A Meditation for This Moment in Time
It can be very challenging these days to rest in the present moment when forces want us to think about Tuesday, or what may come after Tuesday, of elections and infections. It can be even harder to feel empowered to create the world we’re yearning for. There is a system designed to tell us non-stop about the forces working against our vision for a better world and about our own incapacitation.
And yet we have tools that can support us and empower us. A three-step meditation can leave us feeling resourced and empowered - resourced and empowered to bend the arc of the moral universe toward kindness (to paraphrase Martin Luther King, Jr. who was paraphrasing abolitionist minister Theodore Parker).
Step 1: We pause to notice if we are “safe enough” in this moment. We set aside temporarily thoughts of future moments and instead bring our attention to this exact moment right now. We may notice the cozy sweater that is keeping us warm enough. We might recall breakfast that helped us feel fed enough. We might notice the breath moving in and out of the body bringing us enough air, how the chair beneath us supports us, how technology connects us, how the ears let us hear raindrops or bird song. This sense of “safe enough” can be supported by the most mundane items (maybe we realize we’re wearing our most comfortable t-shirt), or something more ethereal. The other evening as I was resourcing myself with this practice I realized I was lying in the same position that I would see my grandmother lie in when I would visit her in the nursing home. This connection gave me a sense that her wisdom, curiosity and kind-heartedness is alive in me, a resource I can draw upon. What is helping you feel “safe enough” in this moment? This part of the practice is a gentle, heart-felt exploration of our current moment and how we’re inhabiting it.
Step 2: We allow gratitude for something that contributes to our sense of well-being or joy, and then we begin to explore and acknowledge the vast network of hands that made the presence of this blessing in our life possible. Maybe the comfortable t-shirt we're wearing was purchased with money from our job, and there are co-workers, mentors and customers who have contributed to our well-being at work. We can think of the store clerks who stocked the shelves, and rang up the purchase (real or virtual). We can think of the truck driver that transported the shirt from the warehouse to the shop, or the package delivery person who placed it on our doorstep. We can think of the farmer that planted the cotton and the farm workers who picked it; of the designer that designed it and the artist whose graphics adorn the shirt. We begin to understand that we are part of a vast network of human beings, known and unknown, near and far, who contribute to each others' well-being. As we bring each one to mind, we can smile and offer a silent “Thank you”.
Step 3: We begin to offer wishes for well-being - maybe “May you feel safe in this moment; may your needs be met; may you feel connected and supported.” We offer these wishes to ourselves, and then in an ever extending circle outward, exploring our ability to wish for the well-being of all beings, especially those who don’t look like us, live like us or think like us.
When we feel “safe enough” in this moment, we can begin to have a sense of all the ways that our needs are met. Once we have a sense of “needs met”, our capacity for kindness is unlocked. When we practice kindness in meditation, we become more capable of extending it reflexively in real life. And here is where we can begin to bend the arc of the moral universe toward kindness: science shows that when we are kind, our brains reward us so that we want to be kind again. Moreover, the person to whom we’ve been kind is similarly rewarded and inspired to be kind. AND…. anyone witnessing the kindness experiences this effect and is inspired to be kind.
So we invite you to try this meditation this week: Safe enough, gratitude for the network we’re a part of, wishing well for all sorts of beings. Safe, grateful and kind.
May all beings without exception feel safe, have their needs met, and feel empowered to create a kinder world,
Your CMP Family
