Toxic Wellness #1: Manifestation Culture and Abundance Mindset
Recently I’ve taken some time to get really clear on what it is I want to do with my social media presence, what I want to be putting out into the world. Why do I even bother sharing on IG? Is it ego-driven? Financially-motivated? Am I only chasing aesthetics or is there substance as well?
This blog entry expands upon an IG post that I wrote about a year ago. Since then it's become clear to me that a decent portion of my career (much more than I would like) is related to my presence on IG and online in general. I've gotten hired at studios because of it. Many students and clients have found me that way. It's a reality that has been frustrating to me on many levels, but that I now accept as a necessary, and sometimes exciting and interesting, part of my job as a self-employed movement and healing professional.
It's hard for me to put myself out there and be seen. But most of my resistance arises from the fact that I simply don't want to participate in certain pervasive wellness-world narratives that can feel, at best, out of touch and at worst, really damaging.
I want to provide content that is truly useful, and hopefully engaging (and at the same time make a decent living). I want to share the tools I know can be profoundly healing (yoga, somatics, meditation, breathwork, human design, etc...) based on my own experiences and those of my clients. I am a fully woo woo, witchy, believer in energy. And I'm interested in "optimizing" my body to continue advancing in my movement practices.
But both of those interests have a a shadow side that is very obvious on social media. Although an incredible tool for information sharing and connection, IG necessitates a certain level of simplicity and reductionism. Sometimes the nuance is simply lost, sometimes there are uglier forces behind the facade of wellness.
Two such narratives in the wellness sphere that I find especially harmful are: 1) privileged ideas regarding energy, manifestation, and financial abundance and 2) treatment of body ideals and fat phobia.
Let's start with toxic manifestation culture, shall we?
Approximately 436 times a day I come across a shareable image on IG with a quote like:
"When I'm tuned in to the energy of abundance, I become abundant."
Or:
"Stop thinking in terms of limitations and start thinking in terms of possibilities. What we can imagine, we can make real. Elevate your thinking and you'll levitate to greater levels."
These types of manifestation-mindset quotes are easy and inspirational, and also -- they hold a lot of truth! But the uncomfortable reality is that they're more true for some people than others; the more privilege you possess, the more applicable they are. If you were born black and in a poor neighborhood, you can change your mindset all you want but that probably won't liberate you from the disadvantages of systemic racism and classism. Raising your energetic vibration won't be enough to get you a more lucrative job, a safer home, or more stability and abundance when there are deeply-rooted structural policies in place that keep you from doing just that.
This type of talk about manifesting abundance is toxic in its omission of certain societal realities. Even more insidiously, in a subtle way, it shifts the blame for inequity and discrimination to the victims by implying that one's life situation is determined only by their commitment to manifestation and willingness to “do the work.”
If we truly believe that wellness is for everyone, we must acknowledge the political, social, and economic barriers that exist and seek ways to change them. We must work on the 3D, relative truth plane, as well as the 5D, absolute truth plane. Sharing vague, abundance-mindset advice only serves those who already have disproportionate access to wellness tools.
Energy is powerful. Shifting our mindset can have a huge positive impact on the quality of our lives. And social media is a great way to share information and inspiration for free. But I'm no longer interested in exclusionary wellness.
Yours in exploration,
Grace
These reflections are a labor of love and an expression of my life's study and work. I would love to hear if they resonate with you; I want this to be a conversation. Please also feel free to share with anyone else with a curiosity for movement and spirituality.