This list is so good! Thank you Mindy!! I also find that meditating with another person where each person takes a turn as silent witness while the other meditates and verbalizes what they’re noticing aloud as they feel led can be very nourishing and regulating.
I love this addition. It’s similar to Somatic Experiencing, atleast the way I practice it. I agree it’s so nourishing to have a present, empathetic witness, and to have permission to verbalize what your experiencing, and to stay with yourself. Im going to try this!
This has got to be one of the most generous offerings of wisdom and love, especially for a time like this, I've ever encountered. I'm sharing it orally (not just a link that won't be clicked) and intentionally with both my boys this evening. I am so grateful for you, Mindy. And Trinity, and Andrea too. Begging you all to please keep doing what you are doing. You bring hope to humanity. You bring hope to this girl deep in South where it sometimes feels like there is none. Sending waves of love and gratitude <3
Thank you so much for this, I've been very much in freeze mode this week.
Also, I highly recommend listening to Mannequin Pussy's album "I Got Heaven" for music to make you feel brave or ready to mosh/dance/shake it out in your living room. Sending everyone love this next month and onward. ❤️
Thank you Mindy. Just reading your words was calming and regulating! Thank you for sharing these and for the options to connect next week.
I too have found myself doomscrolling too much — a sure sign I'm dsyregulated and in my own anxiety patterns. I LOVE your list...A friend and I were just talking earlier today about our ramped up anxieties and what might help and in addition to your excellent suggestions — here are a few things that help me...
1) Create a microcosmos of the world you imagine:
I take a cue from a concept I learned about in adrienne maree brown's Emergent Strategy book and look for small micro ways to create world and culture I desire from right where I am. I find a small way to share a generosity or kindness (giving money to a family relocating from Gaza or picking up COVID tests for new neighbors who got sick), I reach out to a friend with care, I will donate my time/services for free for the joy of just giving. I keep waving to my neighbors, even the ones who have political signs on their lawns that I don't like. I make offerings and sign songs to the trees in my yard, I make sure there's water for the migrating birds. In these small ways, it helps to pull me out of despair and helplessness.
2) Big Rocks to Hold the Hard Stuff:
I was dealing with some health anxiety recently and my friend Jeanne gave me helpful advice in the form a small ritual: to take a bigger rock and place 80 percent of my worries in the rock through my intention and prayer, place the rock on my altar (or a special place in your home or yard) and ask Spirit and the Rock to hold and help with those worries. Then find a smaller rock and ask that rock to hold the remaining 20 percent and carry that with me — the thought being I can manage 20 percent of the worry. For me, it helped to have the rock as a companion for my worry, like I didn't have to do it all alone. I did this and it helped me let go of all of my worry. I plan to to do this with my election/world /collective anxieties.
3) Pulling My Energy Back In:
I have been regularly imagining that I'm pulling all my energy back to myself. I find when I'm doomscrolling my energy starts to feel really diffuse and thin. So I pull the energy back into my field, just imagining I'm re-winding threads back into myself or that I have a vacuum in the center of my heart and suck back all my energy...and then cocooning myself with whatever color of light comes to mind (I like golden white light, but any color you find beautiful and supportive will do).
4) Flower Essences:
I love flower essences for gentle energetic support. I'm thinking of pulling out these essences and taking them over the next few weeks — Borage (heart courage), Star of Bethelem (navigating shock and stress), and Yarrow (energetic protection).
5) Working with my Hands:
I find handwork really helpful to bringing me into the present, whether that's preparing food, drumming, coloring, slow-stitching (I don't know a whit about stitching but just run a needle and thread through fabric), giving a backrub to my beloved. Anything that gets my hands in motion seems to help quiet my mind.
I love this Mindy. So many of these practices have helped me. Thank you.
Old trees are wise, giant witnesses and holders of our grief. I have tree(s) I visit when my body lets me know it's time to sit at their roots. We are quite close. Their slow sap and growth mentor me.
Recently, I began to spiral into my trauma vortex, which has in the past carried me into a full panic attack. I was able to recognize what was happening, feeling it in my body and befriending anxiety. I made a change of space (I was out of town and moved from a shared hotel room to my own private room), then put on a playlist that's meaningful to me and called in Earth, Cosmos, people, and ancestors who support me. I felt All there with me, supporting and holding me. I literally felt this All in my very cells. My body settled and I slept well...all panic slowly drained out into Earth. This experience enlarged my Soul with possibilities.
This list is so good! Thank you Mindy!! I also find that meditating with another person where each person takes a turn as silent witness while the other meditates and verbalizes what they’re noticing aloud as they feel led can be very nourishing and regulating.
