By Eliza Wing
These are darker days, there’s no denying it. From a seasonal perspective, of course, the days are shorter and here in the Midwest they are grayer. It is more than that though. According to some estimates, there are 32 conflicts going on right now – including the Ukraine/Russian War, The Israeli-Hamas War and then all manner of terrorism, insurgency, civil, drug, ethnic wars. The toll is terrible. Here in the US, we continue to suffer the effects of polarization. Oh, and climate change is continuing to wreak havoc.
How do we, who wish for peace to prevail find a way to live with whole-hearted love and engagement? How do we live in the face of what feels like the potential doom of our planet?
There is no one answer. The conflicts and crises are too widespread. And it is normal for us to react to our sense of overwhelm with the typical human responses – fear/flight-fright. It is what we have done for eons due to tigers and bears and what not. Well, all of this is one big bear, and he is in the house, rummaging for your food.
The great climate activist, Christiana Figueres who is responsible for bringing about the Paris Accords spoke recently with Krista Tippett on On Being. I urge you to listen to the whole of it. At one point she said that the global crisis is one that is recreating us; returning us to our understanding and connection with nature. As Tippett points out, we began in the wilderness and then, at some point, many of us decided that it was a good idea to divorce ourselves from nature. To terrible consequence.
“We have to change our mindset to a mindset of hope.”
Christiana Figueres
To fight against the depression and disconnection that can arise when we go deeply into this territory, we can engage in simple, enlivening practices:
Sit in Nature
If you have access, get out in nature and absorb it and our connection to it. Allow the natural world to move you. You might select a special spot that you return to daily and notice it’s changes, how it moves you and how you, in return are connected. This practice is called Sit Spot Nature. It is recommended that you sit silently for at least 20 minutes to allow the wildlife to get used to your presence. Sit and see what comes to you.
Practice Centering
Centering practice is also a huge help, connecting you energetically to the energy of the earth and the universe – your body a channel that both receives and transmits energy. You can listen to my recording of a Centering Practice here. If we cannot learn to operate from a grounded, centered place, we will allow the sense of overwhelm to take over once again and we will shut down.
A Healing Light Meditation
Finally, you can lay down in a restful pose and practice this Healing Light meditation. The deepest truths of our existence are that we are held in love, that compassion is the connector and that we can generate feelings of well-being and light that can help carry us through even the most difficult times.
All these practices are replenishing and healing. While they might seem self-indulgent (who has time to lie down and visualize light when the world is burning?), it is deeply important that you cultivate healing and soothing practices so that you have the capacity to hold more.
After all, it is simply not possible for you to live an open-hearted and loving life without choosing to engage in a positive, motivated and energizing way. Let the light in. Let the light heal you and cleanse you of dystopian thoughts. What we imagine, we become. Where we place our energy is where it goes. In other words, if you think all is lost. It is.