My Grandmother's Hands: Racialized Trauma and the Mending of Our Bodies and Hearts

by Resmaa Menakem

HUMMING Focus your attention on the center of your belly, behind your navel. Breathe in and out, deeply and slowly, a few times. Feel your belly pull the air all the way down into it. On the fourth or fifth exhalation, hum a low, even tone. Inhale naturally and repeat this a few times, varying your pitch with each new exhalation. Do this for two or three minutes. Then stop and notice what your body experiences afterward. What has changed from before you started humming? What has stayed the same? What sensations, thoughts, and images are arising? What does your body want to do now? Does it want to move? Hum some more? Run and hide? Fight? Without doing anything else, just notice whatever your body is experiencing right now. Alternative: pick a song with a simple melody that feels comforting to your body. It can be anything—a hymn, a gospel tune, a lullaby, a military march, a punk rock song. Hum it all the way through from beginning to end from your belly. When you’re done, stop and pay attention to your body. Feel free to experiment with a variety of tunes.