PRESENCE

 

The chaos and stress of recent years has fueled a cultural shift around the concept of wellness and mental health. While many audiences have become familiar with alternatives to pop music or the use of music and light for relaxation in a spa or yoga studio, at a time when people around the world are spending more time in their homes than ever before, Presence will make that relaxing experience available in the spaces in which we live and work. 

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We agree with the growing sentiment among activists and mental health professionals, that self-care, rest, and restoration should be seen as socially valuable, and perhaps even as something political. As activists for social justice have been recently pointing out, creating space for relaxation and wellness is not just a matter of personal health but should be seen as a political act because it is a form of resistance to aspects of our culture that foster fatigue and burn-out. In particular, a greater awareness is emerging of the “embodied exhaustion” experienced by black and brown communities, women, and LGBTQ+ communities.  All those dealing with the demands of work and family, of heightened levels of stress and worry, but especially those struggling with the reality of social injustice, need more opportunities to rejuvenate and reclaim a sense of well-being. We believe that Presence can be a means to that end for a range of audiences.

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We feel strongly that the benefits of the experience offered by Presence should be widely available.  Working to reach new audiences, including those that are neglected and under-resourced, is important to us.  By prioritizing that sensibility in our approach to inviting collaborators, as well as in our promotional efforts, we hope to make a positive contribution and provide more opportunities to help create space for relaxation and wellness in underrepresented communities and all those dealing with high levels of stress and worry.