There is an unfathomable amount of suffering occurring globally across many countries – ongoing violence, domination, land grabbing, and wars. It has been deeply heartbreaking. This does not even touch on the climate crisis that we’re currently living in. It leaves most of us feeling numb, checked out, complacent, angry, dispiritedness, alone, isolated, or helpless. The number of displaced people world-wide is unthinkable. And, yet here we are, living with the truth of what is…
I come from a turbulent family background where on the best days, it was unpredictable and other days, it was unimaginable. The personal trauma triggered by witnessing these global tragedies is so real…there’s only one way to be with what is here in this moment. It’s true, I am not a child anymore. I am grateful for the years of healing from therapy and mindfulness retreats that have saved the child who resides within me. Today, I am an adult living with a recovered heart and mind. I turn to my Buddha dhamma practice and acknowledge what is present for me – whether it is fear, anger, exhaustion, or grief. I turn inward to maintain my center grounded in the heart-mind (citta), the Pali canon word for understanding the mind, consciousness, or the one who knows. I call myself inward to develop the center within, maintaining my presence within, anchoring in the breath as my guide and a place of refuge in the moment.
The breath fills my body with awareness and it cultivates a quiet center: awake, alert, attentive, and knowing. My mind whispers “nothing is certain” so be with what is here and now – grounded inside, not pushing to be anywhere else, and at the same time not holding back. I allow the practice to connect to the nourishment of the moment. Energetically – I don’t lose center, and instead I cultivate the understanding of what needs to be nourished in the moment.
I may feel fear or uncertainty yet I can build trust with this body and connect to this sense of nourishment. I can dwell in it. At this moment, do I have the willingness to be with what is here, now? I inquire more deeply, acknowledging the external reality and how it lands in my body, mind, and heart. As I take a breath, my heart is full.
Reflecting on 2023
Our beloved Braided Wisdom was created to be a place of refuge, paving a path towards liberation for a community where all may thrive. This year, our community came together for collective practice in many ways:
A third cohort of dedicated practitioners journeyed inwards all year to complete the Original Medicine Yearlong Program. We celebrate their hard work, commitment, and expansion.
Our groundbreaking series, Earth-Based Initiatives for Our Times, rooted in the elemental cosmology of the Dagara tradition, culminated in a fifth and final session on nature, bringing together the rich medicine of all five elements to support participants with navigating the ever changing flow of life.
Every season, Original Medicine 4-Part Series centered and lifted Indigenous voices from throughout the earth including the Ifugao tribe of Northern Philippines, the Dagara tradition of Africa, Turtle Mountain Chippewa, and Aotearoa New Zealand. We engaged a shamanic journey, discovered broken links with nature and our ancestors, explored somatics and story medicine, and learned about reindigenization through Māori culture.
In the fall, we brought community members to be in contemplative practice with each other and connect to nature for our Earth-Based Community Gathering at Wolf Dream Mountain in Lake County.
We’re so grateful for the expanding vibrations of our shared wisdom and humanity as we continue to plant the necessary seeds of collective practice and freedom, steadily creating the paths of coming home to ourselves and each other.
With gratitude,
Carol Cano
Celebrating Winter Solstice… as the darkest moment in the Winter sky pauses to birth the Solstice.
Winter Solstice is marked by the astrological cycle where the earth’s tilt is furthest away from the sun in the Northern Hemisphere creating the longest night of the year around December 21st. Solstice means “sun stands still,” and was recognized by the ancient Celts from the collective cultural lineages of Scotland, Wales, Ireland, and England, as well as lands that spread across northern & western Europe as a time to rest and go inward just like the earth’s plants, trees, and animals. We invite you to enjoy Gifts of Winter, a one act play by Jenn Biehn that takes us back to Brug na Boine, New Grange, Ireland in 3,000 BC at the time of Winter Solstice.
As Deborah Eden Tull writes, “It is through learning to stay present and meet the dark with curiosity rather than judgment that we connect to an unwavering light within. Welcoming darkness with curiosity, rather than fear or judgment, enables us to access our innate capacity for compassion and collective healing.” Winter Solstice can be a time to honor the darkness, to turn within and give space to those shadow aspects of ourselves.
As we welcome the longest night of the year and celebrate the returning light, there are many rituals practiced around the world. Ours include gathering with family and friends in circle watching the night come and sharing poems, songs, and stories where we meet and enjoy the gifts of darkness and stillness. We often follow this by each person lighting a candle for what we each wish to bring into the light in the coming season of our lives and in our world today. One of the songs we enjoy includes:
🎵 Many spirits are gathered here together
Earth, Water, Fire, and Air
Bless our circle as we journey through the darkness
In the morning we will call back the sun! 🎵
As the Winter Solstice marks the turning of the earth and her seasons,
may our path to peace be ever illuminated.
In the quiet stillness of standing meditation, we heed the call to remember the ancestors who walked and tended to the land long before us. We stand with dignity, facing north, to honor their sacrifices and to heal the broken links for our descendants. We pause to connect with ancient wisdom held in each of us that continues to be passed down to future generations from time immemorial.
We find ourselves drawn into a dance that echoes the insights found in nature, that everything is in constant flux and inherently impermanent. We sense movement even in the stillness of our standing posture through our breath, our heartbeat, and the swaying of our bodies as we strive for balance.
We are invited to take a stand, be congruent, and walk our talk. To think, speak, and act in alignment with our values, respect others, and set healthy boundaries. Cultivating presence requires us to bring our full selves in, welcoming all parts of ourselves with an open and curious heart.
Standing meditation allows us to connect with the elements and embrace a profound sense of presence. By grounding ourselves by feeling our feet firmly anchored in the earth, we embody the solidity of the earth element. Sensing the strength rising through your legs, grounding you in the present moment. Picture yourself as a mountain, unshakable and rooted in the essence of the land.
Engage the air element by becoming aware of your breath. Feel the gentle breeze, a reminder of the breath's continuous flow. As you inhale, imagine drawing in the freshness of the air, and as you exhale, release any tension or distractions.
Embrace the fire element by envisioning a warm, radiant energy surrounding you. Sense the vitality in your stance, reflecting the transformative power of fire. Let this inner fire illuminate your awareness and bring clarity to the present experience.
Lastly, connect with the water element by embodying fluidity. Allow your body to sway slightly, like the gentle movement of a flowing stream. Embrace change and adaptability as inherent aspects of your being.
Standing mindfulness meditation offers a holistic and grounding practice that harmonizes nature's wisdom into our daily lives.
Experiencing the five elements in your body deepens your relationship with them. When the five elements of air, water, fire, earth and space unfold their mystery, the external experience of the elements now becomes internal.
Each element resides in certain parts of your body. Using the Polarity theory which combines the Indian Chakra system from yoga with the elements in the body, we will connect the energetic circuit of the element. As you balance the elements in your body, it will help balance your emotions, thoughts and actions associated with the element. This movement video, focused on the air element, is an invitation to step into a deeper relationship with the winds within us.
Pawan Bareja will be a guest teacher in the Introduction to Cross-Cultural Mindfulness program in January 2024.
