Queer Practice: Trust The Roots

This practice, designed for queer practitioners (identifying anywhere on the LGBTQ+ spectrum), is a guided journey for reconnecting to a number of key sources of spiritual support – from our most loving friends to our queer ancestors and the unconditioned reality itself. Reestablishing our connection to these roots and our trust in them, we generate deep loving-kindness towards ourselves.

Transcript

This is a short guided meditation for practitioners who identify as queer or anywhere on the LGBTQ plus spectrum.

Although it can be potentially useful for anyone,

It is part of a set of practices that use queer-specific language.

And the aim of this specific practice is to re-establish our connection to several major sources of emotional and spiritual support,

Our spiritual roots.

To begin the practice,

We assume a comfortable stationary position and simply relax.

Staying comfortably still,

We allow our awareness to connect with the quality of stillness in our body,

The background for all the movement in our body,

Our speech and our mind,

Resting our awareness in that stillness.

With a still and relaxed body as our anchor,

We continue breathing naturally,

Releasing all tension with each out-breath.

Before going into the main part of the practice,

We generate a two-fold motivation.

One aspect is our highest spiritual aspiration,

Such as our full awakening for the sake of all sentient beings.

Another aspect is our practical goal right now.

For example,

Finding strength in reconnecting to our spiritual roots.

So we generate that two-fold intention,

Two-fold motivation for our practice.

With this motivation as our basis,

We continue breathing,

Gently rocking on the waves of our changing tactile sensations.

Releasing physical tension and thoughts of past and future for the derivation of this practice,

We simply enjoy the process of awareness itself.

Using these waves of breathing to soothe us.

Then we think of two different people who feel as deeply safe and supportive for us.

To friends,

To relatives,

Or even figures of authority that we feel safe around.

That we feel safe being ourselves around.

These are two different people that feel safe for us.

Part of a refuge.

People who support us.

Provide a welcoming presence.

So we imagine these friends who openly accept us right next to us right now.

Imagining that they're surrounding us with loving care and genuine compassion.

Perhaps they're hugging us.

Maybe they're holding our hands.

Maybe they're looking at us with affection.

Or maybe they're just present.

Present next to us.

Either way,

We're taking a moment to absorb this love and this care.

This affection.

With this feeling,

We aspire.

May I feel loved.

May I feel supported.

May I be at ease.

Moving on,

We think of all the communities and organizations in this world that support our identity,

Our queer identity,

Whatever the specifics of it are,

And support our right to exist.

To be ourselves.

Not all of these communities and organizations are close to us physically,

But at their heart is a wish to provide safety and support.

They are created out of love and compassion.

Imagining all the people in these organizations as tiny stars and giant constellations around the world,

We focus on absorbing their support,

Their affection,

Their care for us.

And with it,

We once again aspire.

May I feel loved.

May I feel supported.

May I be at ease.

Then our attention spreads into the past.

For us,

There have been millions of queer people,

And amongst them so many queer practitioners,

People who practiced the contemplative path,

And saw their bodies and minds as doors to the transcendental.

Some of them practiced engaged action.

Some of them focused on small acts of love.

Some of them contemplated the nature of reality.

Or the dance of their own identity,

The fluidity of it.

And all of them brought their love into this world,

So we can tap into their blessings,

Into their support.

Imagining all of these spiritual ancestors as stars and as constellations in this starry sky around us,

We aspire.

May I feel loved.

May I feel supported.

May I be at ease.

Absorbing this feeling of support,

Affection,

Care,

And presence.

And then turning our attention to the great elements that the material world is made from.

The solidity of earth,

Fluidity of water,

Warmth of fire,

Movement of air,

And expansiveness of space.

All of these elements are both around us and in us.

The element of air is supporting our life right now through our breathing.

And we have a chance to see these elements as a sacred presence that is deeply benevolent.

Supporting presence.

Caring presence.

Testing the five elements we aspire.

May I feel loved.

May I feel supported.

May I be at ease.

For some of us,

There is also the dimension of holy beings or powers that are more personalized than the five elements.

These might be religious figures,

Such as saints,

Angels,

Buddhas,

Bodhisattvas,

Or general principles of goodness,

Or the idea of the great spirit of compassion and love.

If any of these are important to us,

We imagine them surrounding us with their care and affection,

Their acceptance,

Their love and understanding for us.

And with this we aspire.

May I feel loved.

May I feel supported.

May I be at ease.

At this stage in the practice,

We are surrounded by a shining sky full of stars.

Forces of support,

Love,

Affection,

And care.

We are surrounded by all of this support that is dependent on causes and conditions.

And it is at this stage that we drop our thoughts and images to entrust ourselves to the unconditioned.

The deepest nature of reality that defies any attempts at conceptually cutting it into pieces or defining it.

Since this nature transcends the forms of one and many,

Male and female,

Existent and non-existent,

And so on,

It will never reject us.

It is the very ground of our being.

Entrusting ourselves to the unconditioned,

To this ground of being,

We drop all concepts and simply rest.

Out of this transcendental nature,

We re-emerge with thoughts of love and compassion.

For ourselves and for others.

With love and affection,

We dedicate our effort to our highest spiritual aspirations and to always feeling connected to our accepting friends,

Our supporting communities,

Our queer and non-queer spiritual ancestors,

The Five Great Elements,

All the powers of holiness and to the unconditioned.

May we always bring this support and understanding to ourselves and to others,

And may we always be fierce in our loving presence and compassion.

May all beings be happy and free from suffering.

Reviews

Thank you very much for this special meditation.

Excellent and supportive practice.

Wunderbar. Wonderful.

Thank you Michael. Will you schedule again some live sessions in the future?

This meditation is comprehensive, gentle and supportive. Thank you.

Just a beautiful calm energy and voice. Thank you for helping me through my morning

Thank you for this supportive, inspiring meditation.

Aside from a few technical issues—some background noise and a strange transition to the final bell—this was the first meditation that brought tears of joy to my eyes. Once again, I am profoundly grateful.

i so needed this today. a powerful meditation that anchors us in the support of loved ones, our queer ancestors, the elements.

This helped. Don’t feel so alone now.

Really cool of you to make this for us 🙏✨

Thank you. It is so encouraging to realize that so many queer practicioners of meditation have gone before us, and that spirits of holiness are surrounding us.

Beautiful! I love this meditation I feel so connected to my queer community, near and far. Would love to see more meditations like this one 🙏

great times, did not know i needed this, thank you very much! ♥️✨🥺

I found this phenomenal. The pace and clear but still warm style was great. And the little journey of love and affection is wonderful. In my view it is also a wonderful antidote to what I experience, and that is that (big city) queer communities have lost much of their supportive nature to collective meaninglessness and bitchiness. So thanks for this.

Given how impressed with and inspired by this instructor’s other queer-themed meditation I was, I immediately sought this one out. I can’t say I found it as powerful as that one, but then my expectations were extremely high.

It’s still excellent—essentially a variation on metta meditation (to the best of my limited knowledge) that is not just queer inclusive but queer centered. It’s ideal for those of us who either have strained relations with our biological ancestors or who simply want to honor our lesbian/gay/bisexual/trans precursors and/or families of choice.

Not a great starting point for total beginners to meditation, but otherwise very accessible to just about anyone.

Thrilled to see my community acknowledged here, and hoping IT offers more to us in the future.

Wonderfu,l thank you x

Thanks for this! 👌