Strengthening our Collective Immunity
How well we care for ourselves individually corresponds to our ability to stay centered and respond appropriately to any given situation. The same is true for our collective health and well being, which is a composite of the quality of relationships in a community, the courage and presence of its members to stay with what is, and the resilience to respond in a way that’s serving each person and all together. This blog offers 5 essential elements to strengthen our collective immune system and care for one another in these times.
1. Be still
Our presence — a sense of being in the here and now, witnessing “what is” from a deep and grounded place — is one of the most important capacities to cultivate. When we come into stillness we can sense into when and how to respond. Stillness provides differentiation. The pause or “space between” is required to move from one state to another. It helps us separate the past or “what was” from the new or “what’s becoming” so the two do not get muddled or intermingled.
Stillness is not nothing — in some ways, it is everything. It is full of fire energy and rich with potentiality. It’s highly alert and aware. Becoming a witness to everything happening is an active doing. By coming into deep presence and stillness, we can help to integrate changes happening in and around us, and strengthen the field for the collective. See “The Still Point” and “Beacons of Light” story for more info.
2. Become visible
Much of the work in the field of social innovation and societal transformation that has existed at the margins is being called forth, to assume a more central role in all that is unfolding. It is important to become visible for more people who are searching for guidance, hope and practical solutions. Becoming visible also ensures that as a community, we recognize and can account for the needs and potential contributions of each one of us, especially those who we don’t have proximity to in our daily lives. When light towers or lighthouses become visible to travelers, they can better orient themselves in times of wild waters. And as we know from reading maps, if there are three points of reference that are differentiated from one another, wayfinding becomes more accurate.
Of course, becoming visible when we are mostly tucked away in our homes and processing all that runs through our system requires creativity and courage. Seek out new communities online, from individual blogs to organizations offering spaces to move forward and address challenges you may be facing. Consider joining a social platform, especially one that is locally-focused, to become visible to others, and discover them. Follow or friend your neighbors and acquaintances so you can “see and understand” their activities, thoughts, hopes and concerns. And don’t just observe conversations; be sure to participate, ensuring that others know you are there to help and how they, in return, can show up for you.
Stand up and shine. We were born for these times.
3. Reach out and provide new ways to gather
How can we cultivate a sense of belonging as we are being trained to physically distance ourselves from one another? In times of uncertainty and mounting fear, we recognize the need to be social, stay connected and care for one another. Removing physical proximity creates its challenges. It’s also an opportunity to create new ways to gather and spaces where people can feel emotionally held and process what is showing up as a collective. This may require courage to try new methods and platforms or to partner with others who use systems that suit that need. As we shift to new forms of connection, it may also require checking in, assessing and releasing what isn’t working, to monitor what is healthy for each of us and for any given time.
This is a time to stand up for each other and offer what we can. Reach out and connect with people who do similar work, not just to strengthen each other but to strengthen our collective field. Celebrate a shared responsibility to cultivate and nurture our support systems within and across networks. Co-host virtual convenings, large and small, and link up with allies to catalyze old and new partnerships. Put another way, don’t go this stretch alone. Offering support or taking on other responsibilities also requires us to cultivate our own support systems first. This is a time to go together.
4. Offer a meaningful and supportive framework
Calling people to gather together virtually is a powerful start. It’s also important to offer an intentional structure to guide conversations and ways to relate with one another. For example, what is present that can be witnessed? What’s the guiding question you are sensing into as individuals and collective for each get-together? What is the practice offered and how can you strengthen it together? The container evolves and gets co-shaped to continue the momentum from meeting to meeting. If well held and maintained together over time, the container can function like a crucible allowing deeper transformations.
5. Stay curious and flexible: Uplift one another
It’s natural to tense up, become rigid and even defensive in a fixed position when faced with uncertainty or rising fear. Stay curious. Seeing other qualities, such as the beauty or benefit any situation brings, can help us to unlock tension allowing more space, creativity and flexibility to flow. Seeing other perspectives can be a doorway to better understanding what is difficult or challenging. Shifting views can help us to recalibrate and step out of old patterns and stuck dynamics. From a wider lens or a place of greater understanding, it becomes more possible to respond in ways that are meaningful and coherent.
As we continue to move through these unprecedented times, and new stresses and connections emerge, our collective field will expand and strengthen with our ability to practice new ways of showing up. We hope this list supports your wellness and your work.
We would also love to know: what tools are you using to strengthen your immunity, as an individual and in your communities? How are you seeing collective immunity reinforced? Leave a comment below or reach out to hello(at)collectivetransitions.com.
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Co-Authors
The content of this article was sourced using a method known as Systemic constellations. The story was then co-authored and edited by Luea Ritter and Nancy Zamierowski. You can find their bios here.
