From Eco-Grief to Active Engagement: Workshop @JFKU

Yesterday, I joined a wonderful workshop at JFKU, which my friend facilitated.  The presentation, exercises, and sharing each participant’s ideas or experiences were great.  I noticed that sometimes defense mechanism toward ecological issues appeared in me.  I seemed to have two types of defense mechanism: regressing and submission to authority.  Actually, I often think about global environmental issues, but I’m suddenly overwhelmed by a feeling of despair… “I want to do something for the global environment, but what can I do?  I may not have anything I can do…”  Then, I tend to look away the reality and I wish some environmental experts will solve the issues… 

This workshop provided me an opportunity to think about and feel what my defense mechanism is or what my dark emotions are.  Especially, the ideas of “Reframing & Detoxifying Emotions” and “Working with Dark Emotions” were new perspectives and useful for me.

Memo

Reframing & Detoxifying Emotions

-          Our pain for the world is natural/healthy, if misunderstood/repressed = dysfunctional

-          Honor our pain – gateway to deep participation in world’s self-healing

-          “Dark Emotions” is wake up call, transformation

-          “Emotional Ecology” connection personal suffering to larger context

Working with Dark Emotions

1 Attending: learning to listen

2 Befriending: extending emotional attention span

3 Surrendering: Not becoming passive or losing self in them rather becoming fully present + letting it pass through until it is gone