I read an article today by Monica Lewinsky called The Forgotten F-Word in the Pandemic. Can you guess what F-Word she is referring to? No, not the colorful expletive many of us were yelling at our screens during the presidential debates.
The F-Word she is poignantly calling our attention to pertains to the complex ways we FEEL during this unexpected and relentless year.
She is asking us to reflect upon and resource ourselves to attend to our mental and emotional health. Not just personally, but with systematic and coordinated leadership to advise people nationally and as a society.
The health impacts of this pandemic are so much more than contracting the virus and all of the physical risks and complications that can result. We are facing a barrage of very difficult (and natural) emotions like increased anxiety, depression, fear, sadness, helplessness, loneliness, vulnerability, frustration, anger, grief, and so much more.
Ms. Lewinsky writes about a particular traumatic event in her life (not the one you’re thinking of…) and states,
“Could I have moved forward from that moment without any assistance with my mental health and state of well-being? Probably. But having had that help—that guidance—made a world of difference in metabolizing the trauma of the experience and navigating a new terrain.”
Metabolizing the trauma. That is a powerful statement. And one we use often here at Wakes.
Many of us deal with difficult emotions by avoiding, distracting, and numbing… anything we can do to not FEEL them. The fact that alcohol, anti-anxiety medications, and marijuana sales are on the rise reflects this strongly.
Difficult emotions are experienced in our bodies physiologically. They are uncomfortable, even painful. It is natural we want to pull away and cope in the ways we can.
But the thing is, we cannot HEAL if we do not FEEL. This is a core tenant of our work and why music is such a powerful tool to support our mental and emotional health.
Music can help us metabolize all that we are feeling, maybe ones that we don’t even understand or know are there. Music impacts us physiologically too, vibrating and massaging our bodies to process and release stress, and re-regulate our nervous systems.
Music used mindfully, like through a sound bath or journey, or though a musical meditation is even more powerful. When we bring our full presence to the process of listening and feeling, we are able to witness, move, and release the knots we are tangled up in. That recognition and subsequent relaxation creates space for love, peace and more to come into the new space we’ve created and fortify us.
This profoundly honors our life experience, helps us metabolize difficult feelings, and builds our resilience over time.
We have been in a deep process lately of codifying and explaining more of our Wakes process and methodology so that we can express more clearly what is actually going on when you enter these spaces of mindful listening with us. We are excited to share more with you about it in the coming months.
To make it through the long-haul uncertainties of this pandemic, we need to take care of ourselves and each other. For our part we are working hard on making more opportunities to share this modality and get more people using the F-Words in their lives. 😉
We are still planning some specifics, but we have a lot in the works. You can look forward to these upcoming events and resources to support you. More details to come, so keep an eye on your inbox.
1. Election Sanity Saver Sound Bath 🗳🛀🏼🎶 – Um, who needs some of this right now??! 😆 Many of you have been asking for more, and this seems like an urgent need to meet!
2. Online Grateful Gathering Retreat 🙏🏼👩🏽🤝👨🏻👩🏼🤝👩🏾 – We weren’t going to let this amazing tradition end! Even in a year as tough as this, there is still much to be grateful for.
3. Boundless Heart Meditation Challenge 🧘🏽♂️💗🧘🏼♀️ – This will be in celebration of our upcoming Journey through the Chakras album release! We are getting closer!
Please know that even though we are knee deep in our recording process and a little more quiet lately, we are here for you. Use the songs we have up on our Youtube page or our Morning Musical Meditaiton, reach out to us by email or in our Resonance Facebook Group where a bunch of other lovely people gather.
You are not alone. Seek the counsel and support you need. Awaken to what’s within and feel all the feels. Invest in the full spectrum of your health and well-being, including your mind and heart. However that feels good to you. We promise it will make a big difference to how we all navigate the present and future challenges we are facing.