February 2020

Things seem like they’re spinning out of control. We can respond to this state of affairs with fear, aggression, and selfishness, or we can respond out of trust in our vast, open, basically good mind, which is timelessly aware, yet empty of imputed meanings. How we respond will determine the way the world will go. As citizens of our world, we can help things go in the direction of wisdom, caring, and compassion.

— Pema Chodron

I am finding the need for a lot of practices and resources to keep my spirit courageous, hopeful, and resilient. I mean, the world is on fire, isn’t it?! Spinning out of control! Rollbacks of environmental protections, the ongoing assaults on people of color, including travel bans, the continued erosion of reproductive rights, corruption. And then add to that the major and minor hurts and losses in one’s own life. It’s a lot to handle.

So I keep returning to basics–to what can help me hold onto my vision of wisdom, caring, and compassion for myself and others. For me, right now, these basics include 30 minutes of yoga every day, walking for 45 minutes 3-5 times a week, using nasal rinse daily, at least 8 hours of sleep every night, daily writing, regular meals and quality time with my partner, snuggling with my cat, staying connected to family and friends, and time to read just for fun. They also include limiting my exposure to Facebook and the 24/7 news cycle, limiting my sugar and caffeine intake, resisting the urge to overwork and overfunction. These are both partial lists, and some of these items sure don’t sound very glamorous. But what I do and what I don’t do (even some of those seemingly mundane habits) matter enormously to my spiritual, emotional, and physical well-being.

This month as we explore the theme of resiliency, I wonder, what is on your list of resiliency habits?

Yours in a spirit of resiliency and hope,

Rev. Sandra