I love this addition. It’s similar to Somatic Experiencing, atleast the way I practice it. I agree it’s so nourishing to have a present, empathetic witness, and to have permission to verbalize what your experiencing, and to stay with yourself. Im going to try this!
This has got to be one of the most generous offerings of wisdom and love, especially for a time like this, I've ever encountered. I'm sharing it orally (not just a link that won't be clicked) and intentionally with both my boys this evening. I am so grateful for you, Mindy. And Trinity, and Andrea too. Begging you all to please keep doing what you are doing. You bring hope to humanity. You bring hope to this girl deep in South where it sometimes feels like there is none. Sending waves of love and gratitude <3
Waves received 🙌🏼 thank you Lana!!
Thank you so much for this, I've been very much in freeze mode this week.
Also, I highly recommend listening to Mannequin Pussy's album "I Got Heaven" for music to make you feel brave or ready to mosh/dance/shake it out in your living room. Sending everyone love this next month and onward. ❤️
Finally giving Mannequun Pussy a listen 🙌🏼
Thank you Mindy. Just reading your words was calming and regulating! Thank you for sharing these and for the options to connect next week.
I too have found myself doomscrolling too much — a sure sign I'm dsyregulated and in my own anxiety patterns. I LOVE your list...A friend and I were just talking earlier today about our ramped up anxieties and what might help and in addition to your excellent suggestions — here are a few things that help me...
1) Create a microcosmos of the world you imagine:
I take a cue from a concept I learned about in adrienne maree brown's Emergent Strategy book and look for small micro ways to create world and culture I desire from right where I am. I find a small way to share a generosity or kindness (giving money to a family relocating from Gaza or picking up COVID tests for new neighbors who got sick), I reach out to a friend with care, I will donate my time/services for free for the joy of just giving. I keep waving to my neighbors, even the ones who have political signs on their lawns that I don't like. I make offerings and sign songs to the trees in my yard, I make sure there's water for the migrating birds. In these small ways, it helps to pull me out of despair and helplessness.
2) Big Rocks to Hold the Hard Stuff:
I was dealing with some health anxiety recently and my friend Jeanne gave me helpful advice in the form a small ritual: to take a bigger rock and place 80 percent of my worries in the rock through my intention and prayer, place the rock on my altar (or a special place in your home or yard) and ask Spirit and the Rock to hold and help with those worries. Then find a smaller rock and ask that rock to hold the remaining 20 percent and carry that with me — the thought being I can manage 20 percent of the worry. For me, it helped to have the rock as a companion for my worry, like I didn't have to do it all alone. I did this and it helped me let go of all of my worry. I plan to to do this with my election/world /collective anxieties.
3) Pulling My Energy Back In:
I have been regularly imagining that I'm pulling all my energy back to myself. I find when I'm doomscrolling my energy starts to feel really diffuse and thin. So I pull the energy back into my field, just imagining I'm re-winding threads back into myself or that I have a vacuum in the center of my heart and suck back all my energy...and then cocooning myself with whatever color of light comes to mind (I like golden white light, but any color you find beautiful and supportive will do).
4) Flower Essences:
I love flower essences for gentle energetic support. I'm thinking of pulling out these essences and taking them over the next few weeks — Borage (heart courage), Star of Bethelem (navigating shock and stress), and Yarrow (energetic protection).
5) Working with my Hands:
I find handwork really helpful to bringing me into the present, whether that's preparing food, drumming, coloring, slow-stitching (I don't know a whit about stitching but just run a needle and thread through fabric), giving a backrub to my beloved. Anything that gets my hands in motion seems to help quiet my mind.
Shannon this is amazing! Thank you for taking the time to add to this list ❤️❤️
Thank you for sharing these additional regulation practices!
I love this Mindy. So many of these practices have helped me. Thank you.
Old trees are wise, giant witnesses and holders of our grief. I have tree(s) I visit when my body lets me know it's time to sit at their roots. We are quite close. Their slow sap and growth mentor me.
Recently, I began to spiral into my trauma vortex, which has in the past carried me into a full panic attack. I was able to recognize what was happening, feeling it in my body and befriending anxiety. I made a change of space (I was out of town and moved from a shared hotel room to my own private room), then put on a playlist that's meaningful to me and called in Earth, Cosmos, people, and ancestors who support me. I felt All there with me, supporting and holding me. I literally felt this All in my very cells. My body settled and I slept well...all panic slowly drained out into Earth. This experience enlarged my Soul with possibilities.
Thank you April! For adding to the healing vortex! I also have some guardian trees and soul-enlarging playlists 🙌🏼