There’s been no shortage of reactivity, opinions, and emotions post-election.

Some of us may be in singular emotional spaces (anger, sadness, etc) others of us may be feeling a myriad of emotions.

No matter what feelings or emotions are coming up, it’s important that we feel the emotions AND metabolize them.

We must not linger or get stuck in these emotional states. If we linger too long, there is direct harmful impact on our health and overall wellbeing. Furthermore, not metabolizing these emotions keeps us from the beauty and expansiveness of living in our true nature.

We’re not avoiding the emotions.

We are stepping into powerful ways of being with the emotions so that we can respond from a place of wellbeing.

We are becoming adept at channeling those emotions and resourcing ourselves internally for all that lies ahead.

The story of liberation has always been rooted in nurturing our inner nature. It's our biological survival mechanism.

May these practices be nourishing and regenerative.

“And this too”

The first one is an easy and quick practice for when you don’t have a lot of time.

I learned about it from Tara Brach’s book “Radical Acceptance”.

The practice begins by noticing a shift in your being, your mind, heart, spirit, etc. Once aware, acknowledge it with “And this too”.

No need to name the emotion, feeling, experience. Just acknowledge it with a “And this too” either aloud or with an internal whisper.

Five Anchors

The second practice I share with you is nice for when you have time to truly process emotions.

It becomes a shorter and quicker practice with more reps, but for the newbies, this is something you may want to carve out space for.

Over the past three years, I’ve been telling practically everyone to read Resmaa Menakem’s “My Grandmother’s Hands”. If you’re talking about healing journeys, trauma, wellbeing, equity +justice, it’s truly required reading.

After the election, there were a lot of posts, specifically directed to Black women, about “rest” and I just kept thinking, “That may be in order for some people (specifically those who were giving their all campaigning and mobilizing communities), but that’s not the next step for the majority.”

For the many people who are NOT physically exhausted from mobilizing, the nervous system does not need rest. It needs activation to move emotions, reactivity, and unprocessed energy through the body.

I revisited “My Grandmother’s Hands” to recall exactly what Resmaa taught me, and found his “Five Anchors” practice.

I propose a counter-activity to what was trending on social media. For everyone, but especially the wellbeing of Black women: Do not rest. METABOLIZE.

You can do this with the “Five Anchors” practice.

Highly recommend reading “My Grandmother’s Hands” if you want more depth for each anchor.

There’s one really important note around anchor 5.

Safely discharging energy looks like twenty consecutive minutes of energizing full body movement. This is not relaxing, gentle movement, and yet it doesn’t have to be, although it can be, super intense movement.

Refrain from slow yoga, stretching, qigong, meditation. Lean into anything from walking to dancing, to sports, to HIIT. Most forms of full body exercise will do. Get the heart rate up and the energy flowing.

Non-Linear Movement Method

If you want to get out of your head and into your body, the non-linear movement method is the way to go.

I learned this practice from Michaela Boehm in her book, “The Wild Woman’s Way”.

Move your Belly

This fourth practice is a short, quick way to use the breath to metabolize emotions and heightened energy.

You can modify this practice in several ways to make it work for you. (You got yo pick *in my Kiki voice*)

This can be a short 3 breaths in the moment or a dedicated daily 10 minute practice.

As you inhale, feel your belly expand. Allow it to get big.

As you exhale, bring the belly to spine. Feel the muscles work as you squeeze out every ounce of air.

For kinesthetic folks, place your hands on your belly to feel it expand, contract, expand contract, expand contract.

Option to focus on the pace of your breathing. You may want to see how slow you can breathe while the belly expands and contracts.

There are tons more practices to help us metabolize. If you have any recommendations, please send them my way. Additionally, if you give any of these practices a gander, let me know how they work for you.

Wishing you mindful moments in and with nature as we resource our nervous systems for these days of our lives.

Be dope. Be well.

💚Woods