Embodied Reckoning: Lyla June Johnston Guides a Path to Healing Historical Trauma Through Mindful Connection
The latest installment of Happiness Break, a podcast from UC Berkeley’s Greater Good Science Center, features Diné musician, scholar of Indigenous land management, and community organizer Lyla June Johnston, who guides listeners through an embodiment practice designed to confront the profound and enduring impacts of colonization with compassion and care. This practice, rooted in Indigenous wisdom and supported by modern embodiment science, invites participants to connect with their bodies, making space for difficult emotions not to be judged or dismissed, but to be acknowledged, held, and transformed into a foundation for constructive action and solidarity.
The session, led by Johnston, who identifies herself in Diné as Lyla June, of the Naashá’gí Táchii’nii clan of the Diné Nation (incorrectly known as Navajo), emphasizes the critical importance of recognizing the ancestral lands encompassing what is now New Mexico, Arizona, Colorado, and Utah as Diné Bikéyah Dinétah, the People’s Land. Her guided meditation aims to create a gentle yet brave space for individuals to reckon with the hard truths of colonization and their somatic manifestations, moving beyond the paralysis of guilt or avoidance toward forgiveness and a unified future.
The Science of Embodiment and Emotional Regulation
At the heart of Johnston’s practice is the concept of embodiment, a burgeoning field of research that underscores the inextricable link between our minds and bodies in processing emotions. As introduced by Happiness Break host Shuka Kalantari, traditional approaches often confine difficult emotions to the realm of thought, leading to judgment, shame, or suppression. However, embodiment science, as highlighted by research in journals like PNAS, suggests that emotions are not merely cognitive constructs but experiences that permeate our entire physiological being. This perspective challenges the Cartesian dualism that separates mind and body, asserting instead that emotional experiences are deeply embedded in our physical sensations.
Studies, including those published in MDPI, further demonstrate that consciously paying mindful attention to bodily sensations can significantly enhance emotional regulation. This practice, often referred to as interoceptive awareness, allows individuals to become less reactive to intense feelings, thereby fostering greater capacity for empathy, facilitating repair, and enabling more thoughtful, intentional action. By observing where emotions manifest—be it in the stomach, heart, or head—without succumbing to them, individuals can cultivate a loving, parental stance toward their internal experiences. This process transforms potential overwhelm into an opportunity for insight and healing, allowing for a healthier processing of difficult emotional states. The ability to "hold" these feelings rather than being "lost in them" is a cornerstone of this mindful approach, providing a pathway to resilience and emotional mastery.
Lyla June Johnston: Bridging Indigenous Wisdom and Modern Praxis
Lyla June Johnston’s role as the guide for this transformative practice is deeply informed by her multifaceted background and profound cultural heritage. As a Diné woman, she brings the rich cultural and spiritual traditions of her nation, emphasizing interconnectedness, reverence for the land, and the holistic well-being of all relations. Her identity as a musician imbues her guidance with a rhythmic and soulful quality, often utilizing song and chant in her broader work to convey messages of healing and justice. Her scholarship in Indigenous land management underscores her commitment to ecological and social justice, advocating for traditional land stewardship practices as vital solutions to contemporary environmental crises. She is a vocal proponent of decolonizing land management and recognizing Indigenous sovereignty over ancestral territories.
As the founder and Dean of Instruction at The Rehuman School, Johnston is actively involved in educational initiatives that promote a more human-centered and ecologically sound future, drawing heavily on Indigenous worldviews and philosophies. The Rehuman School aims to re-indigenize education, offering curricula that prioritize connection to land, community, and spirit. Her work extends beyond academia and music into community organizing, where she actively advocates for the rights and self-determination of Indigenous peoples, often speaking out against systemic injustices and promoting pathways to reconciliation. This unique blend of cultural rootedness, academic rigor, and grassroots activism makes her exceptionally positioned to lead a meditation that navigates the complex terrain of historical trauma and collective healing. Her guidance in the Happiness Break episode is not merely a theoretical exercise but a lived expression of her lifelong dedication to fostering reconciliation and empowering Indigenous communities, articulating the inherent power that lies beyond the immediate discomfort of difficult emotions, a power that can be harnessed for remedy and constructive change.
