Meditation for Climate Anxiety Welcome to the present moment.
I'm Ryan and I'll be your inner climate guide.
Before we turn inward,
Let's begin by orienting to our surroundings.
From left to right,
Slowly turn your neck and torso.
With a soft gaze,
Just notice what you see.
Maybe a favorite plant.
A nice piece of artwork.
A pleasant color on the wall.
Familiar things.
Maybe something you haven't noticed before.
Looking from left to right,
This helps your body know that it's safe,
Right now,
In this moment,
To turn inward.
It also helps orient you to the present moment.
This place and space you are in is real and it's safe.
When you're ready,
If you like,
You can begin to bring your attention inward.
Starting by noticing the quality of your breath.
Without changing it,
Just notice.
Is it short and fast?
Heavy?
Light?
See if you can begin to add a quality of nourishment that might be deepening or slowing.
Just find a rhythm and pace that feels natural and nourishing to you.
I want you to call to mind a time when you felt strong,
Confident,
And capable.
This is not brute force strength,
But wise,
Inner strength,
Embodiment,
Courage.
It can include outer strength,
Too.
Just find a moment when you felt wise,
Confident strength.
And if nothing comes to mind,
You can create an image in your mind of yourself.
Standing dignified in the face of a challenge,
Perhaps at a podium,
Public speaking,
Or any challenging situation that comes to mind for you.
See if you can grow this feeling inside of you through your breathing.
As you remember or imagine a time when you felt strong and capable.
Just breathe into that feeling,
Recreating it in your body.
This is how we grow inner strength.
Remembering the times we're imagining ourselves as confident,
Competent,
Earthlings.
Continue breathing into this feeling for a few more moments.
Just building your sense of inner resources,
Capacity to hold what life throws at you.
This is about inner trust in your ability to face life with a courageous heart.
Now let's shift our attention toward compassion for ourselves and all others suffering.
If you like putting a hand on your heart or forehead or face and repeating these phrases with me.
May I be safe and protected.
May I be calm and confident.
May I be healthy and strong.
May I find peace in the chaos,
Joy in the hardship.
May I be kind to myself in this era of transformative change.
And now shifting that compassion toward all those who are suffering right now from the effects of climate change.
May all beings be safe and protected.
May all beings find peace in the chaos,
Joy in the hardship.
May all beings be free from suffering and the causes of suffering.
May all beings be healthy and strong.
For the last few moments of our practice together,
Just return to your breath.
Just noticing what you feel right now.
Do you still have a sense of that inner strength you called forth?
Is your heart a little more open?
Whatever you feel right now is okay.
Just know that these are tools in your toolbox that you can come to to practice when you feel the overwhelming grief and anxiety about climate change.
Thank you for joining me for this practice today.
I look forward to seeing you next time.
