For thousands of generations,
Indigenous people have felt an inherent connection to ourselves,
Our people,
And the land.
Resilience in the face of uncertainty is shaped by three things,
An open heart,
A clear mind,
And a centered body.
Instead of getting tangled up in fear,
Anger,
Self-blame,
Or worry,
I want to encourage us to come back to the center.
Hawaiians call this piko,
P-i-k-o,
And we all have them.
They're our belly buttons,
A steady and constant reminder of the source of life itself and our connection to people and place and our ability to evolve through Papahāno Moku,
Our name that we give Mother Earth.
And this is associated with our matriarchal bloodlines.
Right below our piko is called the na'au,
Our enlightened heart,
And it's the gut,
Literally the intestines.
Today I want to invite the idea that relationships matter and can be affirmed through four core Indigenous acts of mindfulness,
Grounded in intention,
Listening,
Remembering,
And expression.
By paying close attention and seeing the destination and who we want to become,
There is a moment of pause.
We're in that moment where we feel tension in us,
We feel worry,
We observe what's happening in our hearts,
Remembering our strength,
The strength of our ancestors,
And living authentically by courageously moving forward while also looking back to the source,
The piko,
The center of who we are.
What's happening for you right now is challenging.
It's uncertain and difficult.
Know that you belong,
You are important,
And you are loved.
We are in this together.
Let's begin.
What do you need today to restore balance,
Find peace,
And purpose?
What and who gives you strength?
Take a deep breath right below your piko into your gut,
Your enlightened heart.
What do you need right now?
Strength,
Courage,
Love.
Find that word.
What do you need?
Find that word and settle in.
What do you need?
Now that you have that word,
See it in your mind's eye.
I want to invite you to just listen here.
Repeat it here.
Settle into a cadence of your breath.
Inhale,
One,
Two,
Three,
Four,
Hold,
And exhale,
One,
Two,
Three,
Four,
Five,
Six.
Find that word.
Inhale,
One,
Two,
Three,
Four,
Hold,
And exhale,
One,
Two,
Three,
Four,
Five,
Six.
Find that word and settle in.
Hear your word,
See it,
Feel it,
Breathe life into it,
And give it power.
Notice your wandering thoughts.
Release them.
Focus on your breath.
Give power to your word.
Notice your wandering thoughts,
Your worries.
Invite them to just pass through you.
Be here.
Breathe.
Breathe.
May I remember my words today.
May I trust in the power of my breath.
May I trust in the power of my words to give life to all that I am and who I am destined to become.
May I find compassion for myself so that I can act with intention.
Listening with an open mind and an open heart,
May I always remember my connection to my ancestors and to others through my picol,
My center,
The source of life itself,
And my connection to humanity.
May I remember the lands and the places that rest in my heart's memory through challenging times like this.
May I remember that I belong.
I have a purpose.
I am loved.
And so it is.
It has been said.
And it is done.
