Meditative inquiry is the practice of reflection, often guided by a question. It invites deep listening while in a meditative state of being and from my experience it reveals insights and possibilities unknown to the head mind. When shared with others who simply listen the insights more readily take form in some magical way.
Recently when sitting in meditative inquiry on the question, ‘What is the most important thing’ a word emerged. Just one word. Care. This felt right to me and led to further inquiry into the layered ways in which care expresses itself through me.
The care for myself is inextricably connected to care for my loved ones, humans I call family and friends, four-legged family including our dog and horse, plants and trees grown from seed or self-seeded, the oceans, the mountains, the rivers. Expression of care in any of the layers is reflected in the others.
What does care for yourself look like and feel like at this time in your life and in the world as it is?
For me care for myself includes engaged action to build strength in my body and commitment to learning and unlearning so I might loosen the grip of conditioned mind. The former sees me lifting weights and pushing wheel barrows. The latter takes the form of following threads through reading, listening, and searching the internet. It equally includes making space for sitting in silence, walking with senses wide open, or moving and breathing and responding to the unwinding as it needs to arise.
How do you care for loved ones (in all the forms they currently take)?
Care for my loved ones has me choose presence, open, loving, listening presence. Grounded, interconnected presence. The freedom this offers the other is trustworthy space to hear themselves and be heard. The freedom this offers me is trustworthy and safe responding, free of my preferences or agenda. I don’t need to know or do anything to fix or save or advise. When I listen to my dog’s request for time together on the rug I feel the mutual settling of nervous system co-regulation. When I listen to our horse I hear the messages of comfort or discomfort that can guide our way. When I observe and listen to the plants in garden I learn how to care for their flourishing. My listening is an expression of care, and my listening is enough.
What does care for, and in, the world mean for you and your actions at this time?
Care for the world sees me doing all of the above and also growing food, minimising waste, driving an electric car, letter boxing pamphlets for political purposes, considering choices of clothing, deciphering needs from wants and choosing accordingly, having conversations and sharing smiles, being kind on the roads and in the supermarket. It also becomes the contributions I make through online offerings, facilitating retreats, and collaborating with others to bring trainings and gatherings to life. Care multiplies with the opportunities to create community that has the possibility of being a ‘community of care’. It feels like gatherings held by values, guided by principles, and expressed through practices are important and impactful, echoing into systems and structures and influencing needed change.
Care. One word. Simple. Layered. Full of hope and possibility.
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