Balanced Roar

These guidelines are to set clear expectations for all of us, where to direct feedback, and how we create a safe, welcoming space for all explorers.

This space does not tolerate- racism, sexism, homophobia, transphobia, antisemitism, bigotry, bullying, general fuckery, and harassment of any kind. This space is committed to dismantling racism, sexism, ableism, toxic masculinity & femininity, and all forms of oppression in systems of power and in our minds and hearts. If these or any other anti-human interactions are reported, and verified, you will be removed from the Community solely at my discretion and no refunds will be issued.

Community Guidelines

You All

1. Be kind and compassionate to yourself and others on the journey! Our timing, our processing speed, our engagement styles are all different.
2. In our Group and Forum chats, everyone and no one is an expert, including me. We engage to share our experience, to ask questions that may support a new perspective, to share resources and knowledge that we believe may be helpful. Take what resonates with you and leave the rest.
3. Most exploration work is about mindset, it’s thought and thinking based – and emotions will come up. Let them move up and out. Our emotions are great guideposts for further exploration. Did someone share something or ask a question that felt like a gut punch? Take the time to explore that within yourself before responding. Approach new ideas and your reactions with curiosity.
4. Release perfection. There are no grades, there’s no Most Improved award. Your journey is measured only by YOU. Embrace a growth mindset – hey, I that was a little easier than last time – yay me!
5. Bee keepers. Please verbally share your experiences and what you’ve learned here with others – love that! Tag us on social media if you want to share YOUR journey. Please also be a good steward and do not share recordings, images, screenshots, etc. Do not share other people’s stories. This honors our work and energy together in this container and you will be removed from the Community with no refund.
6. As we grow, I will work to make more features available. For now, you can drop links to images/gifs/video/audio recordings directly into the chat. Right click or control click on the media for a link to copy and paste. If you repost something from social media, please make sure the creator is credited and drop a note as to why you’re sharing it or how it resonated with you.

Me

1. Contact me directly with issues – be the squeaky wheel. You are all monitors of this Community, too. Please screenshot any interaction that makes you uncomfortable and email me with details. Likewise, if you see someone sharing any Balanced Roar content (beyond reposting shared social media), please document and let me know.
2. Please do not interrupt a live session unless there is a sound/video issue that I could fix immediately. It helps my ADHD to stay on track.
3. I don’t expect perfection from myself – please join me on that! I’m in my Messy Era, it’s hot (Haute Mess).
4. I am not here to validate your progress or tell you if you’re doing it right or wrong.  I am here to support you on the journey, to provide tools, to host a space to commune with others, to celebrate along with you when you’re celebrating, to ask hard questions and challenge you. If you don’t feel supported or guided, I am open to hearing how I could better support or guide you. I’m not a mind-reader though, I need to hear from you directly. traci@BalancedRoar.com
5. Privacy: Currently, the platform is the most secure I can find for free – meaning no one other than me has access to any of the information/chats shared. No company can take away our chats either (so long as I pay for web hosting each year!). No ads will be shown, no personal information collected or shared. You can delete your account whenever you want.

“So there are two ways you can live: you can devote your life to staying in your comfort zone, or you can work on your freedom.”

Michael A. Singer, The Untethered Soul: The Journey Beyond Yourself

A note on COWS

The Culture of White Supremacy (COWS) is based on perfectionism – a perfectionism which is completely unattainable for most of us. Meaning we will NEVER get there, no matter how hard we try. The metric used to measure “perfect” is beyond our human possibility. So fuck it!

In our work here together, perfectionism could show up as expecting to have all the answers (we won’t), needing someone to validate your work (we won’t), worrying about getting it right (there is no right), being anxious about sharing or not sharing elegantly (we like mess).

So. We don’t do perfection here at Balanced Roar. It took years to start letting go of my perfectionism, Type A, whatever you want to call it – and even more study to understand how detrimental it is to us ALL. Again, we don’t do perfection here at Balanced Roar.

Your mess is welcome and celebrated. However you show up, is perfect here. Love you, mean it.

For a quick anti-racism lesson, and where you fall on the wheel of power and privilege (hint: for most of us, it isn’t perfection!), check this article by Sharon Hurley Hall.

How to participate in live sessions

I like journaling and meditating – it’s okay if you don’t. Do what works for you.

1. Take notes OR take pictures, screenshots
2. Journal  OR flow reflection – focus on a question for reflection or a journal prompt while doing something mundane that doesn’t take mental concentration, like doing the dishes, folding laundry, showering, etc. 
3. Journal OR conversations –  try talking to yourself around the house, in your car, walking.  Have the conversation as if you were with a trusted confidant.
4. Sitting meditation OR free range meditation – try meditating while walking (slowly, in a safe space where you can kinda space out)  or during other activities like riding a stationary bike, hitting the treadmill, etc. Not recommended while driving or in any other instance that could be dangerous if you’re not paying full attention!
5. Music OR silence –  sometimes music helps tune out distractions, other times it is the distraction. I’ve included some playlists below that you can access with any free Spotify account – it doesn’t matter what order the songs play in, they’re all just vibe stations. If you focus better with the tv on in the background, go for it.
6. Come to class OR don’t – I encourage y’all to attend at least one class live but honor what is best for you and your schedule. The replays will be up by the end of the following day, available to download as video or audio file. Pro tip  – you can listen at a slower or faster pace to fit your preference.
7. Do what works for you! Experiment along the way, mix it up. Get curious! I don’t care if y’all are laying upside down when you tune in – whatever feels good to you!