June 2022 Reflections
Dear Friends,
Berkeley is in summer mode. On walks with Quinn and Stephanie, sunshine warms my skin and the fragrance of a neighbor’s jasmine lingers on our block. At the same time, there is heaviness in the air. We feel the reverberations of violence in our wider community, the families grieving unimaginable loss, the lives brutally taken in Tulsa, Buffalo, Uvalde and the overturning of Roe vs Wade. The list of suffering is long and dark.
Despair, grief, fear, anger, sadness, depression, anxiety—these are all feelings that arise when we experience collective moments like these. But we also need to stay awake to life, for our families and ourselves. So, how do we continue to show up, send our children off to school, and live with an open heart? I always come back to the wisdom of Mr. Rogers, who said,
“When I was a boy
and I would see scary things in the news,
my mother would say to me,
‘Look for the helpers.
You will always find people who are helping.’”
His words speak to a real and tangible way to cultivate resilience by actively doing the work and being our own caretakers.
Of course, being a person who helps looks differently for everyone. It can look like joining a local protest or donating to organizations that advocate for sensible gun reform. And when the time comes, voting. “Helping” can also mean responding to ourselves in a peaceful way. We can rely on the hope that creating more space in our lives allows us to bring that calm energy in all our interactions. We can buoy others with our own grounding within this troubled world.
Yoga philosophy asks us to explore the tools that build and encourage greater peace. For example, ahimsa or non-harming brings in the opportunity to see the truth moment by moment. What does my body need right now? How can I take care of myself? Am I making kind choices? These questions are always worth asking, in part because we’re learning to model healing in all our relationships. As we become more skillful off the mat, we are better equipped to pass on what we’re learning. And when the world seems like too much of a burden to carry, sometimes these are the reminders we need to return to for as long as it takes. This is still a lifelong practice.
Warmly - Pete