As we explore living in a divided world, as we struggle with the myriad of problems that face us in this moment, it can be hard to understand the teaching of The Middle Way. The invitation to rest in the middle of tension, paradox or discord without needing to resolve it, can feel uncomfortable to say the least.

As we talk about facing the divisiveness that plagues our every moment, the never-ending list of crises that need solving, we are exploring a path within meditation known as “The Middle Way”.

The Middle Way lies between aversion and attachment; it lies within the meeting point of opposites.

We can choose to battle out right/left politics, and all the other ways of division, but the truth is we are the same. We, all beings, Are. The. Same. We share 99.9% of our genetic material with every other human on this earth. We are all scared of dying and of being alone. We all biologically need to belong and feel ‘correct’ in some way. And yet, the more we entrench ourselves in our own correctness, the more we ensure our fears become true. We feel more alone. We feel more threatened and unsafe. 

Climb out of the trench. Sit on your cushion. Land right here, right now. 

Let’s practice. 

This month, on The Mindful Minute we are going to *Deal with Divisiveness* -

I struggle as much as the next person with fear, outrage, frustration and exhaustion. And yet, I do believe there is a way forward, and I believe that our meditation practice always shows us the next right step when we are willing to listen. ⁠

Meditation is always inviting us into the reality of the present, where all opposites exist at once. "The still point of the turning world" as T.S. Eliot calls it... but once we land here, what do we do?⁠

Join me for today’s discussion and guided meditation as we begin an exploration of division and interdependence * together* <3

Today’s 10-minute meditation is a sound meditation that includes an ancient practice from the zen tradition known as a koan.

A koan is a type of teaching that is offered as a phrase, question, short poem that feels both completely cryptic and deeply understood in the same moment.

You don’t have to try to understand or explain it. Just let it live inside you as you listen.

Pop some headphones on for the best sound experience, and let’s begin.

Kyle T Webster is an international award-winning illustrator, living in North Carolina, who has drawn for The New Yorker, TIME, The New York Times, Wall Street Journal, The Atlantic, and more. He is known throughout the world as the founder of KyleBrush.com, the brand behind the world's best-selling Photoshop brushes for professional illustrators, animators, and designers. And most recently, he released an interactive, meditative notebook through Baronfig called Trace.

Today, Kyle and I explore the intersection of mindfulness and creativity, the difference between meditation and meditative practices and how valuable it is to realize what is meditative for you, why boredom is a vital element for our lives, and he shares a bit of his own meditative practice that we can try at home {even if you “can’t” draw!}

This class originally aired in July 2020:

According to the Yoga Sutra, meditation connects us to our inner luminosity & sorrowless joy. In modern day terms, when we talk about meditation as a tool for emotional resiliency, we are really talking about tapping into this inner luminosity. ⁠

We won't avoid hardship and pain in our lives just because we meditate, but we will be able to maintain connection to that inner luminosity and sorrowless joy to help us move through with more grace.

Join me for today’s mini episode of The Mindful Minute as we work with a specific meditation practice to help us build awareness of that inner light.

This class originally aired in July 2020 and is just as fitting today as it was then:

This month, my meditation series has been focused on building emotional resilience. We are learning how to use the tools of meditation to help us not only survive tough times but more so to thrive in our daily lives. Today’s episode, the final installment of this series, is my personal favorite because I think it is the game-changing practice.