INNER WORK job ?” “ What will actually change this time to overturn centuries of systemic racism ?” Because trauma is energetic and somatic , when this trauma loop happens in the brain , we often do not have words to describe the experience . The fact that we lack language to define our experience can feel further isolating , especially within the dominant culture where we rely so heavily on words to relate to one another . These activations are draining and depleting our energy and resulting in increased escalations , compromised mental / physical / spiritual health , and strained relationships .
While the repeated , heightened activation of the sympathetic nervous system has daunting short- and long-term implications , we are also drawing on our strengths and discovering our adaptability during this time . Thoughts of gratitude and memories of our resilience are also activated . Because our historical catalog of memory is being pulled , this is a time particularly ripe for discovery , of both shadow and light . By leaning into this discovery rather than dissociating , we leverage this time as a time to build resilience and individual / communal healing .
What does inner work actually entail ?
Understanding is love . If you can ’ t understand , you cannot love . When you understand yourself , your suffering , you love yourself . - Thich Nhat Hahn
It may be that we think of therapy when we consider inner work . While that has deep value and merit , the common definition of therapy focuses only on one component of the self : the mind . Mechanisms for inner work are vast and dynamic . A combination of modalities / other modalities engage all of spirit , mind , and body in our process of discovery . Here is a list of just some of the methods we have witnessed , participated in , and facilitated :
1 . Create time and space for stillness for the mind to settle and connect with the body / spirit , e . g . journaling , meditation
2 . Nourish space for creation , e . g . art , poetry , singing
3 . Engage in somatic movement therapy , e . g . dance / expressive movement , theatre
4 . Connect with communal healing , e . g . healing circles , restorative spaces , Clearness Committees , ceremony
5 . Participate in contained spaces that engage one in a process for naming and exploration of core beliefs and inner wisdom , e . g . therapy , coaching , asking open and honest questions
Schools can support dynamic inner work by intentionally prioritizing time for it , not seeing it as separate from the professional , but integral to the actualization of the institution ’ s mission . We have been supporting schools these past years in institutionalizing
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CSEE Connections Fall 2020 Page 13