01/18/2022
Today, the National Day of Remembrance of Martin Luther King has me in a contemplative state. Sitting in Atlanta, one block from the King Center, I find myself reflecting on the legacy of the civil rights movement leadership and the toll that racism has taken and continues to take on Black people's well-being.
White supremacy and its mutation of racism adversely impact the well-being of all people. It is the root cause of chronic stress for Black folks. This stress shows up in the most peculiar of ways. Stress coupled with systemic oppression contributes to intergenerational trauma - rewiring psychophysiological pathways in the brain.
We, Black folks, are astute at playing defense. We are resilient. We are often characterized as faithful, hopeful, courageous by the Diasporic community. Black bodies store generations of adverse painful experiences. The resilient Black brain has reconfigured itself to be on guard from the symptoms of racism, and the pandemic has revealed a fragile broken health care system. Racism is a public health crisis.
Healing is a practice. To begin the repair, one should ask themselves two questions: How has racism impacted my belief system? Where might my body store negative experiences and emotions?
For those of us who can afford a therapist, EMDR, psychotherapy, somatic processing, and mind-fullness techniques within a supportive therapeutic alliance can assist the body with reprocessing distressing memories and reducing their harmful impact.
EMDR is a technique that allows a distressing memory to be processed, reconfigured, and restored. Eye Movement Desensitization Reprocessing happens in eight phases, usually divided into three steps. The three steps are:
Identifying the thought or trigger connected to the "trauma."
Understanding the negative thought cognition associated with the stressful experience.
Integrating a new positive belief into the experience.
The body can naturally tune-up by processing hurtful experiences when ease is introduced through EMDR, somatic processing, or age-old wisdom. This tune-up can connect the mind to the body. Attuning the mind to the body can increase self-awareness, reduce anxiety, increase self-esteem, and improve relationships for many people.
If you are unable to invest in therapy, I invite you to take a moment to breathe. Locate five minutes during your day where you can provide yourself with a free daily tune-up if your ability allows it. Sit with yourself on the car ride home, the train to work, or during your morning bathroom time and breathe. Inhale your breath for four seconds, hold for six, and exhale for eight seconds. Notice the way the breath feels within your body.
Stay in touch and let me know how these invitations progress.
