STRESS REDUCTION THROUGH MINDFULNESS AND WISDOM
Mindfulness based stress reduction comes to us through a tradition of wisdom based on a loving and accepting attitude.
The other day, I realized that the Beatles’ song Let it be expressed the heart of that wisdom:
Let it be, let it be, let it be, let it be
Whisper words of wisdom, let it be…
‘Let it be’ is another way of saying ‘let go’—let things be without reacting to them with anger, attachment, envy, or disgust. Allow the world to run its course without losing one’s centre. Even members of our own family are bound to have different tastes and attitudes. We do not have to agree or disagree; we just need to let it be. The same is true of work colleagues.
This does not mean that we condone everything everybody does—it means that we need to be grounded enough to embrace each day and each person the way they are. We can speak our truth, or ‘whisper words of wisdom’ without yelling or insisting. And then we let go and let it be. (By the way, ‘Mother Mary’ in that song is Paul McCartney’s own mother who passed away when he was 14, and later appeared in a dream.)
But what about a wish to make this world a better place, and to support good causes?
The fact is, a person first needs to ‘support’ herself—in the literal sense of being able to stand on her own two feet—before being able to support others. And the stress of reacting emotionally to everything is exhausting. A person who is emotionally exhausted and teetering is in no position to support anyone else.
‘Peace in oneself, peace in the world’ said Thich Nhat Hanh. That is the right order, not only for peace, but also for wisdom, love, and compassion. They emanate from a centre outward.
The next 8-week session includes the practice of mindfulness meditation and its well documented stress-reducing effect. But it doesn’t stop there. Just as a restaurant menu includes a variety of foods such as soup, salad, pizza and chocolat cake, we also need to offer a variety of nourishment to our heart/mind.
During the 8 weeks, we will also also update the practice of meditation to include ‘thinking’ in some of its various guises such as contemplation and reflection.
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