You read that right. To me, everything has to do with mindfulness- absolutely everything. Yes, including politics. How, might you ask? Let me expound on that.
Mindfulness has vastly improved my life as it has made me more intentional about the way I approach everything. It’s brought self awareness to my thoughts, words, habits, and actions. While this might sound tedious to some, I have found it to be the most freeing way to live a full, loving, present life that I feel in control of. To clarify, I’m not under the illusion that I have control over life, I simply feel I have control over the way I respond to and participate in life. And when I lose that control, I have tools to help me get centered and back on track.
Circling back to politics…many people want us divided in that arena. When we have someone to fight against together, it can bring groups closer and make us feel stronger. The thing is that we don’t need to be fighting against one another. That’s absurd, and certainly not a way to accomplish anything positive in our world. So, what I find myself doing constantly, over and over again (just like I do when I’m refocusing my attention in meditation! 🥰), is zooming out and reminding myself that we are all human and want the same things in our lives, we just don’t all feel the path there is the same. This allows me to find the common humanity in all of us, and remember that other perspectives are not bad, they are simply different. I find I’m able to access curiosity more easily, and pull out of judgment more often.
This perspective takes practice, compassion, and persistence. This is why purposeful awareness of my thoughts, words, habits, and actions, a.k.a. mindfulness, is so valuable. I have been able to expand my worldview to view human nature as inherently good. I see that, as humans, we want safety for ourselves and our loved ones. However, when we let fear infiltrate that desire, we can make some pretty darn bad choices.
Politics is a game of fear and division in order to win power. Of course there are good eggs in there who want the best for humanity, but the system at its core is set up to breed competition. And when we participate in competition without emotional intelligence, self awareness, and mindful communication skills, it can get messy. And it has!
So, what do we do? Me personally- here’s what I do. I work daily on becoming more and more of what I want to see in the world. Remember that line from above? I do things in support of my emotional intelligence, self awareness, and mindful communication skills. I also meditate, which has more benefits than I can fit into this article.
AND… I remember the Rumi poem that starts out like this:
Out beyond ideas of wrongdoing and rightdoing,
There is a field. I'll meet you there.
When the soul lies down in that grass,
The world is too full to talk about.
Ideas, language, even the phrase each other
Doesn't make any sense.
(this is only an excerpt)
I remember that there is a bigger game being played. There is something bigger that is holding us- be it God, The Universe, Mother Earth, a galactic community, or anything else that resonates. In that space, we are all SO MUCH the same. I envision us meeting there and just being.
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Want a practice that can hold you during tough times? Remember, other people are having a hard time too. Try this:
Take yourself outside, take your shoes off, put your feet in the grass, stand in some sunshine if you can.
Raise your hands to your heart and close your eyes.
Take a nice, long, slow, deep breath.
And tell yourself
Everything is going to be ok. I am not alone.
And if you can, think of one thing you’ve seen or heard or experienced lately that gives you hope.
If you think you can’t, challenge yourself to look for something today.
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Would you like to learn some more mindfulness practices?
I’m your gal!
I teach mindfulness and meditation lessons to individuals and groups, and I’d love to teach them to you!
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Reach out to schedule an informational call to learn more!
Contact me at katie@inhaleexhaleconnect.com
Here’s what students are saying:
“These sessions changed my life. I learned that I can use various strategies when I’m overwhelmed or having strong feelings. Mindfulness has positively impacted every aspect of my life.” -Natasha B.
“The weekly mindfulness sessions led by Katie always brought a breath of fresh air and lightness to my week and left me feeling inspired and rejuvenated!” -Meredith W.
“This training is one of the best decisions I've made as an educator and as a person! I knew it would help me as a teacher, but I didn't realize how much it would help my overall mental and emotional health.” -Melody A.
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