S2 E6: Grounding Practice with Liberty Gonzalez: Nurturing Ourselves, Nurturing Our World
About this episode:
In this Grounding Practice, Liberty Gonzalez—liberatory community psychologist and certified holistic coach who is passionate about supporting visionary community leaders—shares a grounding moment to help us recognize and appreciate the ways we are nourished by the world around us.
Mentioned in this Episode:
Follow @awakeningcreatives, @connectcommunitycenter and @thisishowwecare on Instagram
Visit Connect Community Center on Facebook and their website, or in person to receive a variety of their offerings
Book a free consultation with Liberty (and mention “How We Care for a discount on your service, package or event of choice).
Check out Tryon Farm, the eco-village where Liberty lived
Grab a copy of the Liberatory Care Coloring Book: Healing Art by Queer and BIPOC Change Creators, co-created by Liberty and others
Join the This Is How We Care Patreon Community for bonus content from Liberty, including:
Liberty's experience with the Occupy Movement in Portland and how they got the name “Liberty”
The love story that precipitated the Connect Community Center for Well Being
Liberty's Dissertation focused on liberatory care for, by, among gender nonconforming caregivers
If you want to listen to the full episode that accompanies this Grounding Practice that started this interview, check that out separately here.
Full Episode Transcript:
[00:00:00] Emily Race-Newmark: Welcome to This is How We Care, a podcast where we look at what it means to embody care, not as an individual practice, but a collective one, and to see what kind of world emerges from this place.
[00:00:12] Emily Race-Newmark: Thank you for being here. I am your host, Emily Race.
[00:00:15] Emily Race-Newmark: This grounding practice is brought to you by Liberty Gonzalez.
[00:00:20] Emily Race-Newmark: To listen to our interview, please check out that episode wherever you get this podcast.
[00:00:25] Emily Race-Newmark: You can also join patreon.com/thisishowwecare to check out bonus content that didn't make it into our final edit.
[00:00:32] I'll turn it over to Liberty who will guide us through this practice.
[00:00:37] Liberty Gonzalez: Okay. So for this exercise, I'm going to guide you through an experiential moment.
[00:00:43] Liberty Gonzalez: If you can get in a comfortable position. Maybe finding your feet planted on the floor. And whether you're sitting or laying down, if you're driving you should not close your eyes, but if you would like to close your eyes and that feels comfortable, please do that.
[00:01:07] Liberty Gonzalez: Just start to bring your attention to the breath coming in and out of your nose.
[00:01:19] Liberty Gonzalez: Notice the sensation, of the breath entering your nose, leaving your nose.
[00:01:31] Liberty Gonzalez: If it feels good to take a few deep breaths into your body, you're welcome to do that.
[00:01:42] Liberty Gonzalez: And with each breath, you're filling your lungs with air from all around you, from all around your body.
[00:01:54] Liberty Gonzalez: And this air, although it looks clear, when you look at it with your eyes, it's actually really full. Of different gases and nutrients.
[00:02:12] Liberty Gonzalez: And those nutrients have been released by trees and other plants. By the things in your house or whatever's around you. And also by your body, your body has released things into the air. So as you breathe in, and you breathe out, just notice that these nutrients are coming into your body.
[00:02:44] Liberty Gonzalez: They come into your lungs and they enter your bloodstream. And they enter your bloodstream to then be delivered to every cell in your body.
[00:03:03] Liberty Gonzalez: Every cell in your body is receiving these nutrients, some more than others. Your body is very, very smart about where to send each little package of nutrients.
[00:03:22] Liberty Gonzalez: Your cells are metabolizing this nutrients or delivering it to where it needs to go to continue your life. So as you're breathing in, you're breathing out, notice the subtle sensations in the different parts of your body.
[00:03:51] Liberty Gonzalez: Every little tingle, twinge, every hot and cold sensation,
[00:04:04] Liberty Gonzalez: every sensation is a sign of life happening within you.
[00:04:13] Liberty Gonzalez: With each breath, your body is engaging in the most profound act of care to continue your life without even having to think about it. Your body is just automatically doing this in every moment.
[00:04:37] Liberty Gonzalez: With every breath, your body is in motion with life. Even if you feel like you're sitting completely still, your body is moving.
[00:04:53] Liberty Gonzalez: Now, if you wiggle your fingers and toes, go ahead and try that. You have just displaced the air around your fingers and toes. You have effectively impacted the world around you. So this is you, making the conscious choice to direct your life force, direct your energy, your movement, to take an action that has affected change.
[00:05:29] Liberty Gonzalez: So hello, change maker. Thank you for having me here today.
[00:05:41] Liberty Gonzalez: Whenever you're ready, you can start to bring your attention back to your feet on the floor, your body in space, maybe making contact with the chair or your seat.
[00:06:02] Liberty Gonzalez: When you're ready, flutter your eyes open and hi.
[00:06:08] Thank you for listening. If you want to continue with us on this journey, please check out the full interview with Liberty.
[00:06:14] We hope to see you there.