Right now, we are experiencing unprecedented fear, anger, and resentment in this country. There has been social upheaval around the horrific murder of George Floyd, resulting in on-going protests, violence, and unrest. Erupting during the global pandemic of Covid-19, which brought our entire way of living to a halt and forced us to stop in our tracks and shelter at home, people are tired, frustrated, and overwhelmed.
Being mindful does not mean we ignore or suppress our emotions or hide away from things that are happening in the world.
Now we are slowly reopening with so many unanswered questions and still unsure of our health and future. The current political climate has never been more polarized and volatile. Our very security and well-being are coming into question daily.
Mindfulness allows us the opportunity to face these moments with clarity, empathy, compassion, and reflection.
Mindfulness allows us the opportunity to face these moments with clarity, empathy, compassion, and reflection. Being mindful does not mean we ignore or suppress our emotions or hide away from things that are happening in the world. It allows us to be more present and be able to navigate ourselves back to center after experiencing these emotions and situations.
By engaging in regular mindfulness practice, we can express, observe, and respond instead of being irrational and reactionary.
Mindfulness allows us the opportunity to stop and listen. With so much information and so much conflicting narrative happening every moment of the day, it is up to us to pause, reflect, truly listen, and calm our reactive feelings. By doing so, we can enter into a space of compassion and empathy, which is part of our authentic nature. By practicing mindfulness frequently, we increase our emotional intelligence and can operate in the world with intention and purpose.
Mindfulness allows us to understand our conditionings. It takes a lot of energy to navigate life daily. During times like this, it takes so much more. Often, we look outside of ourselves for answers when in actuality, the most promising place to start is within us. By being able to sit and reflect, without judgment, we can lovingly discover our past conditioning, and be able to decide if it continues to serve us or if it is something we can release.
Mindful communication is necessary for productive, difficult conversations that need to happen. We all have personal experiences that have brought us to where we are today. So has every other human on the planet. And no two experiences are the same. To relate to another, we have to have the ability to hold our reactions and responses to hear them. In that sharing space, we can learn, empathize, relate, and determine a new way of connecting, if we choose. Creating and engaging in a mindfulness practice enables us to hold an open space without being distracted by reactionary impulses.
With regular mindfulness practice, the journey is made purposeful and intentional.
Yes, these are changing times. And there is a gift inside of each experience. It is a wonderfully magnificent journey of self-discovery and revelation that we have available to us through mindfulness. With regular mindfulness practice, the journey is made purposeful and intentional.