A Body-Centered Path to Healing Historical Trauma: Lyla June Johnston Guides Embodiment Practice for Reconciliation and Well-being

A groundbreaking embodiment practice, guided by Diné musician, scholar, and community organizer Lyla June Johnston, is offering a profound method for individuals to confront the enduring impacts of colonization, fostering compassion, self-love, and a pathway toward collective healing. This initiative, featured as part of the "Happiness Break" series from the University of California, Berkeley’s Greater Good Science Center, emphasizes the scientific understanding that emotions are not merely abstract thoughts but lived experiences throughout the body, providing a unique framework for processing difficult historical truths.

The Guide: Lyla June Johnston and Her Vision

Lyla June Johnston, a prominent voice in Indigenous land management, community organizing, and cultural revitalization, stands at the forefront of this innovative approach. Hailing from the Naashá’éjí Táchii’nii clan of the Diné Nation (often referred to incorrectly as Navajo), whose ancestral lands span present-day New Mexico, Arizona, Colorado, and Utah, Johnston brings a deep cultural understanding and an academic rigor to her work. She is the founder and Dean of Instruction at The Rehuman School, an organization dedicated to fostering human and ecological well-being through Indigenous wisdom and modern science. Her multifaceted career as a musician, poet, and activist consistently champions Indigenous sovereignty, environmental justice, and intergenerational healing.

Johnston’s guidance is rooted in a philosophy that recognizes the interconnectedness of individual well-being and collective historical reckoning. Her work extends beyond traditional activism, venturing into the realm of embodied spirituality and psychological healing. Through her music and teachings, she advocates for a return to harmonious relationships with the land and each other, drawing inspiration from Diné traditions of respect, reciprocity, and restorative justice. Her involvement with "The Science of Happiness" podcast underscores a growing recognition within mainstream scientific communities of the profound wisdom embedded in Indigenous practices for emotional and social resilience. She frames this particular meditation as an invitation to bravely confront the challenging truths of colonization, not with debilitating guilt or avoidance, but with a spirit of forgiveness, constructive movement, and love, ultimately aiming to plant the seeds of a more equitable future.

Understanding Embodiment Science

The practice led by Lyla June Johnston is firmly grounded in the principles of embodiment science, a field that increasingly demonstrates the deep connection between our mental and physical states. As introduced by Shuka Kalantari of "Happiness Break," conventional approaches to difficult emotions often involve cognitive processing, judgment, or suppression. However, embodiment research highlights that emotions are not solely confined to the mind but are experienced somatically – as sensations, tensions, or shifts within the body.

Studies in this field suggest that when individuals pay mindful attention to these bodily sensations, it significantly enhances their ability to regulate difficult emotions. This mindful awareness can lead to reduced emotional reactivity, creating crucial space for empathy, repair, and thoughtful action. For instance, research published in journals like Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences and MDPI corroborates that acknowledging and non-judgmentally observing emotional experiences in the body can prevent emotional overwhelm. Instead of trying to "think away" feelings of grief, anger, or guilt, the embodiment approach encourages individuals to gently hold these sensations, much like a loving parent comforts a child. This process allows for a deeper understanding of emotional triggers and responses, fostering a more integrated sense of self and a greater capacity to engage constructively with challenging realities. By acknowledging the physical manifestation of emotional pain, the practice paves the way for a more holistic healing journey, moving beyond intellectual understanding to somatic processing.

Confronting the Legacy of Colonization: Historical Context and Impact

Lyla June Johnston’s embodiment practice directly addresses the "hard truths of colonization," a historical process with profound and ongoing repercussions for Indigenous communities across North America and globally. Colonization, beginning with European contact centuries ago, involved the systematic subjugation, displacement, and exploitation of Indigenous peoples and their lands.

A Brief Chronology of Colonial Impact:

• 15th-18th Centuries: Initial European exploration and settlement, marked by the introduction of Old World diseases (smallpox, measles) to which Indigenous populations had no immunity. This led to catastrophic demographic collapse, with estimates suggesting up to 90% mortality rates in some regions. For example, the Indigenous population of the Americas is estimated to have been around 50-100 million before 1492, plummeting to just a few million by the late 19th century.
• 18th-19th Centuries: Expansion of colonial powers (British, French, Spanish, later American and Canadian) leading to widespread land dispossession through treaties, often coerced or violated, and outright seizure. Policies of forced removal, such as the Indian Removal Act of 1830 in the United States, led to events like the "Trail of Tears," displacing thousands of Indigenous peoples from their ancestral homelands.
• 19th-20th Centuries: Intensified efforts at cultural assimilation, including the establishment of residential schools (Canada) and Indian boarding schools (U.S.). These institutions forcibly removed Indigenous children from their families, languages, and cultures, often subjecting them to abuse and neglect. The explicit goal was to "kill the Indian in the child," resulting in profound intergenerational trauma, loss of language, and disruption of cultural practices.
• Ongoing Impacts: The legacy of colonization continues to manifest in systemic inequities today. Indigenous communities often face disproportionately high rates of poverty, inadequate healthcare, lower educational attainment, and higher rates of incarceration. Environmental degradation on or near Indigenous lands, a consequence of resource extraction without consent, further exacerbates these challenges.

The Diné Nation, Johnston’s own people, experienced significant disruptions. Their traditional territory, Diné Bikéyah Dinétah, encompassing parts of four modern U.S. states, was systematically encroached upon. The "Long Walk" of the Navajo in 1864, a forced removal of Diné people by the U.S. government, serves as a stark example of the violence and displacement inherent in colonization.

