Rest is Radical
If you don’t think so, you definitely need to continue reading.
‘Pursuit‘ from my latest 35mm photographic series debut, The Nature of Gold (2020), as seen on @studio.protea. (Limited run prints available for order and purchase.)
This weekend, I sent out an email to The Rested Revolution community that I know needs to live here too: I hope that this moves you to engage in conversation with me, or your community. Most of all, I hope it moves you to understanding why it is so important to be radically rested and responsive in this life.
Before we start, folx: please keep your arms and legs inside this ride at all times. Stow your personal belongings away safely (there may be water in the form of tears so please include your smartphone) and keep your eyes, ears, mind and heart open. Be here. It's a longer ride than we've gone on so far, but it's of utmost importance— don’t panic, we’re in it together. But like actually.
So. Here. We are in a pivotal time to regain our humanity in the midst of a global pandemic, individually and collectively, as the last veils are fully ripped off the reality of centuries' worth of abhorrent devastation and destruction caused by systemic racism, oppression, white supremacy, ableism, gender, and privilege (for everyone). Every single unjust act of violence, murder and erasure of Black, Indigenous, People Of Color under white supremacy and colonialism.
As seen on Instagram by the Rev. angel Kyodo williams (@zenchangeangel)
I don't have strong enough words to acknowledge the horrific impact of anti-Black racism and centuries of oppression on all communities in the US, all over the world and throughout history. And as I move through the world and age, I see where I was complicit for years because of my own ignorance, fear and learned responses as a woman of color. No border or citizenship exempts a single person from conscious choice and action at this time; I'll allow myself to voice in my grief that I wish it didn't take this long.
In all the ways that you are reckoning with and rallying against this injustice and toxicity right now (resources below if you haven't yet or aren't sure where to begin), I hope you are also giving yourself permission to rest. There is grieving of all forms and levels, and it needs to be faced in order to begin healing. It's hardly ever easy and probably feels impossible right now to a lot of people.
We can't care for a wound unless we understand where it is, what it impacts, and what treatment it requires. Healing is an inconveniently non-linear process.
This leads me to point out that wellness is not actually for everyone because it conventionally operates under the same systems of discrimination and barring. The ripple effects are dehumanized accounts represented as demographic statistics in marginalized communities suffering from poverty, mental health disorders, substance abuse, addictions, and violence. (Fortunately, this is being disrupted more and more every day by people like The Rested Revolution community and the organizations listed and linked below. Every one counts.)
I take this moment to explicitly remind you that The Rested Revolution and I are here to further shift holistic health and wellness spaces to truly be inclusive and diverse. The actionables in my business are to audit my offerings (now and onwards always), how they're priced and who I work with to be reflective of my values. As an Asian-American-Canadian woman of color with Taiwanese parents and Dutch blood, I am unlearning my own forms of unconscious bias, conditioning, transgenerational trauma and racialization of self and others, every day. It is in every space I enter, online or offline. I'm deeply grateful to have my circle of loved ones, masters, teachers and ancestors who are continuously educating and calling me in. Honestly, it wasn’t until this year that I actually learned about model minorities in the US and why I personally need to step up for Black Lives. This was lacking completely in all the history I was taught growing up in both the US and Canada’s education systems. In either country, we see multicultural bodies but they are in fact, not all treated as humans.
You may have just thought, “Wait Flory, that’s—” ... Rest assured, I’m not here to shame you nor did I make that statement with personal judgement of you. Each of us innately already know (and viscerally fear) shame, to varying degrees, in our personal capacity through lived experience, and it’s part of what makes this societal wound particularly difficult to treat.
The type of wellbeing I want to share through The Rested Revolution is intersectional. For all of my fellow practitioners, business owners and educators as well as students, clients, and loved ones. If this is our first conversation about it— excuse me for taking so long— 2020's timing just didn't line up with anyone’s calendar.
So, what to do here?
