Easy in the Dark
Family, friends, community,
For me,
its not been easy surfing these days
and my constant sunny side up idles.
Human suffering pulls me into my familiar abyss.
Tar dark,
I tug out my tool kit that reminds me
the value of a whole me.
The Dread Feels jolts
and I've learned when the DFs show up,
I put my oxygen mask on first before helping others.
The dark is where I'm able to silence my Ego Bully.
Fear, despair, loneliness are the Ego's mana.
The Ego Bully is going on a diet.
Our culture doesn't have a process
that gets down into the abyss with us when we get the DFs.
The West's process is clinical, sanitized
and doesn't address the roots of occasional depression.
My tool kit is simple.
My tools were formed from observing how other cultures support, encourage
and are easy with dark states.
The individual's voice and expression is heard.
All the shades of blah are in the collective consciousness of the whole.
And as a collective they journey with an individual into the abyss.
Super Sized Hugs,
M
In other cultures fear and depression is part of living and a rite of passage.
The Funio youth of the Amazon are sent out into the forest to live on their own for 6 days and nights.
They must prove they are able to sustain themselves.
Enduring painful encounters with insects, animals and an unknown area of the forest.
The Maasai youth go into altered states.
Calling in demons to test them.
Then they're sent to go into the lava caves that spread across the Serengeti without light and food.
They must walk in and out of these caves.
Many lava caves are so tight they have to crawl on their stomachs.
The Maori's Tā Moko is a rite of passage for young men and women that are entering puberty.
They go through initiation tatoo rites to overcome pain and fear.
In Iceland Civic Confirmation is a program where youth are educated in values, ethics and civics.
After the training and a test, these youth are awarded the high honor of Civic Duty
and deemed worth participants in society.
If they choose to run for a government office, the populace votes on their achievements.
These societies have codified a collective process for each individual.
Emotional doubt, mental and physical pain are worked out as a society.
Together they wait until the individual returns triumphant.
No one goes through the darkness alone.
Being seen by the collective unites a society, includes the individual,
and stigmas are non existent when the dark descends.
Ways out of the dark.
1) Finding purpose.
Choose a task, service, tend to a pet, volunteer or garden are the fastest ways to meet
the dark with the remedy of purpose.
2) Finding Abyss Buddies.
An Abyss Buddy are people who will get down into the abyss with you.
They listen
and are able to just be with you. Abyss Buddies get you processing and help
you climb out.
3) Identify what you want then give it away
Many times we hold onto a detrimental person, place or thing.
We convince ourselves by having this thing we are happy.
Identify what you really want and give it up to The Universe.
You now have placed trust in yourself that the right person, place or thing
will come.
4) Silence the Ego Bully
The Ego loves to continuously comment on all the stuff you think you're
doing wrong. There are many strategies to knock down our inner Ego Bully.
Key is finding the best process for you.
5) Get physical.
Go outside, dance, ride a bike, swim, clean, pet an animal or
human....Issues get stuck in the tissues.
Move your body. Move out the issues.
Adam Lambert's cover of Cher's Believe is the song
I take with me when I'm down in my abyss.
Wanting to learn how to be Easy in the Dark?
Email m@mariannenishifue.com and let's find your down in the well strategies.
Let's trek.
Find Equilibrium
Know thyself.
Learn to put your oxygen mask on first.
Optimize your focus and cognition.
Heighten your intuition.
Listen to your emotions.
Allowing the painful past to be passed.
Nourish your body.
Enhance Immunity.
Present life healed through generational trauma knowledge.
Be easy in the dark.
Active Meditate
Allow love to find you.
Guidance for 23 years
OMwards!