Inner work frameworks, practices, and questions – all in a five-minute read. Delivered to your inbox every Wednesday morning before you even wake up. Written and curated by Andrew Lang.
What are you actually reacting to? (The Wednesday 1-2-3)
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Happy Wednesday Reader! We’re just four days away from the Embodied Liberation workshop I’ll be co-hosting this Sunday with licensed therapist and purity culture researcher Jenny McGrath. If you're working to untangle narratives about sexuality and bodies that were handed to you in religious spaces, I hope you’ll join us. (And check out the exciting announcement at the bottom of this email as well!) Here's 1 teaching, 2 questions, and 3 resources to explore this week: 1. TeachingFor the past five years, I’ve often included what I call the “operating system” framework in my workshops and classes. Here’s the quick version: A few days ago, as I was preparing for an upcoming trip to Oakland for a somatics training, I re-read this quote from one of the training leaders, Staci Haines. It gave me another way to think of that “in-between space” of Awareness: “I know this may sound strange, but so often what we are reacting to is not being able to tolerate what is happening in our own sensations, emotions, and experience. We react to get rid of the feeling, to push away the sensations, because they are associated with something intolerable, painful, and uneasy. Increasing our ability to 'allow for' sensations and emotions gives us more choice and decreases our reactivity.” In other words, we're often reacting to the discomfort of our own internal movements, not the in-front-of-us realities of the moment. Here’s an example of this from my life: Last week, I felt myself growing frustrated at work at how slow a change was being made. But when I reflect on it now, I realize I was actually growing frustrated at my own inability to tolerate the difference between my desire for speed and the actual speed of the group. If I had paused, taken a few breaths, and empathized with my colleagues in the room and their reasons for moving at a different speed, I have a sneaking suspicion much of that frustration would have lessened. If I had been more present and aware, I would have been able to better tolerate the difference between what I wanted and the wants and needs of others in our meeting. And that would have seriously changed my actions. When we become more aware of what’s happening within us and around us, our ability to tolerate what’s really happening increases – and therefore opens new doors for intentional action, activism, and healing. 2. Questions
3. Resources
⏪ If you missed last week's email:🧩 Community QuestionWhat is a "crossroads" you feel you're at in your life right now? A big thank you to Ruth, Justin, and Pat for sharing your responses to last week’s question about what you’re currently doing to honor and care for your body. In his response, Justin recommended the book The Body is Not an Apology by Sonya Renée Taylor and I wanted to pass it along to you as well 🙂 😁 Exciting AnnouncementWe have another inner work cohort starting up in May! On May 5th, we’ll kickoff another 30-day cohort and we have some amazing workshops lined up:
I’m really excited – I think this is going to be an amazing month of engaging in daily practices that actually fit who we are, learning to see ourselves with soft eyes, and becoming more intentional with how we interact with our communities. If you’d like to be added to the interest list, just click here and I’ll let you know when registration opens! (You’ll be redirected to the cohort page, but no need to do anything! Just by clicking the link, you’ll be added!) Hope all is well-enough with you, |
The Wednesday 1-2-3
Inner work frameworks, practices, and questions – all in a five-minute read. Delivered to your inbox every Wednesday morning before you even wake up. Written and curated by Andrew Lang.
Hey Reader, At one of the monasteries grounded in Thich Nhat Hanh’s teachings, there’s a beautiful tradition: Throughout the day, and at seemingly random intervals, a bell chimes across the entire campus. It’s an invitation (and a norm) that everyone, including guests, pause what they’re doing and settle in for a moment of mindfulness. In the middle of a bite? Pause. In the middle of a conversation? Pause. In the middle of a lecture or teaching? Pause. It’s meant as a sometimes-gentle,...
Hey Reader, In the conversations I've had with friends the last couple days, there has been one prevailing and overwhelming theme: This week has been emotionally brutal for many of us. I'll just pause and speak from my experience here: since watching the attempted assassination of former President Trump, I've felt myself in a space of sadness, frustration, and – more than anything else – anxiety. It feels like a heaviness and a dread in my chest that just won’t let me go. And given my...
Hey Reader, I’ve been thinking a lot about what I refer to as “the gift percolating up from within me.” Some folks call this a “calling.” Others call it our “daimon” or reference the Japanese concept of “ikigai.” Gay Hendricks calls it our “Zone of Genius.” I think of it as the quality of living that is uniquely ours to nurture and bring forth in the world. And, when I’m present to my life, I notice this quality more and more. I notice when I’m engaging in work that doesn’t feel like work. Or...