By discovering nature, you discover yourself.
Maxime Lagacé
I think the majority of the world’s human inhabitants could use a practice of cultivating awareness right about now – or whatever it means to you to be more present – instead of getting lost in thought [i.e. caught up in and motivated by fear, anger, expectations, and insert extreme emotion here].
If we want to maintain some type of equilibrium in this life – whether for ourselves or for each other [both of which are inextricably connected] it is important to recognize the thoughts without being attached to them.
When we can practice being in the present moment with every aspect of ourselves and our lives, it becomes more natural to be present with each other and the world around us. As a result, we can more easily ameliorate that which isn’t functioning well for any of us [i.e. racism].
An outcome of receiving attention in this way is feeling calmer, more connected, more focused, and less stressed – which you have probably heard from those who have shared their personal gains from mindfulness practices, or perhaps you have read about it in every other online article/blog post in the last several years.
Scientific studies have uncovered that the mind naturally wanders, and that the average person habitually gets lost in thought. Studies reveal that people claim they are unhappy when their mind wanders, and that they are happier when they are in the moment. It makes sense that we are less stressed when we are not relying on expectations to fill our cup, right?
As we are human and not robots, we must practice cultivating and sharpening tools like meditation every day to help equalize and soften our experience as often as possible.
But why bother with this stuff when it seems like sh!t will always eventually hit the proverbial fan? Why start a compost pile when the world will eventually implode? Why eat greens now when we are going to end up in the ground where greens grow anyway?
In a recent virtual guided chanting session with renowned teacher Eddie Stern, he explained that in Hinduism there is not necessarily a reward or any absolving of suffering by completing daily rituals like chanting, yoga, and the laundry-list of trending ancient practices.
The point, he shared, was simply to honor the sacredness of the rituals themselves as a way to maintain presence, perhaps even to give thanks. When difficulties arise, these rituals can offer solitude and refuge in lieu of being incapacitated by depths of fear, depression, disease, etc.
Over time, these simple practices can make a palpable difference in the health of our physical and mental bodies, and in turn the planet as a whole.
Although we may not change the world instantaneously by foregoing one takeout container a week, committing to regularly recycling, or shopping more frequently for local produce versus imported, these small acts are in fact quite significant in the bigger picture – not to mention the power setting positive examples for our family and peers.
The mere practice of paying attention to the environment in this way is not unlike paying attention to ourselves or a loved one, because we are in fact all interconnected to and are born/will die on planet/Mama Earth [unless you are an Earth alien/angel, in which case: please help?].
Speaking of interconnectedness – an imperative component of this topic we must all pay more attention to is the link between environmental and racial disparities.
As stated by @soyouwanttotalkabout: “The government and corporations perpetuate environmental racism through the placement of oil pipelines, forever chemical plants, toxic waste dumps, and polluting factories which expose low income, minority communities to known carcinogens, asthma-inducing pollutants, contaminated water, and other harmful pollutants at a higher rate than white, affluent communities.”
The global socio economic/political and environmental circumstances as they stand now confirm that we literally can no longer afford to continue to turn a blind eye to our world and its people. When we face these issues fully – whether COVID or white supremacy – we face the truth, and the truth of our wounds can only be healed when fully faced.
When we turn away from the planet, one another, and the truth behind it all, we subsequently turn away from ourselves, and healing/growth/progress [whatever you want to call it] takes a back seat.
Let’s all hop into the driver’s seat, squeegee the windows squeaky clean [over and over again], keep fueling the furnace so we’ve got enough gas in the tank to keep going [all vehicles require maintenance, remember], and forge a path that leads us all on an ongoing road trip even more spectacular than we could ever imagine.
Worth a shot, no?
Read the newsletter for details on my upcoming virtual 4-week introduction to meditation and mindfulness series, a new guided meditation, 20% off of my favorite organic meal delivery service, an inspiring podcast conversation on race, and good vibes.
Onward.
Photo: Wanderlust GaPa 2019 by Christina Amarens.
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