can, albeit imperfectly, along with you.

The deaths of George Floyd and Ahmaud Arbery (and so many others before), were senseless, avoidable, and a blatant fear/hate of blackness. Seeing the response in the last couple weeks, I hope that enough people are waking up to these horrible injustices that have been committed against the black community for so many centuries, and that we can take sufficient action to end this once and for all. The charges against the officers responsible for George Floyd's death is encouraging, there is finally some legal accountability that is in motion. Though we must remember the long game. Racism has been present in the United States for centuries. We must stay true to our intentions and see this through. Especially to lift up and support those who have been carrying this burden for so long, to let them get some rest and tend to their grief. All of us must carry our share of the responsibility for a true, lasting shift to come. I will be doing my part to use my privilege to make this happen.

All of us who were born or live in the United States, no matter what the color of our skin, have been impacted by racism. This is nothing new, as experts on race and injustice have been saying this for years. I would like to speak to this from the lens of energetics, because that is what I know.

Epigenetics. You may have heard of the phenomena where unresolved trauma gets passed down through family lines. For example, studies have shown that trauma shows up in the DNA of the descendants of Holocaust survivors, though they may not have personally seen trauma. I see this show up in my practice too. Individuals carry the unhealed wounds and dynamics of their parents, and grandparents, whose parents and grandparents may have carried that trauma from their ancestors before them. We carry these wounds and dynamics that are not ours, until they are recognized, honored, and put in their rightful place. Before there is some resolution, we continue the cycle of living out these inner and outer realities in a similar way to how it happened with the original event. Until we wake up, and make changes, we keep perpetuating the same issue. Being in these cycles can be maddening and confusing until we realize we are carrying something that isn't ours, because we know something is off, but the original injury is in such a distant past that we don't even look for it, nor can we put our finger on it.

Now, let's apply this to the history of our country. The United States was founded on genocide of the Native Americans, and built on the backs of enslaved labor. Colonization, oppression, and so much violence. The energetic qualities, beliefs, wounds, that were so vivid in that past, were integrated into the energetic foundations of our country, along with lots of the positive qualities we all value. Because most of us were taught only a certain white narrative (freedom, equality, opportunity, etc.), the rest of the story went underground. Though enslavement may not be occurring in the same way it did in 1800, the energetic blueprint of it is still present in each and every one of us that was born or lives in the United States, whether your family was here by then or not. This blueprint has informed the dynamics that have cycled through our nation's history, and has morphed into what we are seeing now: certain police officers targeting and killing innocent black men and women. Of course, not everyone is actively acting out these old blueprints. There are police officers out there that genuinely care for people of color and want to dismantle racism as much as the rest of us. It is how the blend of the collective United States, ancestral, and personal blueprints converge within the individual, and how they are activated that often spells trouble. Even if these aren't activated within us, isn't it worth releasing those blueprints, to create space for something life-affirming for everyone?

So, what do we do about these invisible blueprints? How do we eradicate them, or transform them? With radical honesty, self-compassion, forgiveness, and a desire to make repairs, ask yourself:

• Am I willing to see the "invisible" dynamics that have been influencing my choices, and beliefs?
• If so, how have I participated and benefited from racism, and privilege (it might be overt or subtle)?
• What is my family's history? What old wounds might I be carrying from the past? (People who acted as perpetrators carry energetic wounding just as someone who would be considered a victim would. Those roles are like two sides of the same coin. Both need healing.)
• How has my family been influenced by life and events in the US?
• How do dynamics of power over, and power under show up in my life? When do I feel powerless, and how do I compensate?

As we do our own individual healing work, we deactivate these old landmines of hate, injustice, and victimhood that we have inherited. If enough of us do this work, and speak out and demand change, it is my hope that we will have more success in dismantling racism. To support us in the internal and energetic realms of this endeavor, I have created a guided meditation to be a supplement to the other important learning and action steps that must be taken. This meditation begins with a big dose of compassionate witnessing and heart nourishment for what's transpiring within you. After some cleansing of our perceptions, we allow one limiting belief/falsehood to arise as it relates with race. We do some unpacking, gaining information about where it came from, etc. When we are ready, we begin to dissolve the energetic hold of this thoughtform, creating space, and cleansing you from this taint on your filter of perception. We end by tuning into our interconnectedness, and opening up to any additional guidance or understanding you are ready to receive. This practice is meant to be repeated, so bit by bit we release this energetic framework within ourselves. I hope it serves helpful in this process. Share this freely if you find it useful.

If you are looking for resources to learn, explore what you can do, or receive healing, learn from those who know and are willing to share their wisdom:

• Community Healing Network—Mission is to mobilize black people to heal from the trauma of racism, be freed of toxic stereotypes, and reclaim their dignity and humanity
• Liberate Meditation—Meditation app made by and for people of color
• List of Resources to Support the Black Lives Matter movement-- Charities, petitions, articles, books, organizations, etc
• Bystander Intervention Training— How to protect others when you are witnessing harassment and bias
• "Message to White Allies From a Black Anti-Racist Expert"—Article by Dr. David Campt
• Exploring Bias—The work and writing prompts from Leesa Renee Hall
• Harvard Implicit Bias Test

Keep learning, and healing, dear one. If receiving one-on-one support to be heard, and shift the energies you are experiencing in a safe, nonjudgmental space calls to you, I'm here.

What is supporting you in healing, and doing your part during this time? Do you have any resources that have been beneficial to you that you would like to share with us? Comment on the below or send me an email. (Also, if you notice any shortcomings in this post, or other interactions you have had with me that you would like me to be aware of, I welcome your feedback, so that I can do better in the future.)


Wishing you all safety, love, and protection,
Sarah


P.S. I am still seeing clients remotely at this time. I am conducting these appointments over the phone, Zoom/Skype, or email. If you are wanting support, email, call 608-335-1934, or book online to schedule.