Indirect Resistance: Healers as Revolutionaries

As we step into this moment of revolution and social change, it’s important to ask what it means to resist in an authentic and powerful way. There are multiple ways to participate, beyond the most obvious methods. Indirect resistance is just as important and necessary as the direct kind. Any movement will be stronger with the deployment of diverse talents and skills. By learning to embody our greatest strengths and asking how we can collaborate, we all become that much stronger.  

There's a lot of dialogue online these days about revolution. About what it does and does not mean to resist. About what it looks like to stand up and speak out. 

I've spent a lot of time wrestling with my place in the revolution. About what it means for me to resist. Because I vehemently do not agree with what's going on in Washington these days. Or in many parts of the global community, for that matter. But I'm not a sign-toting, representative-calling kind of rebel. Nor do I spend a lot of time posting political content and arguing on social media. 

I have seen a lot of rhetoric about how these are the ways of resisting. If you're not taking to the streets, you're part of the problem. You're complicit. 

I disagree. 

A revolution is a complex beast, consisting of many parts that are all necessary for the movement's success. The protests and messages to representatives are important. But they're not the only factors. Soul Fire Farm talks about a social change butterfly, consisting of four wings for movement collaboration. Resisting is only one of them. The other three are Reforming, Building, and Healing. 

"The butterfly cannot fly without all four winglets," says Leah Penniman, co-founder of Soul Fire Farm. "We need a multitude of strategies for comprehensive social change." 

This model helped me understand the best way for me to participate in the revolution, and to alleviate the guilt around my deep aversion to direct resistance. It helped me understand that where my sensitivity is a barrier in some contexts, it's my greatest asset in others. 

I experienced a full-on trauma response the last time I attended a protest, brought on by the intensity of the collective wound resonating all around me. On the other hand, I can hold individuals and groups in delicate and powerful healing processes. That is my gift. That is how I can contribute to the revolution. 

A conversation with a writer friend helped me see this distinction a different way. "Any revolution needs two kinds of rebels," he said. "One kind fucks shit up and burns things down. the others are the builders, bringing people together and helping them heal." 

Put this way, I'm a builder. Using the butterfly model, I'm a healer. I use the tools of embodiment, expression, and connection to the Earth to build community and facilitate healing. 

This kind of indirect resistance is just as important as the direct kind. In fact, they are complimentary. The builders and healers create and sustain the base the fighters need to recharge. I'm grateful for the fighters. This revolution wouldn't happen without them. And the change they're fighting for couldn't happen without us builders and healers. 

So when I hold a community care workshop, that is an act of resistance. It's my way of taking a stand. I host queer tango events because intentional LGBTQ+ spaces are more important than ever right now. 

I'm learning to navigate sliding scales and new forms of cultural sensitivity to accommodate the diverse communities in Santa Fe, New Mexico, where I recently landed. Every client who comes home to their body, every voice that is liberated is a step in the right direction. 

It's also time for me to let go of operating from behind the scenes. Being seen has long been a Very Scary Thing for me, but it’s time to take a deep breath and do it anyway. This blog is my way of speaking up. 

Here I will explore how the tools I use are valuable in the context of resistance and revolution, and how others can use them as well. I’ll talk about embodiment as a way to come out of dissociation and shut down. About expression to liberate both individual and collective voices. About connection to the Earth as a piece of the environmental puzzle. And about community organizing as a way to overcome isolation and division. 

I aim to welcome many guest bloggers and encourage a diversity of voices and perspectives. There are so many powerful humans doing this work, and I’m eager to learn from them as well as share my own experiences and insights. Part of what it means to be a healer and a builder is acknowledging that one person’s voice alone is never enough. We need all of us, and we need to learn to listen and work together.

The revolution is most definitely here. We do need those who take to the streets and the phones. We need the rooftop-shouters, the ones who are made to fight. And we need the healers and the builders. The healers are the ones who protect the fighters from burnout. We are the ones who build strong communities, which are more resilient to the impact of political fuckery. We need both kinds of revolutionaries. The goal of this blog is to support the healers and builders as they step into their role and their power. Let’s do this thing!