Mindfully responding to these challenging times

I don't know about you, but I'm regularly inundated with information these days. All of it important for these times, but sometimes it's difficult to pick and choose where and for how long to put my attention. I sometimes get caught in overwhelm to the point of freezing in my tracks. While I'm a survivor of trauma, and this is not an uncommon experience, I'm struggling to find my way through like so many others.

Equally, discerning what meaningful actions to take in response to institutionalized racism and inequities is challenging me. There are so many avenues to take for dismantling the systems of racial injustice. And, particularly, being a white woman of privilege, I feel it is imperative I contribute.

How do I (we) navigate through these times and not get lost in crippling overwhelm? Personally, I'm seeing this time akin to a long-term large scale disaster. It's unfolding over a long period of time. It is persisting the way the fire or tornado season does--over months. How do I actively contribute to better our situations AND care for myself during this long period of upheaval?

Firstly, I remind myself that this is a marathon and not a sprint, so my tactics need to be different. Then, I think about the self-care I need to stay engaged in the long run. I turn to my practice for respite, support, nurturance and wisdom on how to proceed.

Next, I choose mindfullly how to navigate my time and days. Here's just a few of the myriad ideas and resources that are surfacing in my research. 

• Disaster resiliency - Having survived numerous large scale disasters in our community in the past few years and working with survivors towards resilience, I'm recognizing common reactions to disaster in myself and others--foggy brain, difficulty sleeping, difficulty making decisions, feeling anxious and fearful, reaching out to a little too much comfort food, just to name a few. (For more information about reactions to disaster and simple supports for moving forward, you can download a helpful brochure from the Lake FRC HOPE project, a project I led in 2018.)
• PTSS - What we know as Post Traumatic Stress Symptoms (PTSS)--symptoms that persist after a traumatic experience (anxiety, nightmares, physical distress and increased fight or flight response, to name a few) arise after exposure to a traumatic event. What was brought to my attention recently, was how with Black Americans and other People of Color, the 'event', racialized trauma, is an every day ongoing event. Much like living in a war zone, our friends and family of color have been living under these traumatic conditions for over 400 years in this country. Resmaa Menakem, healer, author and trauma specialist, reminds us that this is not 'post' traumatic stress, but rather 'persistent' traumatic stress--meaning the end of the 'event' hasn't occurred. (Here's a fascinating podcast interview with Resmaa and Robin DiAngelo, author of White Fragility, on this issue and here's a free somatic based e-course Resmaa developed to help abolish White Body Supremacy in the next 9 generations.)
• TSM - As I learn more about trauma sensitive mindfulness (David Treleaven is at the forefront of research and education around this topic) and incorporate those supports in my teachings of mindfulness, I cannot stress enough the need for fierce self-compassion as we navigate through these times. To me, that includes:
  • Limiting the amount of time spent with media, social media, news information, etc., particularly intense and violent imagery that can trigger trauma. (This is not about putting our heads in the sand, but rather not overexposing ourselves needlessly and impacting our nervous system in a way that renders us less available to navigate wisely.)
    
  • Practicing a lot of loving kindness meditation (Here's a link to a free guided one.)
  • Expanding social supports. I know this is difficult during pandemic social distancing and diminished community activities, but there are lots of online and outdoor opportunities for connection, including:
    • Wednesday Community Meditation. Brief talk, guided meditation, reflection and clarifying discussion. 7:00 PM - 8:00 PM Pacific.
    • Sangha Live. Daily and weekly talks and guided meditations, from within the Buddhist wisdom tradition context.
    • List of freely offered Insight Meditation sitting groups mostly situated within the Buddhist wisdom tradition.
    • Dharma Seed. A large number of guided meditations and talks by renowned teachers in the Insight Meditation / Buddhist wisdom tradition.
• Learn more - In  a recent talk (Password: 1H^o+6b0), Clovis Lewis, a friend and pastor, inspired this writing on compassion as a path to long term justice and equity.
• TAKE ACTION: Regardless of your color of skin, it will take all of us to dismantle these embedded systems of race-based injustice and inequity.
  • Educate yourself on the actuality of these systems--it's sometimes hard to see, much less acknowledge these systems when we're swimming in them.
  • Vote! We must support candidates that understand the deeper issues and are willing to take them on wholeheartedly. Here's some helpful information from one of my favorite teachers, Jack Kornfield about how to get out the vote.
  • Pray: This loving kindness prayer by Zenju Earthlyn Manuel offers inclusion in so many beautiful ways.
  • Take action in your local community. Join us for one or more of these upcoming Community Call to Action events.

These are turbulent times--times that I believe will lead us to a higher ground as people and a more compassionate species on the planet. Be gentle with yourself and each other. Smother yourself in self-care to support your ongoing resilience and allow your mindfulness practice to be a source of nurturing refuge and a path to deeper wisdom.

With warmheartedness,

JoAnn

JoAnn Saccato, MA, is a certified teacher with the Mindfulness Training Institute, life coach, author and consultant. She is the author of Companioning the Sacred Journey: A Guide to Creating a Compassionate Container for Your Spiritual Practice and Mindful and Intentional Living: A Path to Peace Clarity and Freedom.

Mindfulness is an umbrella term used for a large body of popular health and wellness practices based on purposefully bringing a curious, kind and non-judgmental attention to moment by moment experience. It is a scientifically proven approach that helps reduce stress and stress-related illnesses, increase focus and attention, decrease incidences of and relapses with depression, reduce anxiety, reduce relapses in addiction, and aids in sleep and digestive disorders. It has also been shown to increase well being, life satisfaction and happiness, as well as improved social relationships.

You can reach JoAnn at [email protected]. To follow her visit: www.MindfulAndIntentionalLiving.com