Okay,
Great.
So anyway,
We're doing a theme on.
.
.
Untangling the noose.
Uh which is a very difficult thing to untangle what comes to mind is kind of like when you look in your drawer.
With electronics in it and all the old electronics you haven't looked at in a long time show up and they're all just completely wrapped and tangled and it's just feels like maybe you should just put this down.
But when it comes to the news.
I feel like we can't put it down.
Number one,
It's everywhere around us.
And number two,
We sort of have a responsibility as a citizen,
As a global citizen,
And as a citizen of the country that we live in,
To tune in and to stay informed.
And that's getting harder and harder in today's attention economy,
Where everyone is competing to have the viral headline.
And so everything is put in very extreme terms.
And so we're going to do a little bit of a practice that helps balance that.
But before we do that,
I think it's important to consider that this is a very new thing.
Certainly,
News is not a new concept.
But if you think back,
Maybe,
Let's say,
Before the 19th century,
News was local and it was slow.
Heard about what was happening in the village nearby,
In the town nearby,
In the city nearby,
And maybe weeks after something happens,
You're hearing about what's happening.
In your country and maybe months or even years later you're hearing what's happening on the other side of the world.
And then in the 19th century,
There was a big change.
And I know sometimes it feels like the big change is happening now with smartphones and social media.
But I actually think one of the biggest changes was in the middle of the 19th century when the telegraph was invented.
All of a sudden,
You know,
We had laid pipelines from London to New York,
And you could,
Journalists overnight could get information about what's happening on the other side of the world.
And they were laying the foundation not only for the telegraph,
But they basically laid the foundation for the modern news environment.
Which is now at hyper speed,
Hyper competitive,
Sensationalized,
And very,
Very,
Very challenging.
At the same time,
We don't want to disconnect entirely,
Especially if we live in a democratic country.
Because it's up to the people to keep an eye on what's going on.
So it's a very,
Very complex situation.
And the practice we're going to do today is we're going to start by getting a little bit of that nurturing of reminding ourselves of the beauty that exists in the world and reminding ourselves that not everything is what's happening on the news.
And sometimes we just need that to replenish our energy and to disconnect from what's going on in the world so that we can show up fully when we have been re-energized and recharged and we're ready.
And what tends to happen with the modern news cycle is that there's a new catastrophe,
A new crisis,
You know,
A new moral outrage every hour.
And we never take a moment for ourselves to recharge the batteries.
And so what we're going to do now is we're going to untangle the news a little bit by recharging the batteries.
And then at the very end of the practice,
We're going to step back in and experiment what that might feel like to step in with a sense of awareness and a sense of connection.
I hope this is useful for you.
Hello everyone,
I see you in the chat.
We're going to do some chatting a little after because I'll be very curious to hear what this experience is like for you.
So look out for that later.
For now,
Let's find a comfortable position.
Whatever feels natural for you.
Whatever feels calm.
And restful yet awake and alert.
And find that position.
You might be used to that because you do practices like this all the time.
In which case,
Go for it.
If you're newer to these practices,
First of all,
You should know everything I'm saying is optional and you're more than welcome to just sit back and relax and listen.
And just sort of check this thing out.
And if you do want to lean in,
I recommend Bringing that spine upright,
So even if you're on a chair,
Lifting yourself up off the back of the chair,
The way I'm doing right now.
If you're on a cushion,
You can sit upright.
And raise,
I like to raise the back of the head a little bit just to open up the spine.
Once you've got that position,
Hold that upright spine,
But let go of the tension.
So,
Loosening the face.
Letting go of the jaw.
Shoulders.
Letting the hands gently rest in the lap.
Noticing your contact with the chair or the cushion,
Noticing your feet on the ground.
Just connecting with the body.
And settling in.
Taking a moment.
To just get settled,
There's no need to rush into anything here.
We're going to practice for about 10 minutes.
So we'll have some space.
And no need to rush.
You typically like to close your eyes.
You're more than welcome to do so.
Or if you want to leave them open,
I recommend a gentle gaze.
Maybe picking a single spot to focus on.
Rest your case there.
Now when it comes to the news and the global context in this situation.
Who tends to be a lot of polarization.
