Feeling anxious about the world? Yeah, me too.
We live in uncertain times.
From the climate crisis to racial violence to COVID and the pandemic – the scale and urgency of it all can be overwhelming. Our nervous systems can feel like they are in hyper-drive, each piece of news building on the anxiety and stress we’re experiencing.
How do we calm our overwhelmed bodies so that we can respond effectively – and compassionately – to the crises we face?
How can we create meaning amongst the uncertainty and anxiety?
The answer – at least in part – lies in our body.
It’s pretty natural that we try to escape the body when we’re stressed or feeling anxious – it’s not exactly a comfortable place to be (think butterflies, digestive trouble, back pain, muscle tension, headaches – to name a few).
And so we do something to check out – we pick up a drink or a snack, we dive into work, we distract ourselves with Instagram or dive back to the safety of our mind (if you’re anything like me you’ve probably spent some time trying to ‘think’ your way to being less stressed).
Rarely though, do we find the safety we’re looking for through escaping the body.
You see, when we’re feeling anxious about the world or stressed we’re seeking refuge, we’re seeking comfort, we’re seeking safety.
Safety isn’t found in our mind, but in our body.
If this resonates with you, you can join one of our regular workshops on Embodiment for Eco-Anxiety. It will cover some simple body-based practices* to help us explore our relationship to these times in our body, and to bring a sense of safety to our overwhelmed nervous systems.