Search For Self

As The Pole Practitioner, I know firsthand the silent battles we fight with fear. Fear isn’t just a passing feeling — it’s an internal war. It creeps into the body, grips the mind, and whispers lies about who we are and what we can’t do.

For a long time, fear lived in me as tension in my chest, heaviness in my stomach, and hesitation in my steps. But once I stepped into movement — pole, dance, breath, grounding — I realized something powerful: fear may live in my body, but I have the power to move it out.

The Internal War of Fear

Fear doesn’t always show up in loud ways. Sometimes it’s the silence before a big decision, the racing thoughts before bed, the moment you hold yourself back from speaking your truth. Left unchecked, it paralyzes us, isolates us, and slowly chips away at joy.

On the pole, I could feel that fear physically. I’d hesitate to let go, doubt my grip, second-guess my strength. But every time I planted my feet, breathed deeply, and flowed with intention, I learned how to move fear instead of letting it move me.

Fear as a Weapon in America

Fear isn’t just internal — it’s external, and in America it’s been weaponized against us daily.

The news feeds us a diet of fear because it keeps us watching. Politics thrives off fear, convincing us to give up freedom for “safety.” Social systems hold us hostage with fear of losing jobs, healthcare, or stability. Race & identity are targeted, using fear to divide communities and justify oppression.

This is why so many of us feel stuck in survival mode. The world is set up to keep us fearful. But here’s the truth: what they weaponize, we can transform.

How I Heal — and How You Can Too

1. Move Through Fear

Movement is medicine. Pole dance, yoga, breathwork, or even simple stretching sends a signal to the body that we are not trapped. For me, pole has been my ritual — a way to climb, spin, and release the trauma that fear left in my muscles and spirit.

👉 Explore Trauma-Informed Pole & Movement Healing

https://polepractitioner.com/my-account/

2. Detox From Fear-Based Media

What we consume feeds our spirit. I started limiting my news and social media intake because constant fear-messaging only kept me anxious. Replace some of that with books, music, and conversations that uplift instead of drain.

👉 Mindful Media Literacy Resources

3. Build Safe Spaces

Healing requires community. Whether it’s a dance studio, a support group, or a circle of trusted friends, safety is created when we connect. Fear shrinks in spaces where we are affirmed.

👉 Therapy for Black Girls

👉 Mental Health America

4. Take Back Power from Systems of Fear

On a collective level, we can’t just heal personally — we must also challenge the systems that keep us in fear. That means advocating, voting, speaking truth, and building resources outside the systems meant to keep us dependent.

👉 ACLU

👉 Equal Justice Initiative

5. Daily Courage Rituals

Fear may visit, but I don’t let it unpack. My daily rituals help me remind my spirit who’s in charge:

Affirmation: “Fear is not my compass. Love is.” Movement flow: a freestyle pole or dance session to move stuck emotions. Journaling: writing down one fear I faced and one way I showed courage.

Fear Transformed

Fear doesn’t just go away — but it doesn’t have to rule us either. When we acknowledge it, move it through our bodies, and reclaim our power, fear loses its grip.

Pole taught me that healing isn’t about avoiding fear — it’s about climbing above it, spinning through it, and reclaiming my story.

In America, fear might be the weapon. But in my life, and hopefully in yours too, movement is the revolution.