A Story About Climate Change

Sobbing & making space for all of your lovely parts

The fourth in my How To Worry Less About Everything series - on Tuesday we looked at How To Worry Less About Climate Change. This piece is just for Supporters (you). Enjoy! ⭐

Story about Sobbing

In 2019 I sat in the road next to Parliament Square with hundreds of other activists, knowing that I was at risk of arrest.

I’d done my preparation - getting clear about all the potential outcomes of arrest - restricted foreign travel, job loss, financial cost. I’d got my ‘bust card’ in my back pocket with the telephone numbers of sympathetic law firms. I was ready.

When the policewoman leant over me and began to read me my rights, I was surprised to find emotion welling up from deep inside me. As she continued, and as the police picked me up and began to carry me to the van, this feeling blossomed into great sobs. I hadn’t sobbed for years.

I remember it so clearly. I wasn’t sobbing because they were hurting me as they carried me, as the policewoman kept worrying about. I wasn’t sobbing because I didn’t want to go to the police cell. I was sobbing because we were causing great harm to our planet, and what I was doing felt like the most congruent thing I’d ever done.

It felt congruent to be breaking the law - because the law is meant to protect life, and our governments aren’t protecting the lives of our children and grandchildren. It felt congruent that, as a ‘good girl’ who always sticks to the rules and does what I’m told, I was breaking the biggest rule I could break. It felt congruent to be visible as a Buddhist priest in public, and to all the friends and colleagues who saw photos of me on social media later. The sobs were relief, at being able to speak the truth.

I spoke the truth with my body, and I am still speaking it, as I sit for ten minutes after my daily Earth prayers in the centre of our local town. Less dramatic, less scary, less inconvenient, less expensive! - but congruent.

Where might being congruent lead you?

Earth prayers day 1. Currently nearing the end of my 3rd month.

Something To Do: How Is Everyone Doing Inside?

(You don’t have to read my Introduction to Family Systems to make sense of the theory bits in these Friday pieces, but it will help offer you context.)

It is likely that, like me, different parts of you will have different feelings, beliefs and needs around the climate and ecological emergency.

There might be a part that wants to block any information about the CEE out because it is afraid that you will be overwhelmed by fear or guilt. There might be parts that feel angry at or let down by the government (or the ones who are meant to be the ‘grown-ups’). There might be young parts that are holding onto inaccurate beliefs about climate change.

It’s always helpful to connect all of our parts up with Self - the compassionate, calm and courageous part of us (it’s actually not a part but I can’t think of a better word!) that lies behind everything.

We can do this by making space for all the different parts of us with thoughts or feelings about the CEE and Just Listening.

You might want to use a journal for this exercise and write your way through my suggestions, or just find a quiet spot and shut your eyes.

⭐ Take some slow breaths and begin to open up some space inside you. If you are a visual person you might want to imagine a physical space (I often have a large clearing in a forest), or just begin to tune into how your body is feeling or what thoughts are flickering around.

⭐ If it feels okay, invite any parts that have thoughts or feelings about the climate crisis to step forwards. Let them know that you are going to listen to them, one at a time.

⭐ Ask who wants to go first. You might have a visual image of a part (a young one, or a part all dressed up as a firefighter etc), a physical sensation (e.g. a slight pain in your chest or a constriction in your throat) or you might just pick up on what this part is thinking or feeling. Spend a minute tuning into them.

⭐ Check that you feel willing to listen to them. If not, then it’s not the right time to listen to them yet - let them know this, and spend time instead being curious about why you’re reluctant to listen to them. Slowness and gentleness is the key in the world of IFS - if you catch yourself pushing or forcing, stop!

⭐ Listen. Let them know you’re hearing them. Check you’re getting it right. Keep listening until they’ve said everything they want to say. Ask them if there’s anything you can do to help them. If it feels okay, let them know you appreciate them.

⭐ Listen to the next part. And keep going.

⭐ If at any point you feel uncomfortable, just step back and keep stepping back until you feel better. If it feels possible, get curious about the edges of the uncomfortableness.

⭐ If your parts have more to say and you run out of time, let them know that you’ll come back another time.

How are they all doing now? Do things feel any different inside? Have they pointed you towards any other parts that might need your attention?

How are you doing? I’d love to hear.

It is so good to have you here.
Go gently,
Satya <3

Tell me: How did you get on with the exercise? What stayed with you from Tuesday’s writing? How are you doing? I’d love to hear from you.