The key points in this "speaking":
In the aftermath of Trump's inauguration, many of us are feeling stunned and immobilized, wanting to resist politically but not knowing how or whether such resistance will matter.
One of the primary risks of this age is living almost exclusively through digital dreamlands: the flatness of the screen creates flat affect and dimmed bodies, entertaining us all into a collective sleep. We may think we are resisting politically but we are merely reposting ideas in an endless, closed circle that rarely translates into "real world" action.
Two kinds of resistance: the kind that causes suffering and the kind that heals suffering. Resistance to emotions/ sensations/ states causes suffering.
Decoupling the relationship between feelings and actions can help us heal this suffering.
Usually what we interpret as a failure to "control" one's feelings is in fact a failure to feel one's feelings fully. Because we fear a feeling, we try to pass it to another through externalization (i.e. I'm angry, so I give my anger to you by punching you). Feeling fully is never dangerous— in fact, it enables us to act freely.
How to resist politically in interpersonal relations: hold a space for the feeling/ energy without accepting the belief they are associating with that feeling. Setting firm boundaries so that the feeling can be felt fully.
This is not sentimental advice: not love, light, and forgiveness. In fact, what I'm saying is the opposite: it's fully embracing the darkness in yourself and others so you safely heal what is at root something completely harmless.
This requires that we deny nothing: not pain, not grief, not hatred. Fear will only make the sensations stronger.
Non-violent resistance requires creativity, humor, and playfulness to "trick" the other side without reinforcing duality and hatred. This can be applied both politically and interpersonally.
An open heart is an open mind. At their roots, rationality, goodness, compassion and truth are all the same.
Recommendations:
A video from my non-duality teacher about the relationship between sensations/ emotions and reactions:
A quote from Søren Kierkegaard: “An illusion can never be destroyed directly, and only by indirect means can it be radically removed...a direct attack only strengthens a person in his illusions, and at the same time embitters him." and, “There is nothing that requires as gentle a treatment as the removal of an illusion”.
Listener Insights:
If you want your insights to be shared (with your name or anonymously), comment on this blog post, email me, or answer the Spotify questions attached to the episode.
How do you feel called to resist while remaining open during these challenging times?
Célia @mesolympes "I feel like I am being called a lot about opening my heart and keeping it open, which also means healing past wounds and old patterns… but it also means for me taking back my attention so as to meaningfully distribute it and allowing space for my imagination (and my language), to nourish positive ideas, to give them strength so that I can then bring to the table."
Love it, Célia! Recovering attention from the fragmentation of the "attention economy" and focusing on inner and outer healing is calling me as well <3
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