Sunday Reset

Equanimity 

CMP describes equanimity as an even-minded tendency of impartiality toward all experiences, people or objects, regardless of whether we perceive them as pleasant, unpleasant or neutral. It is the ability to sit with openness and composure, a willingness to acknowledge what arises in life, knowing that we have the capacity to be with what arises and neither grasping nor pushing any experiences away.

How does that feel for you?

I'm curious to know if and how you enjoy equanimity meditation practices and if you feel they support you in real life?  Much of our work at CMP is informed by the work of Jon Kabat-Zinn, Ph.D., and the Mindfulness-Based Stress Reduction program, including some of our equanimity meditations. Let's look at a few of those practices:

Mountain Meditation  envisioning yourself as a mountain, strong and solid, even during turbulent weather, the changing seasons, people’s varying responses to you, etc. More than just envisioning it, you bring a felt sense of actually being a mountain into the body. (read more from Erika's blog)

Sky Meditation  offers an opportunity to rest our awareness on our own interior sky landscape and embody qualities of the sky… qualities like spaciousness and openness.  Our sky meditation reminds us that the sky is so vast, it has the limitless capacity and space to effortlessly and simultaneously hold everything with a sense of neutrality.  An infinite container for the light, the dark, the calm, the storms, the heat, the cold, the planets, the stars, the sun and the moon. (read more from Lisa's blog)

Lake Meditation acknowledges that the mirror-like surface of a lake reflects what is around and above it when conditions are calm.  At other times, conditions may cause the surface of the lake to be choppy, covered with white caps even.  Whatever is going on on the surface of the lake, the depths of the lake remain still, with, at most, small, gentle movements, undulations. (read more from Erika's blog)

Let's take it to the next step, equanimity in real life. 

Can you think of a time when life felt turbulent or bumpy, and you leaned into the equanimity practice for balance and composure?

When faced with those ordinary moments of annoyance or inconvenience, like driving behind a school bus that's constantly stopping, is there a sense of balance? When irritated by the neighbor walking their dog on your yard, is there understanding and a thoughtful response? When an unforeseen traffic jam impacts the schedule, is there a sense of steadiness? When the weather cancels well thought out plans, are we even-tempered? During these times of inconvenience or unmet expectations, is there a sense of steadiness, openness, and balance?

When life hits harder and we encounter extraordinary turbulence and our world feels overwhelmingly stressful, is there a sense of equanimity? Throughout injuries or accidents, major health concerns, a change of employment status or financial insecurity, divorce, moving/relocating, or death, can we sit with openness and composure?

I can only speak for myself. During these stressful times, I'm trying my best. That's all any of us can do.  That's why it's called a practice. We're practicing staying steady in the storm. Will we feel strong emotions and have some powerful thoughts - probably. Can we pause, take a breath, observe what's going on, then proceed with that mindful awareness? We try our best. Practicing mindfulness meditation supports us throughout the ups and downs of life. 

At CMP, we love talking about the finer details of these practices, noting that some people share how helpful they are during unpredictable or uncomfortable times, yet some people don't care for them at all.  We invite all people to practice in a way that feels supportive; try different equanimity meditations and see what you think. Remember, if a meditation feels uncomfortable or unsupportive in anyway, you can always redirect your attention to your breathing, your body, or open up to sounds. 

I'm curious to hear from you,  Do equanimity meditations feel meaningful, and how/when do they show up in your everyday life? Send me anemail.

Warmly,

Julia

Below you'll find a variety of resources around equanimity.