Don't Forget to BREATHE: Need a Coping Mechanism? Turn to Mindfulness Meditation

Wednesday, Nov 13, 2024

Nov 13, 2024

Our world is so triggering these days, isn’t it? Sheesh.

Deep breaths. You’ve GOT this, I promise.

Notice what I did? What I said? Take a pause and re-read that last part.

Notice what we all do, or tend to do? We say it automatically, or at the very least, we think it, or tell it to ourselves, without REALLY thinking about its tremendous power for healing:

“BREATHE.”

This brings me into today’s topic.

I’d like to talk about the power of MINDFULNESS MEDITATION as a proven (yes, scientifically! and anecdotally, too) way of reducing anxiety, stress, and tension.

Thanks to a dear friend (Lisa Morris, you’re about to get uber-famous on Substack), I recently re-discovered one of my favorite meditation teachers, Tara Brach, who I sort of forgot about in the past few decades when I was busy living my life in a fear-free, genuine, actual democracy.

Tara (pronounced “TAU-ra”) leads the Insight Meditation Community of Washington, DC—which is, per their website, “one of the largest and most dynamic non-residential meditation centers in the United States.”

Don’t let that scare you. It simply means that it’s a popular and most beloved community of like-minded believers that meditation helps, heals, and creates Life.

For today’s action/resource (which, I know, I’m finally getting to! Talk about burying the lede, English Major Kathleen…): Consider giving this a listen:

It’s called Becoming Bodhisattvas in a Troubled World, and if you click on the boldfaced title above, you’ll be taken right to it (it’s about an hour-long listen, including a brief actual meditation right at the beginning) so, it’s a commitment, but worth it I promise)! So, grab a cuppa and spend some time with Tara right now—or bookmark it for later. You can digest it in small chunks, like I did. I began it this morning and meditated to her soothing voice, and then listened to the rest of it in short spurts throughout my work day. I love her voice. It’s so peaceful and grounded and quiet. It clamors the noise in my head.

SIDENOTE ABOUT THE SANSKRIT

And for goodness’ sake, don’t be spooked by the Sanskrit in the title!

I’m about to go down a rabbit hole. Join me for a moment? (Grab my hand; here we go!)

The Sanskrit term, Bodhisattva, is a core idea in Buddhism (probably THE key idea!) that simply means “enlightened”! Or, more literally translasted, “Becoming a Buddha!”

Don’t you want to be enlightened, folks? Don’t you want to be that big-bellied, happily sitting, smiling god of enlightenment and wisdom? Don’t you want to be surrounded by all those flowers and all that freaking PEACE?

In all seriousness: The word Bodhisattva comes from the root word bodhi (Sanskrit for “awakening” or “enlightenment”) and sattva (Sanskrit for “being”). The core meaning of the word is “a being who is on the way to becoming enlightened.”

So, instead of being frightened, be enlightened.

Here’s a deeper explanation; I’ll throw this into the Resources list below, as well.

Now, Back to Our Regularly Scheduled Programming . . .

If you’re not so sure that Mindfulness Meditation is your thing, here’s a short summary of what to expect from Tara in this talk that I feature today. (Note: It’s more of a talk and a podcast episode, not an actual mindfulness meditation session—although she does lead us briefly through a meditation at the very beginning. Not gonna lie: I ate my toast and did my crossword puzzle while trying to meditate with her. #Goals, right?)

As a resident of the DC area, I can tell you: She is the real deal. She’s a kind, authentic soul with decades of heart-centered experience who has so much wisdom to impart, constantly reminding us to connect with our breath and just “be.” And she is humble and quiet: She completely lacks ego about how well she is known and respected in the meditation community (and, she IS!). She doesn’t hound you for money (but you can pay if you’d like). She offers plenty of free resources and truly makes Mindfulness Meditation equitable and available to any and all who want it.

If you need to get away from the “we” of The Resistance, and turn ever closer toward the “me” for now, meditation is a great way to do that.

So, clear a space that is uncluttered, both physically and mentally, and free of distractions—it’s time to go deep within ourselves and connect with our breath and the wonderful “Bodhisattvas” that we all are, deep down. She promises “profound transformation.” Although I can’t promise you THAT, I can promise you a moment of temporary timeout, of peaceful pause, of finding possible joy or at least sanity in connecting with your heart and your breath, and just allowing yourself to be—in this moment.

Thich Nhat Hanh said “no mud, no lotus.”

How might anger, hatred and delusion—the mud of these times—give rise to a growing compassion and wisdom in our world? In this talk, we look directly at the angst surrounding the US elections and explore several powerful teachings and practices that can serve as the catalyst for profound transformation and an evolving of wisdom and love in our collective consciousness.

—Tara Brach, Intro/Teaser to “Becoming Bodhisattvas in a Troubled World”

I’ll share a list of resources for mindfulness meditation at the end of this post, but, for now, here’s today’s suggested action: To just sit with yourself. Be still. Breathe. Connect with your heart. Because it might be broken for now, but, it’s still beating.

And that’s where we need to start. With our own hearts.

Keep on resting up. You’ll know when you’re ready to get back into things. There is much to do, but, we need to take care of ourselves first and foremost.

I, for one, continue to keep my world intentionally very small for now, even though I am starting to read more news again and to connect with people again as I continue reeling from this unbelievably dystopian reality that we find ourselves living within. I think so many of us feel like we’re in some sort of messed-up sci fi movie with an ending that just doesn’t seem real.

I wish I could offer more optimism in today’s post. I can’t. I have tried digging deep within my wounded heart, and, today, I just can’t find anything. I know we’re all going to have days like this. Today’s mine.

So I offer you this resource. Take a seat, connect with your breath, give it a listen. Tara Brach is a breath of fresh air in a terrifying world. And I’ve added a new podcast to my library. I hope you have, too.

ADDITIONAL MINDFULNESS RESOURCES

Guided Meditations—by Tara Brach (all free; you can also upgrade to paid or sign up for her seminars and trainings).
Insight Meditation Community of Washington, DC — There is so much to explore on this website alone (lots of free content).
What Is a Bodhisattva? Author Joel Abrams of The Conversation (great site, by the way!) explains.
Banyan (co-founders Tara Brach and Jack Kornfield, another giant in the field of Mindfulness Meditation) — a global online hub where people dedicated to personal growth learn and practice applying mindfulness to specific life circumstances (lots of free content as well as opportunities to get the app and to engage more deeply in regular meditation)
Jack Kornfield — I would be remiss if I didn’t mention Jack Kornfield. He was one of the first meditation teachers to incorporate meditation practice into actual physical and mental healing—and then did evidence-based scientific research and studies to back it up and prove that it worked. Check out his work as well.
Breathe (song by Alexi Murdoch) — listen, really listen, to the lyrics. Perfect for these times we’re living in. Yes there’s an ad you have to watch before listening (sorry). Lyrics are below and are how I’ll end this extraordinarily long but what I found to be extraordinarily cathartic post: And, don’t forget to BREATHE.