This week was dedicated to all that is emerging from the current crisis in our region here in the Northern Rivers, Clarence Valley, Brisbane and surrounds. We utilised the technology of expression to process emotions, explore all that we have been exposed to and give voice to what has been stimulated from the 2022 floods.
What are you feeling in your body? What is emerging for you? What are you being flooded with?
We spoke of the guilt felt by all who have not been directly affected by the floods and those who do not have the time to volunteer. Their hearts feeling the empathic impact but without action are left with a helpless feeling of guilt.
The mere fact that we are feeling that empathic response is worth celebrating, and if you have time to listen to it and respond then do so. Speaking to a friend who has a small two year old and another on the way spoke of her desire to help, but feeling unable to do so due to her pregnancy and her little toddler. This empathic response pulls us back to what truly matters, most people who can respond drop the trivial work of life and others who cannot are already working upon what we truly value; children, care, support. Even if it is to support ourselves.
Another theme was this; self-care. There is a collective impact here, this crisis is affecting us all and supporting ourselves is directly contributing to the healing of this event. In volunteering there is the physical mop up and clean out, and there is the qualitative absorbing of emotions through us as empathic sponges. We all have different ways of responding, some go into action mode and do not feel until they have burnt out or somebody stops them in their tracks to hold them. Others experience the emotions through the act of cleaning up and process them there and then. Many feel from afar, and do what they can remotely, almost as a ritual to allow themselves to simply feel.
Water has fallen from above, been channeled by our greater body, flooded through our towns and houses, stripped many of everything they own and filled our emotional bodies to the brim. The earth is processing and each of us are the earth at a different scale. Perhaps we are feeling what the Earth is feeling? Perhaps we are one big organism working away at healing ourselves.
Listening to a podcast a professor asks of his students, ‘How does a fish move?’. Not its fins or muscles but its environment, the currents, the school of fish its a part of, the water temperatures, the changing context. We are individually focused thinking that all that happens is a direct intentional pulling ourselves up by our bootstraps, when perhaps its our environment and the beings within it that direct us?
The collective emotional call out for help heard by mostly everyone within 100s of kilometres from the disaster zones. Some people driving 100s of kilometres to help. In reflecting upon these acts of kindness brings me to the brink of tears as there is no exchange, just simply supporting fellow humans. A deep love and trust is ignited amongst all of us here. Making our community stronger than ever.
Sorry i missed that one. Thanks for the summary ✅🕊🌸