Not in the way you might be thinking. Not dangerous for you. And not dangerous for people who respect your needs, boundaries, pursuits, and all the other parts of you. But dangerous for everyone, every institution, every commonly accepted social norm that wishes for you to be a certain way.
Because here's the thing - embodiment is a portal into our most authentic Self. And this often invites us to acknowledge everything we’ve been overriding, withholding, not speaking, not reaching for. It requires we admit things like No, everything is not fine. Or, I want more.
Somatics leaves us untethered with our grief. As we touch into our embodiment we touch into elements of our being that are uncivilized, primal, savage, hysterical, untamed, raw. These parts are honest in their disappointments and desires. This opens to door to the liminal space between what has always been and what is possible.
And because our context (think social norms, family values, policies, oppressive systems, etc.) doesn't necessarily encourage or finance Self-exploration and Self-determination, it's really common for folks to get stuck or retreat. Back to what's familiar, expected, or subjectively valued.
And the thing is, I don't think it has to be wrong to keep parts of us in the realm of what's familiar. But the key is having choice - and not just that, but having consciousness around what the choices are.
In many ways, we all live in a constant state of grief. Grief that hasn't been processed, has had no opportunity for integration or transformation.
I think often of that quote I'm sure many of you have seen online or on sweatshirts:
I am my ancestors wildest dreams.
And I wonder, well... what are my wildest dreams?
Who, what, where would make me feel most alive? Or at least help me feel more satisfied? What dreams from childhood have I written off because it's too late or inconvenient for someone else?
Perhaps the first place to start is by putting things into perspective.
To begin, we only need to allow space for our thoughts and feelings to become clear. There's no need for action. No need to judge the morality of our thoughts.
At first, we have to remember that this is just an open, somewhat hypothetical exploration. In fact, that's how most things have come into existence. Someone first noticed something, became curious about it, and conjectured a conclusion of sorts that then snowballed into a tradition, a social norm, a vocation, a policy, a culture. Someone with their own constellation of identities and experiences.
But you have your own identities, your own experiences, and your own wildest dreams.
So what are you going to notice? What are you going to allow yourself to grieve? What are you going to get curious about?
Photo by Miriam Espacio from Pexels