Finding my Meditation Practice

In the evenings these days I ride my exercise bike faster and faster as I listen to my cable news pundits deliver a flood of chaotic information coming from our nation’s center and around the world.  I ride and ride, and as I push the pedals faster and faster I feel I’m just trying to get to the end of the news program faster!  Why do this, you might ask?  Why subject yourself to the torrent of unpleasant, deeply disturbing news that makes your heart hurt?  I’m doing it because there’s a compulsion in me dating back to my solitary child life amongst oblivious alcoholics to learn the truth of things.  There are certain voices I trust more than others to speak the truth - to be sure - Rachel Maddow and Anderson Cooper and David Axelrod are currently at the top of my list.  But no matter how truthful I think the story is - whether it’s about the mysterious and dangerous coronavirus that’s unfolding, the corruption of Mitch McConnell, or the unspeakable criminality of our president — my mind, body, and heart are still rattled, and I realize I don’t feel safe.  I may have burned a whole lot of calories, but I haven’t found peace.  

In the morning comes the antidote to my political roller coaster ride:  I sit on my couch in the quiet before construction work begins next door, put a cashmere wrap over my legs, and I meditate for 20 minutes or more, my small dog Peaches and senior Maine Coon at my side.  The vibrations of the day have not yet begun, and I can sit and listen to the inhale and exhale of my breath, as I silently recite loving kindness phrases.  In and out, in and out....  And as I do this, I rarely have a thought of the world at large with all its disordered rhythm.  I don’t worry about the Democratic primary, the increase in crime in San Francisco, or the few health issues of mine that seem to have no tidy answers.  Instead I just breathe in and out and recite the phrases of well-wishing to both myself and my fellow human beings.  I have been doing this for a long time now, and I have to say that this continuing practice has done me a lot of good - it has made me feel more peaceful, kinder, and clearer in my purpose.  When I first embarked on the practice, our teacher reminded us that it often took a while to actually feel the love inside that I was trying to generate.  One needs to persevere even when it feels odd and unnatural, and eventually you discover that there’s a softening throughout your system...  This teaching and some other Buddhist practices have shown me that humans, despite some pretty damning evidence to the contrary, are instinctively people of good intentions, good will, who do not naturally lean toward hatred and divisiveness.  We are animals, after all, relations of those great creatures that live in the wild, and you don’t witness the lion or the elephant behaving hatefully toward his fellow creatures, do you?

I’m offering this up to you because we are now traveling through a dark time and we need to summon all the kindness we can to bear the suffering that’s coming our way. We should heed the words of the Dalai Lama who proclaimed: “my religion is kindness.”  Why?  Because kindness mitigates aversion, kindness smooths the cruel, ragged edges and it shows us we are going to be ok in the end if we live with a loving heart.  I invite all you who have been following me and are interested in what I bring into the world to consider sitting quietly for 5, 10, or 15 minutes a day and sending messages of well-wishing to yourself and the people in your world, from those you know well to those who are unknown, adversarial,  invisible, and those outside our human realm.  Consider making this a little practice each day…  I know that promising things is tricky, but I can say with assurance that if you take the time out for yourself and for kindness, you will find you may like yourself more, treat others more gently, and proceed more calmly and wisely through life.  I have recorded a short loving kindness meditation that I would love to share with my followers and those who want to join the family.  You’ll find it at:  www.bowingtoelephants.com/gift.

May you all be happy, safe, strong and protected … May you have ease of well being… May you be at peace …

Thank you in advance for considering it.  It makes me very happy to imagine bringing more peace into people’s lives