Embodied Social Witnessing
Embodied Social Witnessing draws from the consciousness and practice of Global Social Witnessing, which was introduced by Thomas Hübl in 2017. Global Social Witnessing is about welcoming more of life home in us, and welcoming ourselves home into life.
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"Global Social Witnessing begins with each individual. It is the ability to relate to processes, incidents and situations that happen in our culture. But in order to relate to myself, I need to have the ability to adequately map my outside into my inside. This creates resonance – based on resonance ability, which is a natural function of the nervous system when it is open and mature."
-- Thomas Hübl |
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Listen to Thomas' overview of Global Social Witnessing on the Pocket Project website:
"Mindfully Attending the World." (55 min) |
Due to the many traumas in our world today, including ancestral and collective, none of us will likely be able to relate to world events with full presence. We need each other. Something new becomes possible when we can witness world events together.
Embodied Social Witnessing is an emergent, next-level group healing context through which people can awaken a shared "we space" of interconnection. The capacities that are awakened are especially meaningful relating with challenging world situations where polarization exists and regulating our nervous systems can be difficult. As the capacities are awakened through our physical bodies, the benefits can also gradually flow through us into our relationships and lives.
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"It is possible the next Buddha will not take the form of an individual. The next Buddha may take the form of a community, a community practicing understanding and lovingkindness, a community practicing mindful living. And the practice can be carried out as a group, as a city, as a nation."
-- Thich Nhat Hanh, October 1993 
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Embodied Social Witnessing (ESW) practice includes bringing awareness to what happens internally (physically/emotionally/ mentally): noticing when we feel connected with what we are observing about the world, and when we disconnect emotionally or mentally, when we're overwhelmed, etc. A fundamental part of practice is not judging any disconnecting as "wrong."
A fundamental tenet of trauma healing is that there is intelligence in our nervous system responses to attempt to regulate by shutting down or becoming reactive. In addition to physiological fear responses to trauma, humans also adapt shame and pride-based identities in relation to difficulties and traumas in our environments, especially as we are developing. Trauma healing involves restoring our compassionate witness capacity to become aware of these reactions, whether they are originating in the moment or we are recreating them from our past.
A fundamental tenet of trauma healing is that there is intelligence in our nervous system responses to attempt to regulate by shutting down or becoming reactive. In addition to physiological fear responses to trauma, humans also adapt shame and pride-based identities in relation to difficulties and traumas in our environments, especially as we are developing. Trauma healing involves restoring our compassionate witness capacity to become aware of these reactions, whether they are originating in the moment or we are recreating them from our past.
In ESW practice we are expanding our capacity to include more unintegrated history at the various levels – personal, ancestral, collective – into our group field of loving presence, so that history can become available in and us through as as wisdom, energy, presence. Witnessing is a practice of relating on many levels. As we witness ourselves, we connect through our bodies, emotions, and minds, noticing where we connect with ourselves and perhaps where we are absent, or disconnected, without making that wrong. Our practice includes listening, sensing, feeling, noticing, witnessing subtle movements, and how we relate with ourselves, the topic, and each other – including when we turn away, as well as our nervous system responses which are intelligent and provide an important function. We include our human hearts, and we notice and cultivate spacious witnessing consciousness, bringing intentionality to the qualities of our relating.
The results of practicing ESW with a group are difficult to describe, touching the felt truth of how a social topic lives through the group brings us into closer contact with earth, with our hearts, and with the most beautiful aspects of humanity which we share.
The power and mysterious beauty of ESW small group practice is that turning toward what's painful and forgotten can lead to a state of connection, gratitude, and even awe.
The power and mysterious beauty of ESW small group practice is that turning toward what's painful and forgotten can lead to a state of connection, gratitude, and even awe.
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Embodied Social Witnessing
practices in various contexts: The competencies which arise from ESW practice are beneficial for organizations, community groups, and people from all walks of life. I have a particular interest in connecting people from different paths and communities, adapting ESW to people's existing practice for awakening, spiritual development, connection, and/or subtle activism. |
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