And so we're going to explore that a little bit.
By first focusing before we get into it.
You know,
The world that we live in.
Focusing on the beauty.
That lies.
Within the world first.
So what I want you to do first is bring to mind a mental image.
That exemplifies beauty for you.
It might be a person,
A place,
Or a thing.
Could be an individual who you feel has utmost integrity.
Someone you care about,
Someone you love.
Might be a place that you find.
Incessantly beautiful.
You might just imagine yourself there now.
Or might be a thing,
Something symbolic or something literal,
Something.
Human-made or something natural.
It can be a tree.
Living thing.
Could be.
A statue or.
A memento.
Could even be a fictional character.
And once you've got something.
I want you to try to hold that mental image in your mind with absolute clarity,
Like it's in high definition.
Noticing all the little details.
And letting yourself be consumed by that beauty.
And if you're having trouble finding something.
You might just go for something obvious like a beautiful sunset.
Or a view that you particularly enjoy.
Or someone you care about in an uncomplicated way.
Okay.
Continue to mentally picture.
This exemplar of beauty.
And notice how your body feels as you do that.
Notice your embodied response to beauty.
You might notice a change in posture.
Or a change in the quality of your breathing or your heart.
Or even just a sense of emotion.
Spaciousness.
Or maybe you notice nothing in your body,
That's fine as well.
Just continuing to practice and really trying to clarify the experience of beauty.
In as pure a way as you possibly can in this moment.
We'll do this for another minute or two.
I'll leave you some space.
To really get into it.
Again,
High definition and clarity.
You.
Sometimes it can be very enriching to just remind ourselves that there is beauty in the world.
Especially when we live with so much noise,
So much conflict.
To my stories being told.
To remind ourselves that that individual or that place,
That scene,
Or that object that you're imagining right now.
Still exists and it's still as beautiful as it ever was.
And when you're ready.
I want you to take some of this momentum you've built up.
And carry it forward as we delicately step into reflecting on the state of the world.
You might go for the entire earth or you might go for the country that you live in.
Or even the municipality,
Something more local.
But bringing that sense of beauty and seeing if you can find some beauty.
Despite all the chaos and all the stories being told on one side,
On the other.
Is there some example of beauty?
That you're now calibrated to see.
One example might be that people care.
At whatever issue.
Come to mind for you,
You might notice that there are lots of people who care.
About that issue.
And want to do something about it.
Natural compassion.
Expressing itself.
You might also notice that those who might.
Disagree with your values,
Also care.
And even if that's coming in a different way.
To take care too.
There's some beauty there to be found even amidst the fact that they might not be aligned with you.
See if you can take this moment to offer.
A little bit of love and respect for that beauty.
If this is tricky,
It might help.
To maintain a sense of distance.
From your own thinking.
By staying.
Openly aware of your thoughts and reflections as they proceed,
So noticing what seems to naturally come up.
When I issue these prompts.
With a sense of curiosity.
Huh,
That's what I'm thinking about.
Huh,
That's the issue that came up.
And if you're having a hard time finding beauty in this way.
In the state of the world.
That's perfectly normal and perfectly understandable,
It can be very difficult.
Notice that.
Just bring that curiosity forward.
As to the challenge of this reflection.
And the path that now lies ahead of you to see if you can find that beauty.
And what you might do.
In your own life.
To find an access point for that beauty,
To bring it back into your regular awareness in everyday life.
And for this last minute.
I want you to reflect on what we've just done.
And see if you can come up.
With one.
Positive thing that you can do in your life despite all that's going on.
Something that's within your control,
Something that's in your circle.
In your immediate surroundings.
Whether that's people around you or places around you.
One thing that you can do.
That might contribute a little bit more of this beauty into your mind and into the minds of those you care about,
Into the world.
It might be a kind act.
It might be cleaning up something.
You know,
Doing a little interior design to make your.
Living room look beautiful for the other people you live with,
Or I might be going for a walk.
And just filling your mind with nature and trees.
Just try to set an intention for this last minute.
One thing you can do to bring more beauty to the world,
Whether that world is the world inside your mind or the world around you.
OK,
Great.
Nice work,
Everyone.
I know that's a tricky one.
To step into the state of the world now.