The Unvarnished Truth of Colonization: Historical Context and Lingering Impacts
Johnston’s practice gently, yet firmly, confronts the historical reality of colonization, particularly in what is now known as the United States, Canada, and Mexico. The narrative of European colonization, commencing in the late 15th century with the arrival of Columbus and intensifying through the 16th to 19th centuries, fundamentally reshaped the Americas. This era led to widespread displacement, violence, and the decimation of Indigenous populations. Historical estimates, such as those by demographers like Henry F. Dobyns, suggest that the Indigenous population of the Americas plummeted by as much as 90% within a century or two of European contact. While disease, particularly smallpox and measles, played a devastating role due to Indigenous peoples’ lack of immunity, deliberate acts of violence, warfare, and forced removals also contributed significantly to this catastrophic demographic collapse. For instance, the U.S. Census Bureau estimated the Native American population in the continental U.S. to be around 250,000 by 1890, a dramatic reduction from pre-contact estimates that ranged from millions to tens of millions.
These catastrophic losses represent not just a demographic shift but an irreparable rupture of cultural continuity, spiritual practices, and traditional governance structures. The podcast specifically highlights the tragic reality that "huge nations of people just went up in smoke," a stark reminder of the immense human cost. Policies such as the Indian Removal Act of 1830, which led to the forced relocation of Southeastern Indigenous nations on the "Trail of Tears," exemplify the systematic dispossession. Later, the establishment of residential schools in Canada and boarding schools in the U.S. aimed to "kill the Indian, save the man," forcibly assimilating Indigenous children and severing their ties to language, family, and cultural identity. These policies inflicted intergenerational trauma that continues to manifest in contemporary Indigenous communities through profound disparities in health outcomes (e.g., higher rates of diabetes, heart disease), lower educational attainment, economic marginalization, and disproportionate rates of incarceration.
Despite these historical injustices and ongoing challenges, Indigenous peoples have demonstrated profound resilience. Johnston reminds listeners that "nearly eight hundred distinct Indigenous communities" persist in the United States today, each a vibrant testament to survival, adaptation, and cultural revitalization. These communities continue to advocate for their rights, reclaim ancestral lands, revive languages, and practice traditional forms of land stewardship that offer vital lessons for addressing contemporary environmental crises, such as climate change and biodiversity loss. The meditation invites participants to acknowledge this enduring presence and the ongoing struggles for self-determination, emphasizing that the history of colonization is not a closed chapter but a living legacy that demands ongoing engagement and action.
Navigating Emotions: Guilt, Solidarity, and the Path Forward
A cornerstone of Johnston’s guidance is the critical distinction between paralyzing guilt and empowering solidarity. When confronted with the horrific realities of colonization, many non-Indigenous individuals experience feelings of guilt, shame, or hopelessness. Johnston astutely observes that such emotions, while understandable, can often lead to avoidance or inaction, thereby hindering genuine progress toward reconciliation. She emphasizes that the intention for historical atrocities was not of the individual, and therefore, "that guilt is not yours to carry." This powerful reframing liberates individuals from a debilitating emotional burden, allowing them to channel their energy into more productive avenues. Psychological research on collective guilt suggests that while it can motivate some to engage in reparative actions, it can also lead to defensiveness, denial, or a sense of helplessness, ultimately impeding constructive dialogue and action.
Instead of guilt, Johnston proposes solidarity—a feeling of alliance and shared responsibility with the descendants of those who survived. This solidarity can manifest simply as being a "witness," an act she describes as a "huge help" for Indigenous communities. Witnessing involves acknowledging the truth of history, recognizing the ongoing impacts, and holding space for the pain and resilience of Indigenous peoples. This shift from an inward-focused, often self-defeating emotion to an outward-focused, empathetic stance aligns with principles of restorative justice and collective healing. Research in social psychology supports the idea that collective action and shared purpose, even in the face of historical wrongs, can foster stronger intergroup relations and promote positive social change. For instance, studies on intergroup contact theory suggest that shared goals and mutual understanding can reduce prejudice and promote empathy.
Johnston articulates a profound spiritual perspective on these emotions: "Guilt does not help Native nations. Guilt is not of the Creator. Hope is of the Creator. And self-love is of the Creator." This Indigenous worldview posits that true healing and progress stem from love—love for oneself, which then extends outward to love for others. By shedding the weight of unproductive guilt and shame, individuals can cultivate self-compassion, making them more capable of extending genuine empathy and support to others. This spiritual framework underscores that reconciliation is not merely a political or historical process but a deeply personal and relational one, built on mutual respect and affection. It calls for an internal shift that empowers individuals to be agents of positive change, rather than being immobilized by the weight of historical culpability.
