To get in touch with your innate compassion and passion for justice,
We'll begin by entering into a centering contemplative practice.
Begin by making yourself comfortable,
Sitting on a chair or a cushion,
Or lying down on your back if you prefer.
Wherever you decide,
Bring some awareness to your body and your posture.
Centering is facilitated by sitting in a manner that is comfortable,
And in which your head,
Back,
Spine,
And back are aligned without straining upward nor slouching forward.
Sit or lie with equal weight on both sides of the body,
Allowing yourself to feel supported by the chair,
The cushion,
The mat,
Or the floor beneath you.
Feel yourself connecting and grounding down through your sit bones and your feet sitting flat on the floor.
Next I invite you to take three slow,
Deep breaths.
Allow each breath to release on the exhale fully,
So that your body is naturally compelled to take that next breath in,
And that you let go of any tension that you're bringing into your practice today.
Next I invite you simply to practice following your breath,
Following the rise and fall of your abdomen,
Like the in and out of the waves of the sea,
And allowing the distractions and anxieties of your day to settle,
Like mud or dirt sinking to the bottom of a still pool,
And as it settles,
Revealing a clear,
Liquid awareness.
As you continue to follow your path,
To become centered or to drop into your practice,
Allow your awareness to drop from your head down into your body,
Even all the way to the tips of your fingers and toes.
Eventually allow your awareness to come to dwell in your heart center,
A soft,
Warm,
Light,
Open space just behind and below your breastbone.
Find a few moments cultivating and opening into this heart-centered awareness,
This innate From this centered space,
I'm going to guide you through a series of questions intended to help you get in touch with your natural passion for justice and compassionate social action.
I invite you to experiment with how to engage in this exercise,
Either with your eyes open and pausing to reflect and journal,
Or with eyes closed,
Allowing the questions to flow and possibly returning to the journaling later to record the lingering thoughts and sensations from this practice.
First,
What current events or social issues typically grab your attention?
As you notice thoughts arising,
Simply allow them to arise and to be.
There is no need to reject any thought nor to attach to any thought.
For now,
Just note which issues typically arise for you,
Staying centered without any need to do anything about them in this moment.
Second,
Are there any aspects of your personal identity that frame your views on particular justice issues?
Again,
Are there aspects of your personal identity?
These might include family background,
Sex or gender,
Sexual orientation,
Ethnic,
Social,
Economic background,
Spiritual or religious background,
Or lack thereof.
Any aspects of your personal identity that tend to frame your views on justice issues?
Second,
As you pay attention to issues in the world around you,
What makes you angry?
As you note,
Issues or situations or stories that cause anger to arise within you might have to bring a little extra attention to remaining centered,
Focused on the breath,
On that heart-centered awareness.
It's important to note that anger is a natural reaction to the violation of a boundary.
Those boundaries that might include our sense of fairness or justice,
Our commitment to the common good,
To human rights,
To the sovereignty and sanctity of the law.
Most wisely,
Anger draws our attention to a basic good that is being violated.
So as you note your anger,
Can you name the basic good that is being violated by the injustices that cause this anger to arise in you?
This next question asks you to reflect on any personal relationships,
Encounters or experiences that have framed your views on particular issues.
So are there any personal relationships,
Encounters or experiences,
Stories,
Narratives that you have experienced,
Friends have experienced,
Family or loved ones have experienced that frame your views on particular issues related to justice?
Next,
Ask yourself,
How would your family and friends experience your anger?
How would your closest friends or family members or loved ones describe your passions and interests related to compassionate action or social justice?
Are there any social issues that arise consistently or frequently during your contemplative practice,
Whatever that practice might be?
A hint here is that these might include consistent thoughts that might feel like intrusions during times of formal practice.
But I give you permission to give those thoughts a little attention right now.
This final question asks you to tune back into your body and pause to note,
What does it feel like physically in your body,
In your bones to reflect on these questions?
What does it feel like in your body to reflect on these questions?
What sensations do you notice?
Where do you notice them?
Again,
There is no need to do anything with what you notice,
But simply to bring that light of mindful awareness to your experience as you reflect on your own passion for justice.
And as you allow this entire process to sink in,
Spend a few moments bringing your awareness back to your breath,
Into that heart-centered awareness.
Allow your awareness to expand outward,
Noting any sounds or sensations in the room around you.
Taking your time and when you are ready,
Begin to bring some movement to your fingers and toes,
Perhaps moving your head side to side and stretching your neck,
Opening your eyes if they have been closed when you are ready.
