Joy work,
Power.
Last time we talked about peace and how we often think that peace is something that can't be achieved until after we get going with a ton of other things.
That it's like some kind of cherry on top of the sundae of life.
We also learned how this is a myth that is taught to keep us away from peace.
They lie and say that peace is complicated and hard and hardly ever gets done.
This is what keeps them justifying the violence and fighting and separation.
So we learn that peace must come first.
It's every step as Thich Nhat Hanh says.
This means it's in the very first step.
And today we are taking the second step to power.
Power is another one of those things that suffers from myth,
Especially for women and people of color and those in the non-binary,
Non-cis,
Non-hetero,
Non-citizen communities.
Power has been taught to us as a binary opposition.
This is a different kind of logic from the myths around peace.
In the myth of peace,
Peace is achieved after a long and arduous linear progression that comes to an end.
In the myths around power,
Power is an either or.
Either you have it or you don't.
It's the same kind of logic that trips us up in other ways and makes us feel unworthy or illegitimate,
Good,
Bad,
Right,
Wrong,
Rich,
Poor,
Black,
White,
Female,
Male,
Gay,
Straight.
This is a lie.
It is a lie created by those on the right side of history,
On the right side of the binary,
To make others on the other side feel powerless.
You are not powerless.
You never have been.
You like Dorothy in the Wizard of Oz have had the power within you the whole time,
My dear.
Today,
We're going to do a meditation that will allow you to have a vision of your own power.
Take a moment now and set up your meditation area.
You may want to light a candle or burn some incense.
Grab a favorite blanket.
Allow your body to be as comfortable as possible.
And then take a deep breath into your belly.
Fill your belly with a color you love.
Exhale.
Let that color spread in waves throughout your whole body.
Inhale the color.
Exhale it into every cell.
Feel how you,
Your mind,
Your breath,
Your body,
Your spirit are together doing this.
Inhaling your favorite color.
Inhaling and let it spread with warmth and light beautifully.
Repeat this again four more times on your own.
Breathing your color,
Light,
Pattern into your belly and letting it swirl all over you on the exhale.
Take your time.
Enjoy the process.
EXHAL bye bye.
Now as you breathe in,
Fill your belly with your own beautiful vision of power.
And on the exhale,
Send this in waves of light and breath out to all the people also doing this meditation around the world.
Power is not an either or.
Power includes everyone and it is time now for you to take back your power because you do have skill.
You are an amazing person.
You love other people and thrill in their joy and achievement.
Sit with this.
And then imagine the face of a mentor in front of you.
See your mentor saying to you,
I see how you are ready to stop beating yourself up and find the support you need to get motivated and believe in your own power.
Sit with this message.
Now,
Imagine your higher self,
Your vision of the self you are becoming.
And feel your higher self looking into your eyes and saying,
I am proud of you because you are allowing yourself to be supported and guided while doing your joy work.
Sit with this message.
Feel it in your spirit.
And now expand your vision and see your joy work being done.
See yourself doing it in your home,
In your work,
In your community.
Feel how this feels in your heart.
See yourself practicing joy work in your own life daily.
See yourself thriving and powerful.
Sit with this vision.
Feel how this feels.
All of this is possible,
Is happening,
Is real.
Because you are doing it right now.
You are committed to showing up fully to the best of your ability.
And you are doing that.
You know you need the support that makes your joy work come from a place of happiness rather than suffering.
And you are doing that.
You are willing to join a community that thinks differently about the process of balancing home,
Work,
And community.
And you are doing that.
Sit with your own power in mind,
Body,
And spirit.
Begin to become aware of your body in the present now by taking a deep breath into your belly.
Imagine combining all the colors,
Light,
And pattern from all the people practicing this same vision.
And exhale,
Let those colors spread out in waves throughout your whole body.
Feel how we,
Our minds,
Our breath,
Our bodies,
Our spirits are together doing this beautifully,
Powerfully.
Repeat this again a few more times on your own.
Even gently bring small movements back to your body.
Begin to integrate the feelings and lessons of the vision into your everyday life,
Wiggling fingers and toes.
Taking your time,
Enjoying the process.
And when you are ready,
You can begin to write whatever you'd like to remember about this vision of power.
