Every morning of my childhood, I placed my hand on my heart and raised my eyes to our flag as I recited the United States Pledge of Allegiance along with my classmates of all ethnicities. I am still filled with pride for our nation with its promise of “liberty and justice for all,” but if I could re-write this today as a Global Pledge, I would substitute “kindness and compassion for all” to reflect how as one human race we are all exactly the same, simply seeking safety and happiness for ourselves and those we love. This is not meant to be a political post which only continues to divide us, but rather an effort to come together using the themes this blog is founded upon: travel, mindfulness, and activism.
Maya Angelou writes, “Perhaps travel cannot prevent bigotry, but, by demonstrating that all peoples cry, laugh, eat, worry, and die, it can introduce the idea that if we try and understand each other, we may even become friends.” Through my travels I have had the opportunity to witness people all over the world living in a wide range of circumstances and celebrating a myriad of cultures. Though everyone may look different on the surface, it is hard to deny the commonalities such as a mother caring for her child, the pride one takes in their home no matter the size, and the hard work people put it in every day to provide for their families. In a previous blog Discovering Yoga...and Myself...In Mexico I observed, “homes were small and rundown with very little in the way of anything outside the basic necessities of life, dirt all around, clothes hanging on the line outside” but how “they fill those tiny homes with family they actually talk to and appreciate the hard work that goes into everything they have.” During my third trip to Blessed Haiti, “we were invited into the home of a mother and her children. Sadly, the inside was even worse than I imagined, containing only a twin bed they all shared and a small coal-burning basin for cooking with one pot sitting on the dirt floor…but in striking contrast to the squalid conditions was this proud beaming mother welcoming strangers into her home and grateful for the opportunity to live there.” In Puerto Rico, Costa Rica, and Belize, I saw families gathering at the beach on weekends to spend precious time together. In Israel where all 18 year olds are required to join the military, I met young men and women fully armed to provide safety within their borders. In Thailand, women of the Long Neck Karen Tribe sold souvenirs to tourists to provide for their children and preserve their culture. Toasts to life, health and happiness are universal as the French say Sante, Spanish Salud, Italian Saluti, Greek Yamas, Hebrew L’Chaim, and English Cheers. Of course not everyone has the opportunity to travel outside of their country, but this commonality can be seen within our own communities. For more ways to connect, please read my blog See The World…Without Leaving Home.
Mindfulness practice is another great way to bring positivity to yourself and the world around you. If meditation sounds foreign, substitute the word prayer as I believe they are synonymous. A truly powerful albeit sometimes difficult form of mediation is called Metta, which means loving kindness. In its simplest form this is just a blessing for all people which can be sent out geographically first towards yourself, followed by your loved ones, then all the people in your town, your country, and the world. It can be done silently or aloud, alone or with a group, and by following a guided mediation or from your own heart. An example from my yoga instructor Adriana at Xinalani in Mexico is the following mantra repeated for each group: “May you dwell in an open heart, may you be happy and balanced, may you be well and at peace.” A more personal and challenging form of this meditation will include someone you love, someone you are neutral towards, and someone you have difficulties with. In recent times of heightened political tensions, it can feel quite tough if not impossible to send positive thoughts towards friends, media, and leaders who hold opposite beliefs, but this does not mean you condone their actions. In fact, when you are praying for their hearts and minds to be at peace, you will calm your own while helping to heal the world through compassion. The Buddhists also teach where we put our attention and energy will grow, which can be towards positive or negative thoughts. This seems to apply best in the world of social media where regurgitation of misinformation runs rampant only to be followed by hateful accusations and name-calling towards both strangers and friends. We are fortunate to live in a place and time where sharing ones beliefs are allowed and should be celebrated in the form of an open-minded, fact-based, kind and mature discussion (if you can’t be kind, be quiet!). Since we are not all there yet, I take advantage of the “hide” or “delete” option on social media quiet often. This does not mean ignoring current events or factual unbiased reporting, it just means if a particular news source or friend is going to get my blood boiling, I do not give them any of my attention or energy. Please use this overly impersonal platform for spreading good, not engaging in evil.
For many, mindfulness is not enough in trying times, and this is where activism comes in. There are many ways to get involved in the creation of positive change using whatever means you have whether it’s through your voice or your wallet. We all have different thresholds for what moves us to act and different ways of going about it, so we must do so with compassion and without judgment, both towards others and ourselves. Conscious activism is the stronghold of yoga instructor Seane Corn, co-founder of Off the Mat, Into the World, who writes in her blog Bare Witness: The Good and the Bad Sides of Activism, “Healing ourselves, developing compassion and empathy and learning how to breathe and stay present in conflict are the necessary weapons to start a conscious revolution. One that bonds, not breaks.” While we typically associate activism with protesters and their witty but poignant signs (keep ‘em coming!), not everyone has time to march in the streets or the financial means to donate to every cause, but there are always small ways we can act using what is within our reach. In one of my favorite books, The Seven Spiritual Laws of Success by Deepak Chopra, The Law of Giving and Receiving teaches “in your willingness to give that which you seek, you will keep the abundance of the universe circulating in your life.” That sounds quite like the Judeo-Christian Bible’s law of reciprocity, “Do unto others as you would have them do unto you.” When we act kindly towards others and give where our means allow, great things will happen!
It is through the interconnection of travel, mindfulness, and activism that I began healing and continue growing. Whether I’m working on myself at a yoga retreat, helping others through a medical mission trip, or just trying to survive the daily inundation of hate and inhumanity, I call upon these practices to remain grounded. I implore my fellow US citizens to remember that we are “one Nation under God” and join the global community in showing kindness and compassion for all.