We have the opportunity to tap into the wisdom of our feelings.
When I feel angry, I have the opportunity to pay attention to what the feeling might be telling me.
What am I angry about? What important pathway is blocked? What closely held values are being violated or ignored? What conditions need to be changed? What danger do I sense and want to protect myself or others from in this situation?
I have learned over the past year to breath deeply, to pull back my shoulder blades and open up to a more relaxed posture when I sense that anger is present in my body, mind, and heart. My mouth may feel dry, my pulse quickening , and a feeling of heat or general agitation suddenly appear in my body. I am learning to condition my body to respond to anger with curiosity and openness so that I might learn more about the source of this very powerful feeling.
More often than not, the source of my anger is institutional, but it manifests in individual professionals and parents in city schools. I am often angry about the condition of schools, the mindset of adults who see children and families as less than, the insidious nature of privilege and our inability to see and value others who have radically different views and experiences from our own.
I am curious about how we can learn ways to see our anger as productive to justice-centered endeavors. A few starting points are linked below.
Buddhist Peace Fellowship U Mad? Wisdom for Rageful Times
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