Time is such a funny thing. It feels fast and slow {sometimes all at once}. It feels like a separate entity 'out there' that we have no control over and which has enormous control over us... and yet…

There is no universal, objective time.

It isn't out there on its own. It is only HERE; in relation with a where and a who.

Time is inextricably bound to where and to who. It is personal, flexible, and relative.

In this all new 3-part meditation series, we will explore our relationship with time: how our experience of time impacts our meditation practice and how our meditation practice impacts our relationship with time.

In this episode, Caverly and I really hone in on the phrase “realizing freedom together” and explore what this means in relation to our meditation practice, which far too easily can feel singular and isolated when we aren’t practicing in community.

We talk about book clubs vs. book collectives; about freedom, community and privilege; and what it means to stop imagining that liberation comes only when ‘I’ as a singular being awaken.

We go deep, y’all, and yet, I feel like we barely scratched the surface.

There is nothing I love more than responding to student questions about meditation, and recently I was asked two really good questions that I thought would be useful to the greater Mindful Minute community… join me!

Our meditation practice is the practice of The Middle Way. Meaning the practice isn’t about perfection, a goal or an end-game. The practice IS the practice.

Let’s make sure we are awake today.

This meditation series has asked some really big questions of us. Can we start to let go of binary thinking? Can we believe that two seemingly opposite things can both exist as true in the same moment? That right and wrong are not the only two choices?

New futures are scary.

The only thing we can do is commit to our vision, to build the rhythms and routines that support us, and to stay engaged and curious.

This is true for a meditation practice AND this is true for building political resilience.

We commit to our vision. We build the rhythms and routines that support us. And, we stay engaged.

Join me for the final installment of our Building Political Resilience meditation series as we explore new futures and practice befriending ourselves and others through a guided meditation practice.

This series is one of the more challenging undertakings I’ve shared on this podcast. Talking about democracy in a time of toxic polarization feels daunting and more than a little bit overwhelming.

I’m not here to fix it, and I definitely don’t have the ‘answers’ but I believe deeply in naming the things that cause us pain and turning towards them rather than away. So here we are.

Democracy is hard.

In part 2 of this series, we follow the natural train of thought, “if I’m not crazy, then I’m RIGHT!”.

And here is where things get messy… because the answer isn’t quite so straightforward.

In today’s episode of The Mindful Minute, we talk about moral differences, we perform a social science experiment that will blow your mind, and, of course, we share a guided meditation together.

With the midterm elections surrounding us, I’ve been reflecting on the challenges I feel when it comes to engaging with democracy in this country right now. Sometimes I am all moral outrage and calling my representatives and going to rallys. Sometimes, I am overwhelmed, exhausted and scared so I shut down completely. I ignore it all.

In that extreme vasciliation, I find myself often thinking, “am I crazy???” And that, my friends, is the number one sign that you are being gaslit.

You aren’t crazy.

Democracy is hard. Really hard.

And, it is vital that we both pay attention and engage.

Join me for this 3-part meditation series as we explore what’s needed to build Political Resilience.

Today, I am sharing a conversation with a friend, colleague and teacher - Shonali Banerjee.

Many years ago, Shonali led a Mantra Circle that I was a part of, and in it, I learned so much about the power of sound and voice. To this day, one of my strongest memories is chanting the Gayatri mantra along the banks of the Ganges river on a trip to India. And even now, I warm up my voice and set my intention through mantra before teaching live classes.

Shonali is a yoga teacher, singer, ritualist, death doula, and all around Wise Woman. Together we talk about mantra meditation and the power of reclaiming our voices, walking labyrinths, political resilience, the cycle of death and birth, and so much more.

At the end, Shonali guides in a powerful practice of chant and reflection.