Note from Louisa

​I highly encourage you to read Hillary’s beautiful essay “Blank Page” offered as our featured article this month. There is tremendous joy and wisdom in her words, beyond that of helping us all to better understand the power of art in service of healing.

These are times of tremendous transition, both on the personal and collective level. Not one of us has been left untouched by the rapid changes occurring both around us and within us. There is no end in sight and many feel that the demand to adjust to ever changing circumstances is increasing in pace. Where is the respite?

The answer, like the problem, is both “within” us and “without “us. Here are some ideas to practice both on our own and in community to help shepherd us through these turbulent days.

Practices for the Self:

1. Recognize that all things are in a constant state of change. This is but a moment in a much larger history. Take a step back and see if you can find perspective in the long-lived world story. When we try to hold on to things that once were, but are no longer, we invite unnecessary suffering.
2. Maintain your spiritual and creativity practices to keep an open heart. Stay connected to your own inner landscape so you can monitor your reactivity and create balance in the face of a calculated onslaught of chaos. There is tremendous power in training the mind to stay present and calm in this moment right here, no matter what is here with us. (We’d love to have you join our meditation sits.)
3. Remember that your body is a source of wisdom. Listen to it. Feel your feelings, try not to distract from or intellectualize them.  Let grief and fear move through you. Don’t let them get stuck and ossify into something more solid than they have the right to be.

Practices with the Collective:

1. Stay in community to keep joy and curiosity alive. Try to avoid gatherings that appear supportive but that are focused on strengthening rigid world views or are fueled by a sense of self-righteousness.
2. Take action - but do so with awareness. Be clear and honest with yourself regarding your intentions when you act. Who are you acting for and to what purpose?
3. Remind yourself and others that in the face of forces that manipulate us into states of fear, we must “Wage Beauty”, feel joy, express gratitude, reject an imposed sense of urgency, and encourage one another to rest and take breaks when needed. These are the most subversive acts that a populace can engage in.

If you need support, please reach out. The Center for Mindful Living has a number of ways to buttress you in turbulent times, both one on one and as part of a growing, loving community. We offer many community programs free of charge and are committed to bringing the insurgent acts of joy, peace, and calm to these chaotic times.
 
“May you be rocked, as deeply as necessary and as gently as possible.” ~Anonymous

​Louisa