A special word for my US readers (+ 69-ish)

 I just want to take a moment and speak to my readers in the United States and say that my respect and compassion go out to everyone who’s genuinely wrestling with how best to resist what’s coming in the wake of Monday’s presidential inauguration.

What I’m calling my political stress reset method is not about looking away from what is happening. It’s about finding a way to stay human inside it. I know there is political anxiety amid uncertainty right now, and it can be hard to know where to put all of it.

As you know I now live in Portugal for nearly 3 years, so I’m not in the frying pan. But, regardless of where you are in the world, we are all to some degree going to be held hostage to the man’s cruel whims and tantrums. At this point, the U.S. is a wobbling behemoth – the real question is when it topples who will be left in the wreckage? 

Take the environment for example: Pulling the U.S. out of the Paris Climate Agreement – humanity’s most significant collective effort to address global warming – sends shockwaves far beyond America’s borders. In tandem, his pick for Energy Secretary is a fossil fuel executive and climate denier. These decisions go beyond the U.S., as the environmental fallout has no borders. Rising sea levels, extreme weather events, and disruptions to ecosystems will (and are) rippling across continents making clear that no place is entirely safe from these actions.

When It All Feels Like Too Much

The overwhelm sparked by nonstop headlines is real. It can make it difficult to take in one more thing, much less know what to do about it.

Navigating the potential fallout of a destabilizing superpower demands a mix of preparedness, adaptability and resilience. For me the focus is on mental resilience as it plays a crucial role in handling the stress and uncertainty of these times. Uncertainty – whether it’s the threat to the planet or the constant targeting of various “interest groups” – can be deeply taxing on your mental health. That’s why it’s vital to prioritize your well-being, stay grounded, and take proactive steps to care for yourself amidst the chaos.

I’m trying to keep some conscious awareness through public turmoil, though I’m not always successful. It is so easy to get swept up in the next alarming thing.

The Political Stress Reset Method I’m Using Right Now

If you need a “reset” I invite you to go to my emotions practice page and choose the emotion you are grappling with and do the practice. I’m confident that you’ll feel better following this relatively short session. Besides, I’m right there, doing it with you!

Sometimes a quick nervous system reset is all I can manage before I go back out into the world again. For me, this political stress reset method is not about pretending I’m fine. It’s about bringing myself back to myself before I get completely carried away.

Also, you’ll hear more about this in the coming weeks, but the Shift Network has asked me to teach a 7-week course on emotional resilience – with the support of cannabis. That’s right cannabis, one of the go-to tools in my emotional release work and the first time they’ve offered this kind of course. I’m very excited to be teaching this process to a wider audience! 

For me, this work has always been about cannabis integration with care. It is not about checking out. It is about having a way to be present with what is coming up.

Of course, I’d suggest that you consider registering and spending this 7-weeks with me (scheduled for March and April). There will be more details coming and, if it resonants, I’d love to have you. After all, you know me better than most!

Above all, I believe this is a good time to invoke the Yin and Yang principle, a key idea in Chinese philosophy. The black-and-white Yin-Yang circle shows that each side contains a small part of the other represented by the dots. Neither side is better or more important and as one grows the other naturally shrinks. To create harmony it’s essential to find the right balance between the two.

I need practical spirituality during difficult days to be something that helps me meet what is happening, not something that asks me to pretend it isn’t.

Hold close to your heart that we will soon find balance.

The Yin-Yang symbol reminds us of the ebb and flow of universal energies where dark flows into light and light flows into dark. Our puny minds cannot fathom the enormity of the Universe’s rhythms. What often appears dark and dreadful unfolds into something affirmative and constructive. This is why we must learn how to surf the waves of uncertainty.

At least for me, this political stress reset method has to leave room for grief, anger, and the small actions that keep me from going numb.

Speaking of balance, the latest installment on my journey to uncover the countless ways I catch myself judging my appearance – or how I imagine others might judge me is right here. This one, I must say, has a lot to do with body shame and guilt and is, ahem, a real mouthful.

Thoughts or insights on anything and everything I’ve shared with you? Drop down to the comments section and let me know! Pleeze. 

With Love,
Becca