Things are messy in the world right now, and I don’t have any answers on how to make it feel better, or easier.
Nor should we be trying to make it feel easier, or more comfortable right now.
The protests in America (and around the world) in the wake of the murder of George Floyd by Minnesota police officers are an outpouring of pain, grief, anger, frustration, and a call for change to racist, violent systems based in white supremacy.
Of course that’s uncomfortable. It should be.
Black communities are asking us to listen to them, and to begin the process of affecting real change that will stop things like this from happening, and happening, and happening.
If you meditate, if you have a “spiritual” practice – this is what you’ve been practicing for.
It’s long been my belief that if your spiritual practice is not in service of helping you navigate the difficult and uncomfortable parts of life, then it’s not really serving you at all. And “navigating” uncomfortable things does not mean sending good vibes, meditating to de-stress or maintain status quo. It means asking yourself what needs to be done differently to affect a different outcome, and believing you can do the hard things required in that.
The uncomfortable thing we need to navigate right now is that we live in an inherently racist system rife with inequality, injustice, and violence towards the BIPOC communities. And that needs to change on a material world, physical level.
These systems aren’t even “broken” as many of us have liked to say – they were built this way by white people on the backs of genocide and slavery.
If you’re white and that makes you feel uncomfortable, good. Me too.
I invite us to sit with that discomfort, reflect on how these systems have benefitted us while oppressing others. And then commit to being a part in ending that.
To my black + bipoc friends, followers, community members: I’m sorry. I know I’ll never fully understand your experiences and what our racist systems put you through, but I see you. You matter. I hear you. I support you. I stand with you. I see George Floyd, Breonna Taylor, Ahmaud Arbery, David McAtee, Regis Korchinski-Paquet, and countless other lives lost to racist police brutality and white violence through the years.
You’re always welcome here, and I’m committed to being an ally and a voice in the fight to end police brutality and dismantle white supremacy.
To all of us, but especially to my white friends: If you feel like you don’t know what to do right now, I invite you to really sit in that discomfort and the unknown for at least a few moments.
There’s grief, hurt, confusion, and a lot of chaos. It’s hard to be in this place, but it’s even harder if we ignore it because then it comes back around another time (just like anything else you may have avoided in your personal practice) to hurt more people.
There is not a tidy, overnight solution to ending racial inequality – as we have already seen.
We need to take imperfect action, now.
If your meditation or spiritual practice has taught you anything, it should be to take a breath (because you have the privilege to), let go of the ego or bias that says you can’t do anything, and be willing to add your voice to the fight for racial justice and equality in the world.
If you’re committed to being a part of the solution, it’s time to commit to educating yourself (and continue educating yourself) in how to be an anti-racist ally.
Things you can do off the meditation cushion right now:
Sign petitions calling for justice and change.
Learn about why “defunding the police” is not a radical idea, but a necessary action towards a healthier, more compassionate society (see “What I mean when I say abolish the police”, this Guardian article, Campaign Zero + do a quick Google of actions to take in your own community.)
Some resources I’ve found helpful:
Dear White People, This Is What We Want You To Do: a fantastic black perspective on how to be a good ally, with resources.
Anti-Racist Allyship Starter Pack: a great collection of articles, books, and other resources to continue learning about allyship and anti-racist perspectives.
The ways in which internalized white supremacy shows up
Rachel Cargle’s Public Address on Revolution + The Great Unlearn
This is not a time to simply sit in meditation, prayer, to practice yoga, chant mantras, and engage in whatever “spiritual” practice resonates with you most deeply.
Yes, do those things as always. But then get up, educate yourself, and take action.
Let your practice inspire you with the energy to do something, from wherever you are in the world (because this isn’t just an America problem.)
It’s what I’ll be doing, and I invite you to join me.
If you have additional resources to share with me, my inbox is open. If you have suggestions on how I can be a better ally, or I’ve misstepped in anything I’ve shared today – my inbox is open.
Black lives matter.