Why Focus On Anger?
People are angry. We see this everywhere. From the Me Too movement to Black Lives Matter to individuals protesting Brett Kavanaugh's appointment to the Supreme Court. Anger is often pathologized, racialized, gendered, and deemed "unspiritual" and "lowly". However, anger is one of our most revealing and powerful emotions. It tells us something is wrong and it gives us energy to move forward. Suppressing brings resurgence. Avoiding brings anxiety and fear. What happens when we engage?
Within this process is a desire to look at anger like any other emotion, to welcome and celebrate it, to learn and grow from it. We understand that anger often arises as a symptom of deeper traumas and that, when left unacknowledged, manifests within ourselves and our closest circles, recreating cycles of harm. We are dedicated to healing our traumas within safe and supportive community. This means investing in practices that not only welcome challenging conversations but also implement deep listening strategies designed to help us witness and honor the wisdom inherent within our bodies.
Anger is our tipping off point, not an end place. We start with anger, because even when expressed in healthy ways, it is often used against us in order to shame and silence. At the heart of this project is a desire to integrate, even the most severed off, painful and repressed parts of ourselves, so that we have the capacity to be whole. What is buried with, and or stuck to, our anger? Grief. Shame. Pleasure. Fear. Humor. Creativity. Terror. Wonder. Joy. We believe that our most pathologized emotions have the capacity to open us up to our greatest selves. We are committed to creating the time and space to listen.
Photo taken by: Rachel Marie Photography