Welcome to Meditation for Social Justice.
My name is Jerry and I'm on the Mid North Coast of New South Wales in Australia.
Thank you so much for joining me today as we meditate for people who may be experiencing poverty and financial hardship.
Is there a way to building resilience in the face of poverty and hardship?
So before we begin,
I'd like to acknowledge the traditional custodians of the lands on which we gather today.
I pay my respects to the Gambanian peoples of the Mid North Coast and New South Wales in Australia whose deep connection to land,
Waters and culture has endured for countless generations.
I extend my respect to all Indigenous peoples,
Elders past and present.
So let's begin.
Find a position that feels comfortable for you.
Comfort is crucial in meditation.
Relax into that position.
Place your hands into your lap or on your knees.
Let your shoulders soften and make sure that your spine is upright.
Let your breath come and go.
Notice your breath as you gently breathe in and out.
Now close your eyes.
Let's take a nice long slow deep breath in.
And hold it.
Let's do that again.
Let's take a nice long slow deep breath in.
There are still millions of people throughout the world who experience financial hardship and poverty.
For a person in poverty,
Every decision is filtered through the lens of survival.
Some of the choices can be as extreme as choosing between affording rent and paying electricity bills or choosing between medications and having food for dinner that night.
In this context,
It is extremely difficult to prioritise social connection even though we know that social connection is critical for wellbeing.
Some people are in what we call intergenerational poverty.
They're in financial hardship because their parents were in financial hardship.
And without intervention,
It's likely their children will have the same experience.
So poverty is more than the absence of wealth.
It's a condition that can restrict access to food,
Education,
Healthcare and safety.
Hardship in its many forms often deepens this struggle,
Creating cycles that are difficult to escape.
Yet history shows that the human spirit is remarkably resilient.
Communities facing poverty often cultivate deep compassion,
Creativity and solidarity.
By bringing awareness to poverty and hardship in meditation,
We foster empathy and we begin to recognise our shared humanity.
Where dignity,
Justice and care are not privileges,
But rights for all.
So in our meditation today,
We're going to use a Sanskrit mantra.
Let's say that together.
Let's say it quietly to ourselves.
If in saying your mantra today,
You find yourself drifting into thoughts or start to lose concentration,
That's okay.
Just notice and come back to saying your mantra.
Today you'll hear three bells.
The first bell will tell us that we've started.
The second bell,
Which will be halfway through.
And the third bell,
Which tells us that we're nearly at the end.
When you hear the third bell,
Just continue to sit comfortably with your eyes closed and I'll come in and guide us through to the end.
Dayam Namaha Just continue to keep saying your mantra.
Dayam Namaha Just continue to keep saying your mantra.
Namaha I bow to compassion.
Finding resilience in the face of poverty and hardship.
It's time to complete your mantra.
Just continue to sit comfortably with your eyes closed.
So let's take a nice,
Long,
Slow,
Deep breath in.
And let that go.
So now let's make an intention.
An intention is a paragraph or statement that we'd like to make to be able to help us connect to people who may be experiencing poverty and financial hardship at the moment.
My intention is,
I hold space for resilience,
Compassion and dignity for myself and all who face hardship.
What's your intention?
So when you're ready,
We're going to bring that intention into our heart.
So let's place our hands on our heart.
And let's take a nice,
Long,
Slow,
Deep breath in.
And bring that intention into our heart.
And feel it move into our heart.
And now let's breathe that intention out into the universe.
And we know that the universe will pick up our intentions and take them to every part of the planet.
And so,
My challenge for you this next week is for the next week,
Choose one small action each day that extends compassion in a practical way.
Tiny seaside hamlet on the mid-north coast of New South Wales in Australia.
This is Gerry.
Thank you so much for joining me today.
And I hope you have a great week ahead.
