Facts Of Life For White Bodies

This guided meditation has been created for those of us in white bodies to help release shame and fear so that we may become better allies to people of color. There is a short introduction. The meditation will gently guide and challenge you.

Transcript

Welcome.

This is a guided meditation for those of us in white bodies,

Those of us who care deeply about changing things for the better.

By now,

We are mostly acutely aware of the systemic injustice carried out against people of color that has persisted for far too long.

Those of us who care and truly want to be allies in this transformation may have experienced a range of emotions,

Including shame,

Powerlessness,

Helplessness,

Even numbness.

We have often taken the path of least resistance in taking advantage of our privilege.

We have been complicit in ways known and unknown,

And this awareness is painful,

But also essential to acknowledge.

We want to move forward confidently,

But we may have felt hesitant,

Afraid we will say or do the wrong thing.

My friends,

It is time for those of us in white bodies to release fear,

Shame,

And any sense of being stuck in habitual ways of thinking so that we may stand with our friends of color and be impactful.

It is a movement toward wholeness and flourishing for us all.

I thank you for your willingness to be a strong ally.

Your presence here makes a difference.

So I commend you,

And I am honored to join with you in our shared commitment to embody love for all humans,

But especially any who have been oppressed,

Marginalized,

Or disenfranchised.

This my friends is sacred work.

Now perhaps this meditation was not what you expected and you will choose to leave us.

I pray you will reconsider that decision and stay.

If you do decide to leave,

Perhaps you will come back at a later time.

You might want to stop this recording now and take a moment to light a candle as a symbol of the fire that burns within us to be part of this necessary change.

This is good,

Holy work.

Let us begin by taking a comfortable seat.

Close your eyes or soften your gaze.

Feel grounded by bringing awareness to your feet.

Feel the support of the surface beneath you.

Become aware of your entire body,

The crown of your head,

Your spine,

Hips,

Shoulders,

Arms,

Your legs,

Your hands,

And back to your feet.

In your mind's eye,

Visualize yourself in your space.

Imagine the space above,

Below,

And all around your physical body.

Notice any sounds you may hear,

The temperature of the air,

The sensation of your clothes against your skin.

Gently close your lips and begin to deepen the breath.

Decide a slow,

Deep inhalation through the nose and then an even longer exhalation out the nose.

Really take your time with each exhalation.

This will begin to elicit the relaxation response.

Feel yourself grounded and relaxed as you continue taking deep,

Slow breaths in and out through your nose.

If you notice a thought creeping in,

Simply come back to the awareness of your breath.

Breathe in peace.

Breathe out tension.

Let us begin our journey together.

Imagine you're walking on a beautiful wooded path.

It's a lovely spring day.

Feel the sun shining through the trees and a delightful breeze caresses your skin as your feet move you forward on the dirt path beneath you.

You hear birdsong,

Signaling new life,

A whole new season.

As you walk,

Look around.

Begin to notice many different kinds of trees.

Notice the variety of sizes and shapes,

How each one grows differently and at a different pace.

As you look up,

You notice different shapes and sizes of leaves that flutter in the breeze against the backdrop of the clear blue sky.

Directly in front of you is the most magnificent tree,

Unlike the others in its size and stature.

As you come closer,

You notice the trunk of this tree is massive.

Its roots are deeply embedded in the earth.

You can see the tops of the root system protruding above the earth and spreading outward in every direction.

Standing under the tree,

You reach out to feel the texture of the bark,

Noticing its deep brown color.

You feel the temperature change as you stand in the shade of its expansive green leaves.

You look up to see a squirrel scampering happily along a branch with a large acorn in its mouth.

You hear the rhythmic percussion of a large red-headed woodpecker as it makes its mark high above your head.

You slide down to sit with your back against the trunk of this sturdy tree,

Allowing your head to rest.

You feel safe and supported.

Take a full breath and feel the solidness of the tree against your back.

Exhale and feel the entire length of your spine propped up by this beautiful,

Ancient,

Sacred living being that reaches upward toward the heavens and also downward,

Its roots reaching far,

Far into the earth.

The oxygen released from the tree flows into you with every breath,

Even as your exhalation produces carbon dioxide that feeds and nourishes the tree.

As you breathe in,

Feel your spine against the tree.

Allow your body to soften and relax with each breath out.

Take a few more breaths here as you allow the tree to breathe in sync with you,

You and the tree becoming more unified with every breath.

You begin to sense the essence of this ancient majestic tree,

Deeply rooted and also reaching upward toward the bright sunshine.

Imagine the many changes the tree has experienced season to season,

Year after year.

Come aware of the impact of this one tree on the entire ecosystem of the forest.

There is a natural give and take of resources.

Notice the tree's ability to withstand turbulent winds by staying supple.

Notice its easeful way of letting go of leaves when that time comes.

There is an awareness that a small scar inflicted on a young sapling will leave a mark for a lifetime.

As you begin to take in all of these characteristics,

Your admiration and respect for this tenacious living being intensifies.

And then finally,

You bear witness to atrocities inflicted from one human to another in the very branches of this tree.

Breathe that in.

Breathe that out.

As you begin to take your leave,

Silently thank the tree for all of its lessons.

As you walk slowly and mindfully back down the path,

Feel each foot stepping solidly on the earth.

Moving forward,

You walk with new intention.

Each step along the path brings us closer to a new world of equity,

Justice,

And peace.

As you walk,

See the world around you with new clarity.

Knowing what we know,

We cannot go back.

But we can be present,

Standing firm in our commitment to a better world where justice and equity are core values.

We can be still and simply listen.

Firmly rooted in our conviction to love,

We can choose to speak up or act when necessary.

Once we know how deeply interconnected we are,

We can no longer be silent witnesses to injustice.

We can choose to educate ourselves about the ways violence and injustice have been systematically perpetrated against our friends of color and choose to share that knowledge with others.

Standing tall and staying rooted,

We are mindful of the ways those of us in white bodies have had a much easier time moving through the world.

We can appreciate one another and all of our differences as we continue growing together in the true freedom that can only come when we are all free.

From this integrated,

Rooted place,

There is a greater capacity to absorb difficult truths.

I offer one for your reflection.

Because of the history of violence directed toward our siblings of color,

Even the most seemingly innocuous of things,

The image of a beautiful tree may bring up feelings of terror.

This is simply one example of how those who were born arbitrarily into white bodies can easily overlook things that might be threatening to those living in bodies of color.

We too easily fail to see and hear.

Our denial takes us down the convenient path of least resistance.

I honor you for choosing to walk the more difficult path.

Keep walking friends,

Remembering we do not have to be perfect.

We will make mistakes.

I share this poem called The Facts of Life by Padraig Otuma from his book Sorry for Your Troubles.

That you were born and you will die.

That you will sometimes love enough and sometimes not.

That you will lie,

If only to yourself.

That you will get tired.

That you will learn most from the situations you did not choose.

That there will be some things that move you more than you can say.

That you will live.

That you must be loved.

That you will avoid questions most urgently in need of your attention.

That you began as the fusion of a sperm and an egg.

Of two people who once were strangers and may well still be.

That life isn't fair.

That life is sometimes good and sometimes better than good.

That life is often not so good.

That life is real.

And if you can survive it well,

Survive it well with love and art and meaning given where meaning scarce.

That you will learn to live with regret.

That you will learn to live with respect.

That the structures that constrict you may not be permanently constraining.

That you will probably be okay.

That you must accept change before you die,

But you will die anyway.

So you might as well live and you might as well love.

You might as well love.

You might as well love.

My blessings of peace and resolve are with you as you reenter a brighter,

More promising new world.

With great respect,

I offer you namaste.