let yourself speak
our next CLEAR Practice Circle—this Friday, April 17 @8am Pacific
Last week, I was a Program Assistant for an Internal Family Systems training with Pakistani therapists. Because the training was cross-cultural and I’m unfamiliar with Pakistani culture, I went in knowing I would have sizable blindspots. I wouldn’t know what I didn’t know.
In situations like this, my best route has always been to explicitly own my ignorance in the group, to let the Parts of my heart-mind say what they need to say relative to the context. This is my way of tending to my inner experience, showing up with sincerity from the onset so I can be less anxious, more present with others.
This effort to speak with honesty feels like a crucial human practice—finding a respectful way to say what is true for us even when it’s not comfortable, easy, or we’ll be misjudged or misunderstood.
For many of us, speaking freely doesn’t come naturally, but it is worth the effort to try. We can feel, in our bodies, when Parts of us have a chance to align with and use their voice. The relief is often palpable. If you’ve ever opened a notebook and let your words flow uncensured, you know how restorative it can be. And there’s even more to the story:
Our next CLEAR Practice Circle is about using expressive writing and somatic journaling to let one or more of our Parts speak without a filter. We’ll endeavor to understand AND respect why it’s seeing what it’s seeing and saying what it’s saying. Then we’ll inquire as to how that felt.
The Parts of us who may be reluctant to let other Parts speak will also have a chance to share their view. We’ll clear out a few tangles and welcome otherwise-sidelined voices. These kinds of invitations are a fresh way to connect with and honor our various points of view rather than taking the default route, which tends to be arguing with an inner voice, or trying to control or banish it.
These Practice Circles are an offering to Paid Subscribers. You can learn more about them (and me) via the post below, or get a paid subscription and join us on Friday. I’ll send you an invitation with a Zoom link before the circle opens.
To the ex-press,
Sun