[PRACTICE]: Guided visualization for transforming ourselves and society

Explicit content warning

08/07/20 • 9 min

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This is a guided visualization, meant to help our bodies, minds and spirits tune into a vision for society, connecting with others, expressing our inner voice and gifts, and the reflecting on what healing might be helpful for getting there.

This visualization came to me as a “soul download” after doing some breath work during a period that I was working on this project quite a bit. I was surprised, since I had been taking more of an intellectual approach to this work up to that point. This felt like a reminder that our hearts and spirits are integral to the world we are creating, and will be integral to the process of creating that world as well.

The beautiful background music was composed by our sound editor Dustin Zwaryck, including samples of sound healing instruments used by my partner and I for ceremony.

Use this link to send us thoughts or questions!

The beautiful background music was composed by our sound editor Dustin Zwaryck, including samples of sound healing instruments used by my partner and I for ceremony.

Previous Episode

Mindsets and Paradigms

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I discuss some of the deep-seated mindsets that are at the root of our culture, along with what mindsets we might tune into in order to transform ourselves, our communities and our societies. Other terms that could be used here are assumptions, deep seated habits or paradigms.

I focus first on moving from the assumption that we are separate from the natural world and need to dominate it, toward the mindset that we are a part of the natural world, able to live in harmony and be regenerative.

Next, I talk about moving from a scarcity mindset based on fear to a mindset of abundance based on compassion, gratitude, and being “materially simple and relationally rich”.

Thirdly, I talk about moving from a place of favouring aspects of our being that are more traditionally masculine or yang and tuning into aspects of femininity or yin that we have been rejecting. This includes honouring and learning from emotion and observing and receiving rather than jumping to action.

Finally, I discuss moving from a more linear and causation-based mindset, toward one that embraces complexity and emergence.

Resources I refer to in this episode include the Water of Systems change from fsg.org, Braiding Sweetgrass by Robin Wall Kimmerer, Sacred Economics by Charles Eistentein, This Changes Everything by Naomi Klein, Dancing with Systems by Donella Meadows, and https://www.kristenappenrodt.com/herstory.

Next Episode

Where do we start? Individual level

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I’ll present a list of things to consider, to learn about, or to practice in order to help understand and work toward the change we need to see in the world. Honestly, I get frustrated when I see too much individual focus where there, but obviously our society is made up of individuals who all need to start somewhere? So what can we do?

Overall, I suggest the idea of living the questions, rather than trying to have all the answers.

In this episode, I offer the follow starting points for where to start:

Slow way down - Feels necessary in order to be able to do any of the other pieces. Stopping the glorification of busy. Avoiding the idea of “We don’t know where we are going, but we are making good time”. Working less for those that may currently have more than we need.
Recognize and shift mindsets - Refer back to mindsets and paradigms episode. Also refer to characteristics of White Supremacy Culture
Come from a place of love and intention, rather than fear, anxiety or urgency - This is a practice, and a lot of the work we do on our own can be figuring out how to come from love and intention.
Ongoing healing of barriers and wounds - Urgency to do work needed in the community can take away from doing our individual healing work. Yet doing our healing work helps us come from a place of love and intention. Important to pay attention to where we are stuck or
Embodying unique genius - “Genius” term as used by Michael Meade - each of us has something essential and unique to contribute. It is important for us to find our true voice and inner wisdom. Acknowledging that on some level each of us has a longing to contribute to society, and only we can find it underneath the conditioning and disfunction that exists now.
Actively experiment - Bring what you are learning and digging into on an individual level into interpersonal and community level work, and vice versa.

Resources I mention: