Think about it for a moment, when was the last time you felt truly connected to the sensations of your body and fully aware of the present moment?

It is easy to get disconnected when listening to the demands of life. We are trained to ignore internal sensations and what the body is telling us so we can follow the rules of life implied by school or work – all the external demands and expectations. We, in Western society, are not often exposed to practices and belief systems that honor embodiment.

We are, collectively, a disembodied people. This is one of the symptoms of White Supremacy…the harm of being uprooted from the sacred, the harm of being disconnected and fragmented from our Creator’s essence.

There's a reason you are here, right now, reading these words on the page. Do you feel it?

Have you ever wondered why overwhelm, dread, fear, burnout, avoidance, denial or stagnation are the most familiar feelings when it comes to racial advocacy work?

The unfortunate reality is, you are not alone. The majority of my clients over the past many years have come to me in a state of exhaustion and confusion, looking for the "magic pill" that will inspire them into right ACTION, and make them feel good about being human.

Even as a race equity educator, I'VE BEEN THERE!

Even in the midst of all the entrepreneurial success, and, what I thought to be at the time, authentic dialogue about racism, and what to do about it, I still felt exhausted and frustrated and exacerbated most of the time. This feeling led to a type of despair that I wouldn’t wish on anyone else, but unfortunately it seems all too common these days.

Why aren’t organizations significantly moving the needle in equity and justice even though they are investing in DEI training, declaring their DEI commitments, hiring DEI directors and/or [insert any other DEI initiatives that your organization has tried and failed at? We can’t get clarity on, and confidence in solving a problem when we don’t fully understand the root of it. 

We are not addressing the root. We are putting a bandaid (book studies, DEI committees, video discussions, training, DEI Directors, DEI declarations, etc.) on a gaping wound.  

The root of our unsatisfying advocacy efforts; in other words, the gaping wound my friends, is our un-metabolized and unconscious trauma creating dis-embodiment, and showing up in ways that sabotage our good-intentioned efforts.

Embodiment is the key ingredient to experiencing hope, confidence and joy in your racial justice advocacy.

You may be asking, what exactly does it mean to be embodied? Where do I even begin to prioritize my own healing?

Presented by Bryana Clover, Owner & CEO at Bryana Clover LLC

Bryana Clover is a published co-author and a spiritual race equity educator and facilitator for both individuals and organizations.