By now you’ve heard about the two black men in Philadelphia who were escorted out of a Starbucks in handcuffs by police because they were “loitering”. They were realtors waiting for a friend and hadn’t ordered anything. A Starbucks employee called the police and they came to arrest the men and took them to the police station.
The black community is constantly experiencing and being exposed to racism. Experiencing racism directly or indirectly, over time, creates trauma. Whether we are being discriminated against, learning about horrific racist incidents in the news, or witnessing our racist President discriminate against people of color, it’s traumatizing. One can develop symptoms of Post Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD) that make it difficult to feel safe. How do we deal with that trauma? How do black people navigate constant direct and indirect racist incidents? One method is meditation.
Meditation may be a helpful means to cope with the psychological effects of experiencing and being exposed to racist, hostile and violent acts against black people. There is a guided meditation that was specifically created to address these stressful emotions stemming from exposure to racism called, Black Live Matter, Meditation for Healing Racial Trauma by psychologist, Candice Nicole Hargons .
Check it out here:
Meditation is just one practice you can try to address the stress of racial trauma. Limiting exposure the news and social media these days, at least for a period, is also a step to take to mitigate trauma.
So the next time you feel triggered by racial trauma, take a step back, take a breath and try a healing meditation.
What do you do to deal with racial trauma in your life?
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