Camille Sapara Barton: Tending grief and rebuilding our capacities to sense more deeply
Jul 23, 2024
auto_awesome
Camille Sapara Barton, an advocate for grief practices, shares profound insights on embracing grief rather than overcoming it. She discusses the challenges of information overload in modern life and how it affects our emotional well-being. Exploring the impact of capitalism on our humanity, Camille highlights the importance of community rituals and somatic practices for deeper self-awareness. She encourages reconnecting with our bodies and honoring traditions, particularly in helping future generations navigate unresolved pain.
Engaging in regular practices to tend to grief helps rebuild emotional resilience and deepen our connections with ourselves and our communities.
Practicing discernment in media consumption is crucial for maintaining mental health and avoiding burnout amidst overwhelming societal pressures.
Deep dives
Final Cohort Announcement
A new cohort for a 12-week audio-based program focusing on earth and community-centered imagination is being launched, marking the last opportunity for participants to experience this live format. The program, titled 'Alchemize,' encourages those who have been considering it to join this final session commencing in September 2024. Participants are invited to learn more and register on the program's website. This final cohort aims to foster engagement in a supportive community setting.
Understanding Vicarious Trauma
The podcast highlights the significant impact of vicarious trauma, particularly through social media consumption. While staying informed can empower individuals, the risks associated with constantly witnessing distressing content can hinder personal well-being and contribute to feelings of burnout. It is vital for people to assess their capacity to engage with this type of content without compromising their mental health or ability to contribute positively to their communities. Practicing discernment about media consumption is essential for maintaining emotional resilience and preventing overwhelm.
Reclaiming Sensation and Grief Practices
A core idea discussed is the need to reclaim our ability to feel and sense, particularly in the context of grief and emotional well-being. The conversation emphasizes that many individuals, particularly in Western societies, have become numb due to societal pressures and an industrialized approach to life that prioritizes productivity over emotional health. Engaging in practices that allow for the acknowledgment and processing of grief can help rebuild emotional bandwidth. Regularly returning to emotions and practicing grief tending can facilitate a better understanding of oneself and improve relationships with others and the environment.
Coping with Modern Grief and Loss
The podcast addresses the complexities of processing collective grief in response to global crises, such as genocides and pandemics, particularly when individuals feel disconnected from these losses. It suggests that rather than attempting to dispel grief entirely, individuals should instead develop ongoing practices to incorporate grief into their lives, aligning with cultural practices seen in indigenous communities. This ongoing approach encourages regular reflection and connection with one’s feelings associated with loss, allowing for gradual processing instead of overwhelming emotional buildup. By fostering environments that recognize and support these emotions, communities can restore collective healing practices and foster deeper connections.
What does it mean to sit with and tend to our grief as a regular practice rather than something to “get over” — so we can continue to sense and feel more deeply? How do we stay well amidst info overload and the increasingly fast pace of modernity — so we can contribute sustainably in ways that align with our values? How can we maintain our capacities to care for those we have responsibilities for and find things that bring us a bit more ease?
In this episode, Camille Sapara Barton invites us to dream with cultures of care and sense into embodied ways of being with our grief — both personally and with our communities.
Join us as we explore the nuances of confronting phone and social media addiction while continuing to stay informed about the world; the relationship between numbing for survival and sensing deeply as fuel for activation; the ways that capitalism and dominant cultures have molded people into becoming mechanized, “productive,” and obedient members of society — suppressing our attunement to our bodies and states of being — and more.
How might we engage in practices such as honoring our ancestors or creating altars that support a reconnection with our bodies, lands, and sensorial ways of knowing and healing?
Join us on Patreon for our bonus and extended episodes: patreon.com/greendreamer
Get the Snipd podcast app
Unlock the knowledge in podcasts with the podcast player of the future.
AI-powered podcast player
Listen to all your favourite podcasts with AI-powered features
Discover highlights
Listen to the best highlights from the podcasts you love and dive into the full episode
Save any moment
Hear something you like? Tap your headphones to save it with AI-generated key takeaways
Share & Export
Send highlights to Twitter, WhatsApp or export them to Notion, Readwise & more
AI-powered podcast player
Listen to all your favourite podcasts with AI-powered features
Discover highlights
Listen to the best highlights from the podcasts you love and dive into the full episode