Mindfulness in Turbulent Times

In the past few months I have witnessed tremendous increases in anxiety, irritability, depression, and fear about what’s happening in our country and the world, in my mindfulness students and therapy clients (as well as among friends, family, neighbors and most everyone I interact with). At the same time, I’ve heard more people questioning the value of mindfulness practice in these crazy, chaotic times.

How can we make sense of the current political climate in the U.S., and particularly the constant assault on our Democratic institutions and dedicated public servants, from a mindfulness perspective? And more importantly, how can mindfulness help us to manage the anxiety we’re feeling? Here are some thoughts:

1) Mindfulness is not an escape from reality, but rather an embracing of reality that offers true refuge, as the American Buddhist teacher Tara Brach’s book of the same name explains. It gives us a solid ground to stand on, unlike the false refuge of our various addictive behaviors and ways we all have of numbing ourselves or checking out. When we are truly mindful, we can see clearly what is happening, without getting overwhelmed, and we’re less likely to be fooled by those who seek to manipulate our emotions.

2) When we learn to stop, take a breath, and observe what’s happening, both around us and within us, before we act/speak, then we begin to see the full range of choices available in how we respond, to any situation we face. We can choose our response carefully, rather than act/speak reactively. This is a fundamental freedom that no one can take from us, as Viktor Frankl, the Austrian psychiatrist and concentration camp survivor, said so eloquently in his book, Man’s Search for Meaning. Mindfulness practice teaches us response-ability.

3) Mindfulness asks nothing more, and nothing less, of us than deep and honest self-reflection. While the guiding principles of mindfulness are fairly simple, it is not easy to practice, because it requires that we acknowledge all of our thoughts, emotions, actions, and reactions, even the ones we’re not so proud of. It holds us accountable for our words and deeds, asking that we speak wisely, and choose skillful action, in ways that are not harmful to ourselves or others. In other words, the opposite of what’s been playing out in the political arena over the past months!

4) Mindfulness increases our capacity to tolerate strong negative emotions and difficult situations. Another of my favorite American Buddhist teachers, Pema Chodron, says, in her book When Things Fall Apart, that things are always falling apart and coming back together again, that much of our suffering comes from our resistance to this inevitable process of change, and that “the healing comes from letting there be room for all of this to happen: room for grief, for relief, for misery, for joy.”

5) There are two opposing forces in the universe, chaos and rigidity. We can see rigidity in how the current occupant of the White House tries to impose his will on others: that’s authoritarianism. We can see chaos in the impulsive and cruel actions of his unelected hatchet man: that’s nihilism. Neither extreme is good. And all of humanity’s struggles can be understood as a quest to find balance between these two forces, both in the world and within our own minds. Dan Siegel, the interpersonal neurobiologist, discusses these ideas in his book, Mindsight. Mindfulness meditation practice can lead us to that balance, a “middle way.”

6) Finally, Mindfulness invites us to acknowledge our common humanity, to recognize the fundamental truth that most people want the same things – to be able to take care of themselves and their loved ones, to have financial security, to enjoy basic rights and freedoms, and to be happy. As the television producer Norman Lear used to say, “I am just another version of you.” When we look for the common humanity in each other, we build bridges to understanding and compassion, rather than building walls and more hatred.

In closing I would like to offer a couple of mindfulness practices for these challenging times. The first one is called The Mountain Meditation, adapted from the Mindfulness-Based Relapse Prevention curriculum, and originally published by Jon Kabat-Zinn in his book, Wherever You Go, There You Are. The second one is a brief practice, borrowed from my colleague Renee Burgard, LCSW, called the Mindful Self-Compassion Break. Both can be found on this website, on the Guided Meditation audio files page. Password is “patience”.