Everything you are, is good
Everything you are, is good
There is something quite special about late spring/early summer days. The pollen starts to lighten, the days feel longer, and the sunshine offers many warm moments to experience. June specifically marks pride month; a time to celebrate, reflect, and think about how you arrived here.
That “here” can be your direct environment or your awareness of your thoughts and emotions. As a queer man of color in my own right, I am constantly fascinated by my thoughts and emotions. Having this awareness makes me incredibly committed to even negative emotions or thoughts that come my way.
From time to time when I sit for my practice, there’s a great weight that overshadows my present moment awareness. I find myself thinking about the world and the pain so many are feeling right now; unsure of what to turn to or how to take away the suffering of others. Ultimately, as these thoughts enter my mind, as I am sure they do for all of us from time to time, I am reminded of my practice. I am reminded that I can choose to sit up on the bank, as I watch some of the more painful thoughts go by. It doesn’t change the reality that exists, but it helps me notice more and more what is directly in front of me and that my relationship to these thoughts can be different. Rather than fixating on things out of my control, what can I offer myself that might lead me to feel in control…feel more grounded?
Can I offer myself compassion, loving-kindness, stillness? Can I make meaning of the gratitude I have, and the sorrows I still feel? Can I exist in this space, not knowing how or when things might change? The answer is yes - and if you’re wondering how I can be so sure of all of these complexities, it’s because I am a complexity. We are all complex. We are all strange; odd even, in our own way. That to me is the biggest joy – our individual uniqueness. If we can find ourselves, we can find others in community. If we can exist together as we are, then similarly, our practice can shape how we exist in the world. Our practice can help us notice things we could not before. It can also help us find peace.
As I think about pride month, my queer identity, I am truly grateful for my life, my loved ones, and my practice. How I love, whom I love, and where I love centers on pure acceptance of self. In case you forgot, ‘everything you are, is good.’ So good.
May each and every one of us find ways of feeling connected,
Ricky Belizaire
Facilitator
Meet Ricky
Ricky Belizaire (he,him) is passionate about supporting students’ well-being, long after their academic pursuits. Committed to helping others be successful, his ethos centers around belief, inclusion, and empathy. Ricky currently works at Yale in New Haven, CT as a Community Wellness Specialist, overseeing wellness programming and supporting students 1:1, with strategies and skills to improve their everyday life.
Mindfulness has been a huge part of Ricky's journey to wellness. Curiosity drove him during the pandemic to find resources for his own well-being, and he discovered vipassana, and learned more about mindfulness. He received training to be a teacher for young adults, through the Mindfulness Institute for Emerging Adults (MIEA). MIEA is dedicated to training individuals at colleges and universities to teach mindfulness to the emerging adults they serve, using their evidence-based curriculum. At Yale, Ricky teaches an introduction to meditation course, as well as an advanced course for students who have taken the introduction course. Here, students can learn different skills and meditations to reduce stress and help them be more presently aware. Some of what they learn in the courses includes body scan meditation, walking meditation, chair yoga, and loving-kindness. Prior to joining CMP, Ricky has practiced mindfulness for almost four years, and teaching for two years.