CoV•Integration Toolkit [en]
It has been some time now since the first Corona measures were announced across the world. Now, in many ways, we are expected to return to life as usual. For many of us, this is a welcome relief. For others of us, we feel downright overwhelmed and uncertain.
This is an attempt to create intentional steps to integrate our experiences and be witnessed again in community. To that end, I created this simple self-care Toolkit that almost anyone can use. It is a gift and I offer it to anyone who needs it.
The Toolkit
Please meet in a small group and listen to the recording together. This is a co-regulation exercise and an opportunity to first ground yourself more together.
I lead a deep relaxation and short meditation. It is mixed with binaural frequencies, so best to listen with headphones.
What does it mean for you to make this commitment to yourself so that you can pause and reflect? How does that commitment change when you know there are others in the room sharing this experience with you?
Now there will be a short writing exercise with some questions to guide you in exploring the levels of body, consciousness and identity.
Now everyone shares out for 15 minutes without interruption about what they have written about. This is an opportunity to witness and be witnessed.
There are five requirements to create a secure bond with other people:
- loving eyes
- soft voice
- synchronized rhythm/movements
- secure touch
- eating / drinking together
In your small group, try using all five of these traits when speaking and listening.
Which ones come easily to you?
Which ones are more difficult or uncomfortable?
Hopefully you feel better prepared and well grounded for the next steps of participating again in our changing society.
I’ve put together self-care tips for you below that I think are great to integrate further if you want to go deeper. You can easily learn the following exercises alone at home or together in a group:
- Sitting Meditation
- Walking Meditation Plum Village-style
- Emotional Freedom Technique (EFT, or tapping)
- Tension Releasing Exercises (TRE)
- Jin Shin Jyutsu
- Binaural Frequencies (search YouTube, especially 174 Hz for grounding)
Although these methods can be easily learned, it is always advisable to ask experienced practitioners for guidance.
I am particularly informed/inspired by these individuals:
- The Gottman Institute in Seattle, USA
- Carmen Spagnola in BC, Canada
- Collapse Psychology
- The On Being Project in Minneapolis, USA
- Plum Village in France
- Queer Nature in Colorado, USA
- Poetry of David Whyte
The art of asking
This toolkit is offered as a gift. Clearly an amount of work and love was put into making this. So, I also welcome gifts. If this is something you found benefited your life, please support the work I do.
Within the E.U donations can be sent to the following account:
Aurelie Richards
IBAN: BE88 9670 1160 8741
Outside of the E.U please use Wise and transfer funds to:
Aurelie Richards
richards(dot)aurelie(at)gmail(dot)com