“How could this have happened? My heart is breaking. How could we be in this time and place in our nation?” As I heard myself asking these questions in late 2016 and into 2017, I recognized that I was often sliding into my ‘default network’, allowing my ‘amygdala to be held hostage’, floating between disbelief and terror. Often I found myself just weeping, I am sure as a result of the shock I was experiencing and the ‘story’ I was telling myself.
Although I continued my daily Practices of Meditation, Mindfulness throughout the day, and Medication in Motion through Gratitude Hikes, I found myself laughing less, sleeping poorly, and not being fully present. I was having conversations about our beloved United States, our Democracy (which I discovered I had always taken for granted), and Humanity, which I had never previously imagined.
I watched in disbelief and sadness as people within my family and community were being bullied and relationships being torn apart. My heart was breaking as I witnessed the venomousness and the horrible divisions among family members, friends, and communities. I was horrified as I read vicious and mean-spirited Facebook posts from people whom I previously had experienced as reasonable, intelligent, and caring.
This was truly ‘uncharted territory’ and my only way through was continuing my mindfulness practices, educating myself, and reminding myself to ‘be in curiosity, wondering what goodness, what miracles, could come from this’?
And the miracles began arriving. They aren’t looking like I thought they would…do they ever?
I was inspired to take the 12-week Peace Ambassador’s Training through The Shift Network, an organization with a mission to help humanity evolve and create a sustainable, healthy, peaceful, and prosperous world. They hold a vision where not only are everyone’s basic needs met while living in peace, but the very best in all of us is expressed, and humanity’s full creative potential is set free. The Peace Ambassador’s Training was profoundly awakening and transformative for me. The many brilliant facilitators included Mahatma Gandhi’s grandson Arun. I knew, once again, that the trajectory of my soul’s journey was changed forever as a result.
Out of that experience and combining all of my previous life work in integrative health, neurobiology, and spirituality, I heard the call from the women across the country in our Joy In Living community who were asking me to support them in healing the wounds that have come from this divisive time in our country. I created the Cultivating Mindful Peace program. Through the program, we integrated Mindfulness, Neuro-biology, and Peace Building, inspiring personal and social transformation for peace.
I have discovered that working together to heal the wounds in our families, our community, our organizations and institutions, our nation, and our planet is essential. I am ‘remembering’ that when we come to the ‘listening’ and the sharing, finding Common Ground, in a state of centered compassion and loving-kindness, with hearts and hands wide open, eyes smiling and connecting with love, miracles indeed abound.
Through connecting with the collective consciousness of our Joy In Living Community, we began to peacefully and mindfully step into action. I know we would not have had the privilege of creating this powerful and empowering opportunity had it not been for The Great Awakening from the upheaval in our country. Out of the chaos…
The darkness of hatred, fear, and separateness has been revealed. We now have the opportunity to bring forward the healing, compassionate, transformative light of love, wisdom, and mindful peace.
We began with ‘Calling The Circle’ through our weekly tele-retreats and later Zoom gatherings. From across the country, we have come together to study and live the Cultivating Mindful Peace practices that I learned from The Peace Ambassador Training. We have discovered that as we continue these peace practices, including first creating peace personally, the energy from them influences our souls and those around us.
We began to see that our choices can influence peace within our families and friends, our work, and our play. We are experiencing all of this radiating out to an experience of national and global peace.
I find myself in a deep state of awe and gratitude for all that we have already had the opportunity to experience together. The teachings, sharing, and actions have been compelling, inspiring, and encouraging. Miracles abounding….
We are a vibrant, nonpartisan group of women who recognize the wisdom and common humanity within each of us. Collectively, we do not identify with any political party as we come from diverse political backgrounds: Republicans, Democrats, and Independents. Our spiritual practices of faith are also diverse, yet we recognize and honor the Spirit within every individual.
What unites us is our common commitment to preserving and protecting the democracy of our United States of America, our Mother Earth, and All Relations through Cultivating Mindful Peace and taking ‘inspired action’. We recognize that healing the wounds is only possible by each of us stepping into a place of ‘possibility for respect, reverence, and mindful peace personally, and socially’.
We have learned that it is essential to approach issues and discussions from a place of centered, educated, powerful, peaceful presence—’informed responding’ rather than ’emotional reacting’. We all recognize the transformative power of prayer and intention…praying and intending for the Highest Good for all of humanity, our democracy, and our planet. We are indeed awakening out of our despair and complacency and into mindful action.
Hmmmmm….and I thought my ‘next chapters’ were going to be quiet and insular. What I know is that through the collective consciousness of our Joy In Living community Cultivating Mindful Peace, we can love, support, and encourage one another and BE peace, listening and taking inspired action as we include mindfully caring for our own souls.
Miracles and infinite possibilities of goodness abound indeed!
