A few years ago, I was helping put on a protest against a notorious anti-immigrant political figure who came into town to support a local anti immigrant candidate. (not going to give him any free publicity here)
As I stood there holding the megaphone and introducing the speakers, I felt pretty awkward. I’m not a big rally leader type of girl, but I was doing what needed to be done in the moment.
After a while, a group of awesome Xicanas, who were coming to represent from a local immigrant rights group, walked up very frazzled. Because of street barriers, they had had to walk through the majority white, anti-immigrant crowd, to get to us. This was an understandably triggering experience. They were shaken.
I listened, held space for their upset and tears, breathed with them and swiped the negative energy off their bodies with my hands. I didn’t think twice about it. I was just being me.
They expressed deep relief and said, “Thank you so much! You must be a healer! Are you a healer? We need your contact”
I felt in that moment, Spirit was showing me where and how to focus my activist heart. I ‘could’ do the other things but they are not what I was designed for and what I’ve naturally cultivated over the years.
Because I see and feel need so deeply, I tend to engage in alot of justice work which I love and do with my children.
However, who I am, my full capacity, is best expressed in holding loving space, clearing away what no longer serves us, and supporting self-reclamation and healing.
When Covid happened, I knew that holding space was what I could offer and we had many weeks of free online gatherings.
When the fires happened, I knew that along with direct aid, holding space and grief support was what I could offer.
And now, as I integrate all of this into my community based retreats and circles, I am more clear than ever that this is what my activism looks like.
I’m happy to hand that megaphone over to someone whose gift it is!
But, I will always carry a sign and speak up. Long ago I eschewed the well meaning advice to keep politics separate from my spiritual work. As a social worker/former foster youth/daughter of an immigrant, that was a ridiculous, controlling mandate that only perpetuated spiritual bypass and systemic inequity, denied me and denied reality.
If you want people to be free, you must be real about the chains that bind them.
Because I do so, in my last retreat, a couple of the mujeres said something I felt was such high praise,
‘You are La Mera, Mera. The real deal.’
And many often express never before being seen, understood and supported the way they do when we are together in circle.
I’m so grateful to find ‘my place’ to serve the highest good of the collective.
So grateful that just by being myself, I can help others know themselves and ‘their place’ more deeply. As we co-create safe, ancestral healing space we reclaim who we are, what we are here for and how we can each bring our light and depth to our family, community and the world.
As we heal, remember and return to our birthright, we bring the balance and the love that is needed to all.
We are the patient river carving its way through canyons,
bringing nourishment.
Bringing life.