In Uncertain Times

On Wednesday night I signed in to my weekly online meditation with about 30 others.  It had been a challenging day, one filled with anxiety and frustration, and I looked forward to my teachers’s supportive words and presence.  

My teacher had been leading meditation for about 10 minutes when suddenly her phone rang through my headset.  I felt jarred to hear the ringtone of an iPhone in the midst of silence and my attempt at consciousness.  

My teacher, turned off the ring, and just kept on guiding us into meditation without missing a beat.  So I did my best to settle back in, and turn my attention towards consciousness.  

But a little while later, you wouldn’t believe it,  her phone rang again!    In all of the months that this meditation has been happening on Zoom, I’ve never heard her phone ring.  And on this day when I felt so stirred up and needed meditation more than ever, the phone interrupted twice. It was unreal.  

In all of that, guess what my teacher did: Nothing.  She didn’t apologize or get flustered.  She didn’t lose her words or her light spirit. She simply turned off the phone and continued guiding us as if it hadn’t happened.

A DISTURBANCE

This election week feels like a phone ringing in the middle of a quiet meditation, doesn’t it?  Jarring.  Surprising.  Disturbing.  Frustrating.  Confusing. Louder than necessary.  And for many of us it’s bringing up stress, fear, anger, and anxiety.  

We feel so stressed in part because we are getting up close and personal with something we don’t like to face:  uncertainty.  We would much rather be in certainty all the time.  The mind likes certainty because it likes to establish patterns and put people, things, and ideas into simplified categories.   When your mind encounters uncertainty it doesn’t know how to organize itself.  And it feels uncomfortable.

IN UNCERTAINTY

In moments of uncertainty and disturbance, the greatest thing you can do for yourself is to be as conscious and present as possible.  Much like my teacher, you can choose to turn your attention towards what’s right in front of you.  As you do, you drop layers of fear, anxiety, and stress.  The disturbance remains.  But the overpowering stress of it is diminished.

 To actually be present you must CHOOSE to turn your attention towards this moment and away from the uncertainty that is calling you. If you’re not used to choosing how to direct your attention, you will find that the moment you are present your mind will go right off again in the direction of the uncertainty.  While frustrating, it’s not uncommon. It’s just part of the process of strengthening your attention.  So, you practice choosing to bring it back to the present again and again until your mind calms down.  

It’s easier said than done, which is why I advised you last week to breathe and move in order to stay present.  When you give your mind something to focus on, there’s a greater chance that it will stay there for longer.

TRY THIS

I hope you’ve been intentionally breathing and moving this week, and now I’ll offer another way to anchor yourself in this moment.  

• Rapidly squeeze your hands into fists and then stretch your fingers wide 5 to 10 times.

• Rest your hands by your sides

• Feel the sensation of aliveness in your hands

• See if you can feel the sensation going up your forearms or even to your shoulders

It’s a very simple exercise that you can do almost anywhere.  And it will bring you back to the current moment very quickly.  

PRESENCE FOR LIFE

One of the best ways to love yourself through this election is to stay present in the moment.  That’s because when you’re present you aren’t caught up in stress and fear.  

As an added benefit, when you turn from fear towards presence you strengthen the pathway in your brain that keeps you present when you’d usually stressed out.  So, by choosing to be present and conscious now during the disturbance of the election, you are actually making it easier for you to do it the next time you feel stressed about something in your life.  

The reality is that we will always have moments of uncertainty and disruption in our lives. By learning how to stay present and love your way through the election you are transforming your relationship to uncertainty.  And if you build these skills now you’ll carry them with you for your whole life.