Considering this moment, as we move from one administration to another, I'm struck by the mix of relief and fear that is churning in my gut. Finally, change has happened. But what is this?
While many are jubilant with the outcome of the election, I have a sinking feeling that we are still a country in bitter discord; not quite pulling together for the same things. By not attending to this continuing divide, are we repeating the same cycle again? Building a house on sand?
The feeling of unease is not dissimilar to many other liminal times in life -- when what was is over and what's happening next is not quite realized.
Mark Nepo, poet, philosopher and author, writes, "While struggling with the pain of change, it is often impossible to see the new self we are becoming. While feeling our hand pried loose by experience, we seldom can imagine what will fill it once it is opened."
Individually, we have all experienced cycles of anxious moments where we cross one threshold just to be up against another one. Like going from college life to life after college, one relationship to another, single to married, pregnancy to birth, married to divorced, etc. After every fork in the road is another one with more or less difficulty.
I believe that every moment is a liminal space open to a multitude of possibilities. While we can't always control the outcome we can learn to relax and respond differently.
Last week we looked at a power beyond violence or 'soul force', a term coined by Martin Luther King, Jr., in his 1963 speech 'I Have a Dream". He was helping us all find a new way to meet an old problem. A beautiful, graceful way to work with our fear and aversion. Instead of lashing out against powerlessness and vulnerability, he showed us how to meet this energy with fierce compassion instead.
Meditation teacher and psychotherapist Tara Brach says that if we want to affect change in the world, we must first learn to change ourselves. "Hate isn't wrong, it just is...we don't get to compassion if we push away feelings that are here. Instead of shaming ourselves for unwelcome feelings, we can offer kindness to ourselves and to what is." In other words, we discover how truth and a tender heart can coexist.
Through meditation we learn to hold space for our discomfort in these liminal spaces and offer kind attention to whatever arises, without judgment.
Fearlessness to look and see our patterns and the tenderness to accept what we find brings the unconscious to consciousness and is the beginning of real change. Recognizing the reality of holism (not separation) is how we begin to build our collective house on rock.
Tomorrow we will meet online at 6:30pm. The focus will be on fierce compassion using Brach's powerful practice of RAIN (recognize, allow, investigate and nurture) which teaches a way to stay present with our inner spaces.
Looking forward to seeing you!
Warmly,
Kim
"Action has meaning only in relationship, and without understanding relationship, action on any level will only breed conflict. The understanding of relationship is infinitely more important than the search for any plan of action." -- Jiddu Krishnamurti, Philosopher, Speaker, Author
About us: This friendly, open-hearted group is for anyone interested in meditation and exploring awareness training. Newcomers are always welcome. The basic structure is guided meditation, conscious sharing and topic discussion. We go about 90 minutes, sometimes more or less but you are welcome to arrive and depart as your schedule allows. About Kim
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