Johnston highlights that when confronted with these historical realities, many individuals, both Indigenous and non-Indigenous, tend to "shut down, or go into guilt, or go into avoidance." These reactions, while understandable, prevent meaningful engagement and hinder collective progress toward reconciliation and repair. The embodiment practice seeks to bypass these mental blocks by addressing the emotional resonance directly in the body.

The Practice: A Path to Healing and Solidarity

The embodiment practice begins with simple yet profound steps: four deep breaths to honor the four directions, a traditional Diné custom. This act grounds participants in the present moment, shifting focus from mental anxieties to bodily awareness. Johnston emphasizes that meditation is fundamentally about "remembering that you’re in a room, that you’re in a body," anchoring consciousness in the tangible reality of the here and now.

As participants connect with their bodies, Johnston gently introduces the "challenging truths" of colonization, inviting listeners to observe their physical reactions. "Notice how your body reacts and where is it reacting? Is it in your stomach? Is it in your heart? Is it in your head?" she asks. The crucial instruction is not to suppress or judge these feelings – be they grief, anger, guilt, or hopelessness – but to "hold that feeling," becoming "the loving parent to that feeling." This compassionate observation, rather than intellectual analysis or emotional suppression, is central to the practice.

Addressing Guilt and Fostering Solidarity:

A pivotal aspect of Johnston’s guidance is her nuanced approach to guilt. She acknowledges that many non-Indigenous people experience guilt when confronted with the atrocities of colonization. However, she asserts, "Guilt does not help Native nations. Guilt is not of the Creator." Instead, she offers an alternative: solidarity. "If you felt guilt… I want you to understand that that was not your intention for that to happen to people, and that guilt is not yours to carry." This statement provides profound release, reframing the emotional response from one of personal burden to one of collective responsibility and alliance.

Solidarity, in Johnston’s view, involves actively witnessing the ongoing struggles and resilience of Indigenous communities. With nearly 800 distinct Indigenous communities recognized in the United States alone (a number that does not include unrecognized tribes or those in Canada or Mexico), the need for allies is immense. Being a witness, understanding history, and supporting contemporary Indigenous initiatives are tangible acts of solidarity that empower Native nations, unlike paralyzing guilt. This shift from an internal, self-punishing emotion to an outward-focused, action-oriented stance is a powerful call to engagement.

The Role of Hope, Self-Love, and Forgiveness:

Johnston articulates a clear philosophy for moving forward: "Hope is of the creator. And self-love is of the Creator. And the more we love ourselves, the more we can love others." She posits that excessive guilt and shame diminish self-love, thereby hindering one’s capacity to love others and contribute positively to society. By releasing these unproductive emotions, individuals can access their inherent power and capacity to "begin to remedy things."

The ultimate goal is collective healing, envisioned as a coming together "with bravery and apology and forgiveness." Johnston emphasizes that despite past mistakes, there lies an "incredible opportunity to plant the seeds of a beautiful future," seeds "made of love" and "watered by love." This vision transcends mere reconciliation; it calls for a fundamental re-establishment of human connection, recognizing our shared humanity as "one family." The practice concludes by inviting participants to apply the "balm of love" to the parts of their bodies where difficult emotions were felt, fostering a sense of inner peace and readiness to move forward in "truth, in love, in forgiveness, in apology, in repair, in unity."

Broader Implications for Reconciliation and Well-being

Lyla June Johnston’s embodiment practice holds significant implications for both individual healing and broader societal reconciliation.

Individual Healing: For individuals, particularly non-Indigenous people grappling with the historical realities of colonization, this practice offers a compassionate framework for processing complex emotions. By moving beyond intellectual guilt to somatic acknowledgment and release, it can alleviate psychological burdens that often prevent constructive engagement. For Indigenous individuals, while not explicitly detailed in this excerpt, similar embodiment practices can offer tools for processing intergenerational trauma and fostering resilience, connecting with ancestral strength in a safe, guided manner. The ability to regulate difficult emotions and cultivate self-compassion is a cornerstone of mental well-being, directly contributing to reduced stress, anxiety, and depression.

Collective Reconciliation: The practice serves as a vital step toward genuine reconciliation between Indigenous and non-Indigenous communities. By transforming debilitating guilt into empowering solidarity, it encourages non-Indigenous allies to become active participants in systemic change rather than passive observers or disengaged individuals. It fosters a deeper understanding of Indigenous perspectives and the ongoing impacts of historical injustices, laying the groundwork for more respectful relationships, meaningful apologies, and effective repair initiatives. This approach moves beyond performative gestures towards authentic, embodied understanding and action.

Mental Health and Societal Progress: The Greater Good Science Center’s inclusion of such a practice within "The Science of Happiness" podcast highlights the growing recognition that addressing historical trauma is not just a moral imperative but a critical component of public mental health and societal well-being. A society unable to confront its past truthfully and compassionately risks perpetuating cycles of harm and division. By promoting practices that foster empathy, reduce reactivity, and encourage thoughtful action, initiatives like this contribute to a more resilient, just, and interconnected society. The integration of Indigenous wisdom with contemporary scientific understanding offers a powerful model for addressing complex social challenges.

In conclusion, Lyla June Johnston’s guided embodiment practice represents a powerful and timely intervention. It leverages the scientific understanding of emotion to create a safe space for individuals to engage with the painful legacy of colonization. By inviting participants to release unproductive guilt and embrace solidarity, hope, and self-love, it offers a tangible path toward individual healing and collective reconciliation, envisioning a future rooted in mutual respect, forgiveness, and unity. It underscores the profound truth that confronting history, even its hardest truths, can be a courageous act of love that paves the way for a truly beautiful shared future.