Research, reflect, realize, and (then) respond.
Pro-tip: the real work will have little or nothing to do with what you post on social media, the number of books you read, or identification of your personal BIPOC relationships. Practicing with media literacy is important here too; don’t forget the internet is an open system fraught with bias by design, misinformation and digitized propaganda that still aims to oppress and erase systemic injustice. (Hit me up if you want to learn more about online systems when it comes to privacy, data and human rights. I have a lot of resources and spent 10 years in tech myself...)
With all inner work that creates actual outer change, there will be transmutations instead: grief, pain, discomfort, and death of the ego (many, many, many times over always) through self-awareness, consciousness, and living embodiment for the rest of your life.
Unlearn and learn actual histories. A reminder that Google is free and pretty powerful when used right. These are some recent articles that look at systemic racism through the lens of the current events from high-levels, exemplifying how all layers compound:
In the US of A
Around the world, the U.S. has long been a symbol of anti-black racism
Asian Americans need to talk about anti-blackness in our communities
Meanwhile in Canada (spoiler alert: it is not any better)
Racism In Canada Is Ever-Present, But We Have A Long History Of Denial
Canada's race problem? It's even worse than America's
Please do your own homework in researching your respective nations’ historic Acts, genocides, prejudice, and oppression. You will find that they are still upheld right now, today.While Rachel Ricketts does not know who I am aka we’re not affiliated in any way, I found her through my extended network and she grows a library of diverse resources for Addressing Whiteness, Racism + Spirituality/Wellness, Healing for WOC, Multi-racial Identities, Health + Pandemics, More Good Stuff, and Workshops + Education here. Yes thank you, spiritual activism!
Speaking of grief: I recently e-met Alica Forenet (@alica.forneret on Instagram) and am so here for acknowledging, speaking about, living and moving with/through grief. I signed up for her new PAUSE newsletter on grief & mental health resources by & for POC. Follow her IG to stay tuned and check out her website for the extensive list of her powerful resources.
For the socio-political reform in policies and on paper— because that's a very real part of existence here on Earth, hello 2020— there is a living directory of petitions, donations, phone numbers, and emails to demand justice here.
For ready-to-send email templates, this living Google Sheet here makes it so. easy. In only a few mouse clicks you make a stand, demanding justice for individuals and regions.
I just donated to and have been learning from Dive in Well this week, an impact startup based in my hometown, Los Angeles. They have an active crowdfunding campaign so donate now! It's on the first page of their website. They are making waves in enabling cultivated spaces, community, conversations, and change for an equitable and accessible wellness industry. For real. Notably: you’ll receive e-workbooks, resources, merch, consulting, and/or event admission when you back them! I downloaded their e-workbook on Diversity in Wellness.
Dive in Well's CEO, Maryam Ajayi, also held a Live Instagram on @maryamajayi earlier this week for collective gratitude and grief. It is a powerful act to remember to pause and acknowledge that life is not binary: to approach injustice and action from a place of honoring ourselves because it starts within us.
Now, let's take a big deep breath together. I know I need a self-hug, ow. As we near the end of this ride, I lovingly remind you to be both gentle and responsible with yourself. We're all humxn.
These are a small handful of the resources among many that are actionable in a matter of seconds. I could actually keep writing (and re-writing) but the last things I want to do are to let my perfectionism delay this, center myself, and keep us from doing the much needed, overdue work together. I shared this specific material with you because they're the ones I've been referring to recently and I always learn most effectively through breadth and multiple perspectives. Everything is connected, you know? Please pass these along to your fellow communities who are seeking to make their impact and change.
May our capacity to embody full spectrums in life and that which we don't know, support our resilience and guide our paths.
With that, how can we support each other further? This is the best time to hit Reply for the first time. If you or your business want to thoughtfully integrate radical rest (like, intersectional holistic health and healing), let’s get in touch. Rest well, fellow humxn.