Presence and Patriotism

My PInk Hat

The gentle post I’ve been working on for days has refused to fall into shape. I’ve been distracted by reading and watching more news than ever before in my life.

I flew across the country from Los Angeles to join the Women’s March in DC, and even though the March itself entailed more standing and shuffling than actual walking (no fascial resilience involved), its momentum continues firing my nervous system.

This is but day 11 of the new—and to me unspeakable—administration of our country. I find it hard to stay inside my skin. It's too easy to fly outside my body on the wings of my own and others’ fury. Thankfully, I’m tethered to myself by my passionate interest in how our bodies can best be maintained for the long haul. But taking time for self-care seems almost a-patriotic as I watch The Constitution approach the shredder.

Find Your Anklebones

For those of us who are rising, pink-hatted furious, to the occasion(s), I caution against leaving our bones behind. Because my bones are old ones, I know I can’t sustain this level of dread and aggravation without establishing ways for myself to restore consciousness to the substance of my body. But younger bones need embodiment too.

For me, feeling the weight of my malleoli (the knobs on either side of the ankles) helps me land.  I claim my feet, not as the excruciating doggies they were in DC on January 21st, but as conduits of support from the earth. Paved though it may be, the earth is the grounding pole of Presence.

We need to stay hugely present in our bodies in these days. That means balancing the passions that want to take us in a million directions at once with our embodied weight, our grounding, our substance and our solidarity. 

My post about embodying your lower legs is HERE  I made the video ages ago, but it's still worth watching.

© 2017 Mary Bond