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2 This toolkit was developed for Latinx Healing from Colonialism meet-up in the Healing Justice Track at the 2018 Allied Media Conference, co-facilitated by Alexandra Corwin and Diana Quinn. We acknowledge and uphold that the AMC is held on Anishinaabe land in a predominantly Black city. We see Healing Justice as the practice of movement towards abundance at the intersection of intergenerational trauma, current structures of oppression, and a generative and co-created future. We hold that joy and pleasure create possibility to be in right relationship with ourselves, each other, our land, and our spirits. We strive to demystify healing and to make it accessible to everyone. We believe that each person is an expert of their own experience, body, and needs and that, ultimately, it is necessary to address the roots of trauma and injustice for individual and collective transformation. 1

3 NEUROBIOLOGICAL EFFECTS OF COLONIZATION Oppression is trauma, and it lives in the body/mind/spirit. Our soma holds experiences of traumaand these are situated in our bodies. In our bones, in our tissues, in our blood. In our DNAwhere the story of intergenerational cultural/historical trauma gets handed down. Our systemshave been informed by colonization in the following ways: Limbic system - difficulty with emotional regulation Amygdala - fight, flight or freeze responses, PTSD Vagus nerve - affect digestion, heart rate, breathing Brain hemisphere imbalance - overemphasis on analytical, critical, negative thinking Telomeres - shortened lifespan Epigenetics - inherited intergenerational trauma influencing genetic expression HPA axis - altered stress response Decolonization is a process of healing the mind/brain from the ways in which it is shaped by the effects of colonialism. White supremacy, oppression, colonization are states of dis-ease thatseparate the body from the mind. It is a state of trauma to be disconnected from the body. Healing from trauma occurs both top-down (mind centered) and bottom-up (body centered) to transform and liberate the body/- mind/spirit. The mind has been programmed to believe that colonization is something outside of ourselves that we need to fix. In the body, we are shaped by oppression, trauma, we are the living effects of colonization in need of healing. 2

4 NEURODECOLONIZATION The neurobiological effects of colonization can be reversed through neuroplasticity, which is the repetition of new practices. Neurodecolonization utilizes specific practices to reshape the brain/mind. This is a powerful political act of liberation and healing from colonization. New brain networks train our attention, increase optimism and belief that colonization can be overcome, build our courage, and build creativity needed for novel approaches. These practices include: mindfulness and contemplative practices, somatic practices, ceremony and ritual, and music. The effects of neurodecolonization practices reshape our brains/minds and subsequent behavior, increasing options and flexibility allowing us to generate new adaptive strategies. The effects include: 1. Increased white matter: better communication across lobes of the brain 2. Development of the left hemisphere of the brain increases creativity, connection, globaland holistic thinking, and enhances well-being through improved neurotransmitterbalance. Quieting the right side of the brain which is responsible for judgment, classification, discrimination, separation. 3. Temporal parietal junction: increase social awareness and emotional intelligence 4. Amygdala: reduction in fear, lower the fight or flight response 5. Prefrontal cortex: increase in joy, optimism, creativity 6. Insula: greater sense of self, emotional regulation, allow for more skillful conflict resolution 7. Anterior cingulate cortex: facilitate greater compassion and self-awareness 8. Mirror neurons: increase empathy Decolonization practices build resilience, the ability to renew ourselves, in an ongoing way,during and after traumatic experiences, to shift from a traumatic stress response to a calm,relaxed state, and the ability to positively imagine the future. 3

5 TOOLKIT FOR NEURODECOLONIZATION Somatic Centering Meditation (click link to access audio recording of guided meditation) Based on centering practice from generative somatics and tailored specifically for Latinx Decolonization practice, this is a 7 minute guided meditation. generative somatics uses specific practices to reshape the body/mind/spirit. Tracking sensation is the basis of somatic awareness, listening to and living inside sensations and aliveness. Seated meditation, prayer or contemplative practices Formal seated meditation for at least 20 minutes per day has transformative effects on the body and mind. Studies of long-term meditators show that they have developed aptitudes of brain function that non-meditators do not possess, which are consistent with our goals in healing from colonialism. 4

6 TOOLKIT FOR NEURODECOLONIZATION (CONT.) Mindfulness practices Another name for mindfulness is attention training, which is a skill that can be developed by practicing over time. By focusing on one s surroundings, one s breath, repeating a mantra or prayer, or simply paying attention to mindful action. Below are some simple attention training practices Every hour set an alarm for a 2-3 minute mindfulness check-in. Practice being aware of your breath, take in sensory details of your surroundings, ground and center. Breath counting: count each breath on the inhale and on the exhale, for a few minutes or longer. Begin counting on the in breath = 1, out breath = 2, in breath = 3, out breath = 4 and so on. Breath awareness: practice being aware of your breathing with out changing it, simply noticine. Inhaling I know I m breathing in, exhaling I know I m breathing out. Body awareness: practice noticing sensations, sounds, smells and touch in the present moment. Mindfulness in action: practice mindfully eating, driving, washing dishes, walking, etc. 5

7 TOOLKIT FOR NEURODECOLONIZATION (CONT.) Resilience building practices for individuals and community Time in nature Art and creative expression Music Cooking and enjoying meals, Connection with animals Movement and dance Ancestral practices, ceremony and ritual Resources: For Indigenous Minds Only: A Decolonization Handbook, edited by Waziyatawin and Michael Yellow Bird Decolonizing the Mind, Michael Yellow Bird lecture on Vimeo The Art of Somatic Coaching: Embodying Skillful Action Wisdom and Compassion, Richard Strozzi 6

The Power of Meditation This practice of focused attention can reduce pain and stress while improving health and healing

The Power of Meditation This practice of focused attention can reduce pain and stress while improving health and healing By Emmy Vadnais, OTR/L Originally posted on ADVANCE Magazine on October 1, 2015