I was inspired toward an inner inquiry after I excitedly welcomed the first bloom on a Passion flower in my yard. I was so mesmerized the first time I saw one of these markedly distinct flowers, I immediately conjured up the belief that they had to be from another planet! The plant in my yard is chock full of blooms for the first time in the three years I’ve tended it.

The bloom arrived simultaneously with the second phase of opening in our community, and a push to clear away 7+ years of ivy overgrowth and thick forest duft in preparation of the upcoming fire season and to reveal--to open up--the all-elusive forest floor.

All this prompted me to inquire: All this opening going on, I'm curious, what is opening up for me? And what about others--what is opening up for them right now?

Rather than go into a long written inquiry, I decided to go inward with a mindfulness practice and explore directly what was opening in my heart, mind and body.

(You can explore a guided version of this practice HERE.)

I planned a hike up Cobb Mountain, which happens to be the mountain I live on and tallest mountain in the Mayacamas Mountain range in Northern California. I chose a Friday during the shelter in place period of the Covid-19 pandemic even though I was warned by my partner, Jim, that it would be hot. He recommended waiting a day or two, but my intuition was strong. It said ‘no, Friday.’

Thursday of that week came and it was an unusually difficult day. I took on the weekly shopping for us, as Jim is in a high risk category for the virus. I went to five stores and each excursion entailed wearing a mask, using alcohol soaked wipes as gloves to touch anything in the store, being hyper aware of social distancing—which is next to impossible when isles are less than six feet wide, and then spraying everything with alcohol once at the car.

Equanimity, that deep sense of peaceful well being, is highly sought after in these days of social and emotional turmoil. Now more than ever, as our hearts, minds and bodies are being taxed with our present conditions, we are seeking refuge. We are all looking for a break from what is happening, much less a perpetual state of calm mind amidst anything disturbing.

How can I attain peace in this moment? How can I get to equanimity? How can I hold onto it?

There’s usually a litany of actions and steps that come to mind that may include trying to create certain conditions, or to stop or change what is  happening in our bodies, homes, workplace, communities, nations, and the world. We think the answer lies somewhere in struggling and wrestling with current conditions, trying to bend them to our liking or stop them completely.

As it turns out, while there are things we can actively do to help this deep pleasant peacefulness that we call equanimity arise, it’s actually a different and more restful path.