All people come to the table, so to speak, in their bodies. They arrive with unintended stressors, as well as their best intentions. We can consciously help to create a safe space for all bodies without always knowing or predicting the underlying issues with which each participant may be struggling.
Guiding a moment of physical relief can bring ease into a gathering – a guided breath, a wiggle in the seat, a spinal twist to look both ways. These small actions revolutionize the personal potential of each participant. Sometimes, people enter a shared space with so much on their minds that this small act of guidance can offer them a way actually to settle in. This can be done playfully, as well as seriously. In My Grandmother’s Hands: Racialized Trauma and the Pathway to Mending Our Hearts and Bodies, somatic-therapist Resmaa Menakem includes these and other transformational tools for grounding vigilant traumatized harms people carry through life. His focus is on healing the harms of racism, and the wisdom he offers gives everybody’s body a chance to become more fully present.
You may create an invisible buddy system to support someone whose needs you predict. For example, a family member with exceptional needs or personal fragilities could be scaffolded by an empathy buddy or a revolving team of empathy buddies to ensure they don’t get overlooked. For some of our community, this can make all the difference in social grace and community participation.
Food: Food can help you define and design the timing and stages of your event. It offers an organic ritual element. It offers a multi-sensory opportunity for community appreciation. Think of smells, colors, textures, and tastes. Think of the tried and true foods for your community, but also offer a food adventure. There are so many fun and fantastic ways to enhance gatherings through food, including cooking it together!
Gathering with a community to share your favorite traditions can offer wonderful ways to learn from one another. You might use a rainbow method and let people sign up for the different colors of food they hope to bring; just make sure there’s plenty of green, of course. For a group with diversified food sensitivities, inviting participants to include the recipe can make a positive framework that engages dialogue while simultaneously scaffolding group safety.
Resmaa Menakem, New York Times Best-Selling Author, Trauma Specialist | Embodied Anti-Racist Education
“At its best, activism is a form of healing. It is about what we do and how we show up in the world. It is about learning and expressing regard, compassion, and love.”
— My Grandmother’s Hands: Racialized Trauma and the Mending of Our Bodies and Hearts by Resmaa Menakem
