Good Grief Comes with Love
Today we welcome the equinox, a moment of equal night and day!
The light and dark come into balance for a brief pause before we start into autumn’s shorter days here in the Northern Hemisphere.
I can feel the grief rising along with the energy of fall, a time for letting go, slowing down, and digesting what has sprung forth this year.
What a year it has been, and it’s far from done… with a major election on the horizon...
Wildfires are still raging here on the west coast, turning the skies apocalyptic colors, displacing domestic and wildlife, and making air unhealthy to breathe.
We are mourning the passing of Ruth Bader Ginsberg, and honor the life she devoted to equality & justice, advocating for marginalized groups and creating paths where there were none.
And we are still reeling from the losses brought on by CoVid-19 and police violence against black and brown bodies and protestors advocating for them.
There is no going back to the way things were, as much as some of us may want to….
What is coming undone must fall apart so that a more sustainable, humane way of existing can evolve.
So what can we do?….
We can find our humanity and our compassion, for ourselves and each other.
We can talk to the frightened parts of our psyche like a loving mother soothing her child.
We can dance with our sadness and let our tears fall into cups of tea.
We can keep surrendering our desire to control how any of this goes, while still finding the courage to fight for equality, justice, and love.
Image by Mike Gilbert IG @therealmikegilbert
We can microdose discomfort and pain, as we build our strength and capacity to stay present with those sensations.
We can take refuge in spiritual practice, nature, bathtubs, art, any place we encounter beauty and peace.
We can accept the losses, create space for our grief, and cling to what we love like a north star.
We can turn towards information and inspiration, that helps us mobilize towards collective good.
We can rest when and where we can, and support those who cannot take a break.
A deep bow to all of the humans who keep showing up in service,
to grow and serve our food, to fight fires, to fight injustice, to tend to the sick and vulnerable, to remind us who we are and who we can be.
with love,
Kamali
RESOURCES & INSPIRATION
My spiritual teacher introduced me to Martin Pretchel, who’s words about the necessity of grief as part of life penetrates me every time I encounter them. This is a beautiful talk about the relationship between grief and praise….
Grief & Praise Part 1
https://youtu.be/UUwewfPPSbE
Grief & Praise Part 2
https://youtu.be/6uAuP30ZD5A
Grief & Praise Part 3
https://youtu.be/r3PeRGtTYTk