Resource yourself for the long-haul
Hi friend,
In a recent session in Washington, DC, participants asked: How do we sustain ourselves, our staff, and our teams for the long haul? The forces we are fighting against seem to keep ratcheting up their attacks, so what can we do to stay engaged AND take care of ourselves? These questions echo themes of overwhelm we’ve been hearing from across the ERJ community lately.
One participant, Alix, is a local leader in Jewish Voice for Peace DC. She talked about getting ready to lead a big public action- a shabbat in the streets to bring together people from all across DC to resist and celebrate publicly. Generally, Alix plays more of a behind-the-scenes role. But her somatic practice with ERJ is calling her more and more into a public role in the group. Practice is sustaining her through the hard parts of public activism, and somatic community supports her to keep going. During the session, Alix explicitly practiced resourcing herself for her upcoming action by feeling the support of other participants at her sides and back.
After the action, Alix shared:
Alix
“It was amazing! It was a lot of decision making. In the middle of it all I took a moment to look around, be there and feel the damp breeze, and the bricks beneath my sneakers. It was hard, but in that moment I let myself be supported and cared for. I made some centered and connected declines, some joyful yeses. This action was my first time leading instead of being in a leadership role! And now my JVP group wants to sing together and that is such an affirmation, it feels good in my belly and loose in my shoulders.”
We know you and so many members of the ERJ community are taking similar actions- both large and small, public and private, and we know it’s hard it is to put yourself out there for what you believe in right now. And we know it’s really worth it to take these actions, even though it’s hard.
This summer, we continue to offer opportunities for you to resource yourself to continue organizing for a world beyond whiteness. We hope our offerings support your work for Palestinian liberation, for trans rights, for our immigrant communities and so much more.
We’ll be practicing in person with anger and rage that folks in the belly of the beast in DC are contending with from the chaos of this administration every day. This session will foster relationships between individuals working in various fields in DC, Maryland, Virginia, and beyond, deepening your organizing work together and fortifying your impact in the world.
We’re excited to invite you to these sessions where you will leave with:
Somatic body-based practices, including movement songs, to fortify your racial justice work.
Access to more freedom, gratitude and celebration in your daily life.
A community of peers at your back, joining you as an irresistible invitation to social movement.
Anti-racist frameworks and political commitments.
Like Alix, you can fortify yourself to organize for a world beyond whiteness and invite others to join you in movement work for the long-haul.
We look forward to supporting you and the ERJ community online and on the mat.
–Dara, Mary Alice and the ERJ team
