Friends.
I just want to do a temperature check, fuel check, mental health check...maybe just offer a hug. Last week was all about the secret to a long lasting love and knowing when to pull over to your pit crew and your partner to check in. Before letting things stew or narratives spin out of control. Well, I have to say I've never experienced such a shaky but seriously needed check in like last week.
Last Wednesday's classes will go down as one of the most memorable days I've ever had in my teaching career. Because you see, my main goal during class is getting our heads in sync with the rest of our bodies. So they are working, connecting, and communicating as one cohesive firing system. In a way that feels enjoyable and actually FUN. Last week I've never experienced so many folks, including MYSELF, coming in so disconnected. Disconnected to their bodies, their environment, their routine, maybe their country.
Like bobble heads with the springs showing, the bodies came in first and the heads bopped behind, eventually retracted back on the neck. Not just in the studio, but walking around the community you can feel there was such a disjointed but also mutual feeling. We were all just relying on autopilot that week because our control center was in sleep mode. A spinning wheel trying to process.
I noticed some folks really leaned into the autopilot. I was in this category. An instinct I learned growing up in New Orleans where changes in the environment that you can't control is a daily practice. These are the folks that not only showed up last week but they showed up early. In those moments the gerbil wheel feels like an oxygen mask. Pushing forward and only worrying about the things we can control. These folks really worked hard in class, turned stress and rage into fuel. Their movements were literally kicking and punching through it. Other folks needed a time out. They did not show up to class...some eventually did. Either way they had to move slower and bench themselves from life for a minute. Sit out from their fast paced routines so they can breathe. Most of us tend to teeter between the two when we're under duress and experiencing uncertainty.
I don't think one response is better than the other; neither is good when they are too extreme. I do think it's important that we keep doing the things that keep us grounded. The little things during the day that we can control keep our minds inspired, our blood pumping, and a smile on our face. Whether you are celebrating or mourning after last Tuesday, it is important that you stay strong. You need that lung capacity to speak your truth, confident footing to get yourself and your family in a good place, proper fuel to feed yourself with knowledge, and agility to stay curious and willing to learn. I also think it is crucial not to let anxiety steer your ship. Do not obsess over the past or decide for the future. There is no point. The present and your current actions are the healthiest place to be, and that will dictate your future more than anything.
There is a relevant blog post I wrote back in August of last year that could be very helpful as we process and navigate the coming months, or the entire upcoming term. I wrote it after a weekend of witnessing many divisions. What happens when this division is neglected for too long, pitting people against each other, fueled by hearsay, and processed in the most unhealthy way.
August 7th, 2023
I've witnessed several examples this past weekend where overwhelmed or deeply stressed mindsets become stuck. Not only does our mind not come up with solutions or reason when we're in that place, it actually can't. Our Frontal Cortex, which is the control center for good decision-making and reasoning, is actually supposed to turn off when we're under duress so we can get more blood flow in our limbs to fight and flee. The problem is we tend to stay in this panicked state and unnecessary heightened anxiety for way too long. We make an assessment that worries us, turn that into an assumption, which then becomes a narrative, and then we drive it home into a catastrophic reality. Like one big connective tissue where we let one tiny injured moment spread to the rest of the body. Creating an unnecessary limp. Instead of pausing to find the source of the pain and stopping it before it infects the rest. Your body will point fingers and project its pain in the wrong direction the same way we do in a heated argument.
This is similar to an argument I witnessed recently at a dinner table. It was all a very small, intense moment, where one person was actually worried and scared for another. However, concern was disguised as a lecture which led to yelling, causing the other person to yell, and the rest of the room to join in. Everyone was yelling for the other person to stop yelling and listen (all frontal cortexes were in sleep mode). I was sitting in the middle of it all, burying my head and ducking, like Andy Cohen at a Real Housewives Reunion, waiting for these large adult tantrums to run their course.
A more viral example of swinging limbs and turned off frontal cortexes was that Alabama Brawl. A huge brawl that took place on Saturday at the Montgomery Riverfront dock in Alabama. Again, it started as a very easy problem to solve. One large riverboat needed to dock, one small maneuverable boat was in the way and needed to move. However, assessments, assumptions, false narratives, oh yeah, and a whole lot of alcohol caused mayhem. The image of an inflated white-bellied, shirtless man being dragged away by security, and his Crocs had somehow split open at the toes to the point he was wearing them as anklets, pretty much summed up the whole thing. How can the simplest shoe ever made get so complicated, so messy, and also kind of hilarious.
As we finish this last lap of the year and head into transitions, just be prepared that the changes will not be smooth right away. We're going to come across many small injured moments. We're going to feel worried and want to yell. We'll have small moveable boats that are in the way of our riverboat. So prepare this week by working on steady calmness within shaky balance work, relaxed breath, keeping the blood flowing evenly into our strong limbs as well as our sound mind. Keep our bucket hats screwed on tight and crocs on our feet. Most of all, take the time to unravel any downward spiral or spreading injury to discover the simplicity of the problem. We know a body in motion stays in motion and affects other people's motions. In the same way, a body that is stuck can stay stuck and can hold the rest of us up. I've decided this next week I don't want you to see class as a class, but a space for you. Within the four walls, it's a space where you can come and process and move however you need. I will be there as your personal pit crew, give you normalcy, and yes, even a hug if you need.
In honor of all the soldiers out there who had less of a choice when it came to fight or flight, Happy Veterans Day. They always showed up and fought for our country's safety, normalcy, security, freedom... all the things we crave right now. Happy Veterans Day especially to my favorite veteran and personal hero - my own dad. He was a Lieutenant in Vietnam at the age of 24. He was shipped out in 1970, a time considered "the deadliest year." My mom was pregnant with my oldest brother. Bravery and trust in your country were things that really couldn't be questioned. My dad said it best when my daughter asked him why he wanted to "be a Veteran in the first place?" He explained it isn't something that could be avoided. He did it because he had a duty. Even the ones that really didn't want to go, they went because they felt it was their duty.
Of course Noemie processes this for a while, and lets it soak in. Then tells me, "Well ... I want a Veteran for cats."
Excited to make your bodies sweat, smile, and don't blindly fight or flee with your crocs around your ankles ... float above it all. Take care of yourself. Take care of today to ensure a better tomorrow.
XO,
Celeste
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