You Make Sense

By: Kelly Caul

However you find yourself feeling and reacting to this past week and a half - you make sense. 

Your overwhelm makes sense. Your fear makes sense. Your tension makes sense. Your bracing and breath-holding makes sense. Your freeze, your numbness, your shutdown makes sense. Your anger and rage makes sense. Your fatigue makes sense. Your grief makes sense. 

You make sense.

What we are going through is intense, uncertain, and overwhelming - impacting us all as a collective and individually, albeit it in disproportionate ways based on our identities. 

When there is stress, pressure, and fear to this degree and it overwhelms our systems, we are hardwired as humans to react - our bodies shift into these states of protection - disconnecting us from ourselves, others, the land. This is a natural/biological response to challenging and overwhelming situations.

We all might feel and/or react differently, and that’s okay. This is not about making anything right or wrong, good or bad - all of our emotions and nervous system responses hold wisdom. 

The goal is therefore not to avoid these emotions, shame ourselves out of these reactions or the overwhelm, nor grasp for calmness. 

Emotions are here to inform us, to inspire purposeful action, to connect us. 

Where our personal power comes in is through our ability to find ways to feel and be with our emotions. 

It is a liberatory practice to find ways to expand our capacity to feel and be present with our emotions and sensations. We find ways to be present with what is for the sake of being in relationship with our emotions while still remaining grounded in our deepest wisdom. 

When we can find ways to support ourselves to turn towards and experience what we are feeling in a way that feels *safe enough*, we are able to settle and nurture our nervous system and find our way through. 

We are able to feel our emotions, AND still remain present, open, and connected to what matters most. 

We are able to show up and take values-aligned action

So there might be moments when what is needed is to fall apart. And can we let that be okay and just hold ourselves and each other tenderly through those moments?  

And, there might be moments when we are able to ask ourselves, 

who or what do I need to turn towards in order to feel into and receive even just an ounce of support, care, safety, or connection?

This might look like feeling your feet on the ground or your seat in the chair, taking in every point of connection and noticing the way that these surfaces beneath you are holding you up. Maybe inviting any bracing in your body to soften into the experience of being held. 

Maybe you find a sensation in your body that feels pleasant or neutral, and you allow yourself to really feel into and spend time with that sensation. 

Your breath might feel accessible, and maybe you take the time to follow your breath for a moment and then explore what it is like to invite your breath to deepen. 

Maybe you are able to focus your attention on a person, a pet, a plant, or a place that when you bring your attention there you feel more connected, resourced and supported. 

Or your body might have the impulse to move in some way that feels relieving. 

Your body has an inherent capacity to heal and will always turn towards healing. Our practice is to find ways to cultivate this inner safety that will carry us through. 

No matter where you are in this moment, please remember that whatever you are feeling makes sense. 

I would love to know how you are doing right now, respond to this email and let me know. 

With love and solidarity, 

Kelly (she/her)