Just Introduce Yourself –
April 9, 2020 – As a mindfulness teacher, my students are sharing their concerns about having strong emotions, like fear, as if they shouldn’t. They seem surprised that mindfulness is not always working to keep them from feeling unbalanced and overwhelmed in the face of an unprecedented global crisis.
Here’s what I tell them: Mindfulness is not a barrier to feeling overwhelmed. When some piece of news or alarming reality knocks you down, you may well feel completely overwhelmed. It’s natural. It’s your body’s response to alarm. One helpful approach to returning to your senses is grounding yourself in them: notice something you see, something you feel, something you smell, something you hear, something you taste.
A WAVE practice to help you surf these uncertain times
Welcome what’s bubbling up, in fact, invite it in! Resistance = more suffering.
Accept and feel what your body is experiencing, allow all your emotions to rise and fall
Value the enormity of these unprecedented experiences – learn and grow
Embrace yourself in any way you can, letting kindness guide your path
