Sunday, October 25, 2020

Healing society through our relationships

Akemi (insightLA.org); Amber Larson, Ashley Wells (eds.), Wisdom Quarterly

Ever sat in silent meditation, focused on the breath, and wondered, How does this practice help dismantle oppression and make the world an equitable place for all? I know I have.

It's especially true these days of loss, infuriating uncertainty, and heartbreak. For most of my life, I’ve been at a very external side of social change, mobilizing people to vote.
 
If we can just repeal Citizens United and fund schools and create social safety nets, everything would be fixed, I would think as I left a campaign flyer on yet another stranger’s doorknob. But after the 2016 election, I realized our needed societal transformation runs deeper than policy change.
 
Policies are a reflection of cultural beliefs and values, and dominant culture is steeped in control, domination, judgment -- which all stem from the story of the separate self. Our meditation practices help us examine that story.
 
Through observation, we learn how our reactive, unconscious minds create delusion and suffering, and how, indeed, we are all one, all interconnected. But how do we rewrite the story at a societal level? How can our institutions and systems and politics reflect interbeing, reflect love?
 
There is no one answer to this, but I do know central to this is how we are in relationship to others. What we practice at the smallest scale, in our intimate connections -- with family, friends, coworkers, Sangha peers, Mother Earth -- sets the patterns for the whole system.
 
In the era of COVID and digital interface, many of us struggle to feel true connection. Can Instagram likes and comments, texts, and emails compensate for real intimacy? What do radically present relationships look and feel like?
 
Even during COVID I’ve had powerful experiences of them. Listening deeply on the phone, crying and dancing and singing with my roommates, bearing witness to the pain of others who hold different identities than I do in Zoom gatherings, facing conflict with courage and open hearts.
 
I let my body and heart show me how to nurture my relationships. Who would feel good to be with, and when, and how? I let intuition guide me to joyful collective presence. Let’s learn how to truly be together.
 
And from this place we’ll transform the world around us. And in the meantime, vote for the most enlightened policies and candidates possible. Start conversations about ballot issues with those around you. Encourage others to vote, from love rather than fear... And breathe.

Let's connect. 

Register now for these upcoming Special Events, Retreats, Affinity Groups, and Practice Groups.
Featured Special Event Series

 
 
 

For the Sake of All: Practices for Love and Liberation 2-Day Workshop

with Martin Vitorino, PhD and Brooke D. Lavelle, PhD

2-day workshop starts Saturday, October 31, 2020 | 9:00 AM - 4:30 PM PT

 
 

Upcoming Retreats

 

Cultivando el Refugio Interno y Comunitario en Tiempos Difíciles con Tere Abdala y Kate Lila Wheeler

3 días de retiro empieza el viernes, 23 de octubre y termina el domingo, 25 de octubre de 2020 | Los horarios de las reuniones varían; Ver horario diario

 

Equanimity is Not Indifference with Christiane Wolf, MD, PhD

Half-day retreat on Saturday, October 24, 2020 | 1:00 PM - 4:00 PM PT

 

Mindfulness, Meditation, and Coping with Death: A One-Day Retreat for Professional Health Caregivers with Suzanne Smith, MSN, RN, NP and Judith Hall, BS, RN

Wednesday, November 4, 2020 | 8:00 AM - 4:00 PM PT

 
 

More Special Events and Series

THIS WEEKEND

 

TODAY
People of Color Sangha Practice Group with Thomas Davis, Tere Abdala, Gullu Singh, JD, and Alisa Dennis, Ph.D.

Weekly group meets Fridays | 7:00 PM - 9:00 PM PT

 

TODAY
Mindful Recovery (Affinity Group)

Monthly group meets this Friday, October 16, 2020 | 7:30 PM - 9:00 PM PT

 

Entering Into Silence with Bob Stahl, PhD

Saturday, October 17, 2020 | 9:00 AM - 11:00 AM PT

 

 

The Opposite of Suicide is Connection: Community, Hope, and Healing in Difficult Times with Brian Stefan, Mariela Bravo, and Lisa Kring, LCSW

Monthly group meets this Saturday, October 17, 2020 | 12:30 PM - 2:00 PM PT

 

Sunday Morning Practice Group with Trudy & Friends led by Gullu Singh, JD

Weekly group meets Sundays | 11:00 AM - 12:30 PM PT

 
 

Affinity Groups

Mindful Parents Practice Group: Fridays, 1 - 2 PM PT

Mindful of Whiteness Anti-Racist Practice Group:  Fridays, 6 - 7:30 PM PT

People of Color Sangha Practice Group: Fridays, 7 - 9 PM PT

Mindful Recovery: This Friday, 7:30 - 9 PM PT

Managing Stress and Emotions from Job Loss: This Saturday, 8:30 - 9:30 AM PT

The Opposite of Suicide is Connection: This Saturday, 12:30 - 2 PM PT

Refuge for Mental Health and Healthcare Providers: This Saturday 2 - 3:15 PM PT

Meditation Coalition People of Color Sangha: Sundays, 6:30 - 8 PM PT

Youngish Adult (20s and 30s) Practice Group: Sundays, 7 - 8:30 PM PT

Meditación en Español: Los Lunes, 6:30 - 7:30 PM PT 

BYOD: Supper with Old and Older Friends: This Tuesday, 5:45 - 7 PM PT

Men’s Wednesday Morning Practice Group: Wednesdays, 7 - 8:30 AM PT

Meditación en Español: Los Miércoles, 9 - 9:45 AM PT

Mindful Aging: Wednesdays, 10:15 - 11:45 AM PT

 
 

Practice Groups

Morning Community Sit – Guided Meditation: Weekdays, 7:30 - 8 AM PT

Calm the Mind: Fridays, 12 - 12:45 PM PT

Walking the Buddha’s Path Together: Sundays, 9 - 10:30 AM PT

Long Beach Sunday Practice Group: Sundays, 10 - 11:30 AM PT

Sunday Morning Practice Group with Trudy & Friends: Sundays, 11 - 12:30 PM PT

Mindful Support: What Does My Heart Need Now?: Mondays, 6:15 - 7 PM PT

Stillness in a Chaotic World: Tuesdays, 6:15 - 7 PM PT

Community Practice Group: Tuesdays, 7:30 - 9:15 PM PT

South Bay – Redondo Beach Practice Group: Tuesdays, 7:30 - 9:15 PM PT

Training In Compassion and Resilience: Wednesdays, 12 - 12:45 PM PT

Be With the Body: Wednesdays, 6:15 - 7 PM PT

Deepening Your Practice (Peer Led): Thursdays, 7 - 8:30 AM PT

Thursday Evening Practice Group: Thursdays, 7:30 - 9:15 PM PT

 
 
 

Rent a Cabin at Big Bear Retreat Center: If retreat practice is challenging because of your living situation or you would like to practice in a private location, Big Bear Retreat Center is offering a limited number of its cabins for rent.

Learn more at bigbearretreatcenter.org/solo-hybrid-retreats.

 
 
 
 

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