The Four Directions and Interconnectedness
Throughout the meditation, Johnston incorporates traditional Diné practices, notably the honoring of the "four directions" with deep breaths. This practice is deeply symbolic in many Indigenous cultures across North America, representing not only the cardinal points (East, South, West, North) but also balance, harmony, and the interconnectedness of all life and creation. In Diné cosmology, the four directions are often associated with sacred mountains, colors, elements, and stages of life, symbolizing a holistic worldview that integrates the physical, mental, emotional, and spiritual aspects of existence. By beginning and ending the meditation with four breaths for the four directions, Johnston grounds the practice in an ancient wisdom tradition that emphasizes holistic well-being and a profound connection to the natural world and the cosmos. This ritualistic element serves to center participants, reminding them of their place within a larger cosmic order and fostering a sense of grounding and presence, preparing them to engage with difficult truths from a place of stability.
The emphasis on remembering one is "in a room, that you’re in a body, that you’re not in your fears or your worries" speaks to a fundamental mindfulness principle—the power of present-moment awareness. This anchors the potentially overwhelming emotional journey in the concrete reality of the immediate physical experience, creating a safe container for exploration. By focusing on the tangible present, individuals can observe their internal reactions without being consumed by them, allowing for a more deliberate and compassionate processing of historical trauma.
Building a Future of Love, Forgiveness, and Repair
Johnston’s meditation culminates in a powerful vision for a shared future built on love, forgiveness, and repair. She posits that when individuals and communities come together "with bravery and apology and forgiveness," remembering their shared humanity as "one family," there lies an "incredible opportunity to plant the seeds of a beautiful future." These seeds, she beautifully states, are "made of love" and "watered by love," with love serving as "the stepping stone towards that beautiful future together."
This vision moves beyond mere acknowledgment of past wrongs to actively constructing a better tomorrow. It implies a reciprocal process: the bravery to face difficult truths, the willingness to apologize for historical injustices where appropriate (e.g., governmental apologies for residential schools), and the capacity for forgiveness that allows for forward movement. The concept of "repair" is crucial here, extending beyond symbolic gestures to tangible actions that address ongoing inequities and support Indigenous self-determination and well-being. This could include land back initiatives, which involve returning ancestral lands to Indigenous nations; culturally relevant education that incorporates Indigenous languages and histories; economic development opportunities that empower Indigenous communities; and the recognition and upholding of Indigenous sovereignty and treaty rights.
The practice encourages participants to identify where feelings like rage, sorrow, or hopelessness are felt in the body and to "apply the balm of love to that place." This deeply personal act of self-compassion is presented as a prerequisite for collective healing. By tending to one’s own internal landscape with love, individuals become better equipped to engage in the broader work of societal repair. This internal work is not an end in itself but a foundation for external action, fostering a capacity for empathy and understanding that is essential for bridging historical divides.
Broader Impact and Implications for Reconciliation
The Happiness Break episode, guided by Lyla June Johnston, offers significant implications for broader efforts in truth and reconciliation. By providing a structured, compassionate approach to confronting historical trauma, it contributes to a more nuanced understanding of how historical injustices continue to impact contemporary society. It challenges individuals to move beyond passive acknowledgment to active, embodied engagement, recognizing that true reconciliation requires both intellectual understanding and emotional processing.
The practice’s emphasis on distinguishing guilt from solidarity provides a vital framework for non-Indigenous allies seeking to support Indigenous communities effectively. It encourages a shift from performative allyship, often rooted in self-serving guilt, to genuine, sustained solidarity built on mutual respect and a shared commitment to justice. This embodied approach to understanding historical pain and resilience can foster deeper empathy, which is a critical ingredient for meaningful social change. It offers a practical tool for individuals to engage with complex social issues without becoming overwhelmed, promoting sustained engagement rather than emotional burnout.
Moreover, the integration of Indigenous wisdom, such as the honoring of the four directions and the emphasis on interconnectedness, enriches the discourse on well-being. It highlights the importance of holistic perspectives that consider not only individual mental health but also the health of communities, land, and cultural heritage. In a world grappling with historical divisions and ongoing conflicts, Johnston’s practice offers a powerful methodology for personal and collective healing, demonstrating that confronting difficult truths with an open heart and a present body can indeed pave the way for a more unified, loving, and just future. The Happiness Break series, a part of UC Berkeley’s Greater Good Science Center’s mission to promote a more compassionate society, aims to broaden access to these science-backed well-being practices. Lyla June Johnston’s brave and loving invitation to an embodied reckoning stands as a testament to the enduring power of Indigenous wisdom to guide humanity toward a future built on truth, love, and unity, inviting a wider audience to engage in self-reflection and contribute to collective healing. The ultimate message is one of hope and empowerment: that through mindful presence and compassionate engagement with both personal and historical pain, we can collectively sow the seeds of a truly beautiful future.
