Meditation to “Make The Difference”

The following is a 6-step instruction for contemplation and meditation practice intended to help make a difference in the world. Whether you are an activist, involved in environmentalism in any way, or just someone inspired to engage and help the world as best you can, this practice is designed for you as a regular ritual for meditation practice. Excerpted from the book, One Makes The Difference – Inspiring Actions that Change our World.

1.    I will be caring and conscious in every choice I make. I will live simply and honor all life, striving to live in a way that respects the Earth. I will remember that every living thing on this planet is not waste, disposable, or trash; rather it is sacred, priceless, and precious.

2.   At the end of a hectic day, take a moment to be still and take a long, deep breath in. Feel it filling up your lungs and then your belly. Imagine that breath going down your legs into your feet. Feel it relaxing all the soreness, stress, and frustration. Let it all go, giving thanks for the gift of air as you release the breath. With every breath in, I will honor the air that connects all living beings – plants, animals, and humans. With every breath out, I will commit myself to working to protect the quality of air for all life.

3.   Standing in the shower, feel the water as it flows down your hair, onto your shoulders, curving through your back, and down your lets until it flows away. Be present and aware of how special this gift truly is.I will honor the life force of water that all of life needs to survive and to thrive, and I will strive to live in a way that protects this sacred gift.

4.   I will live my life in a way that recognizes and honors that I am what I eat and that the Earth and every living creature suffers or thrives by my food choices. The vibrancy of color and life in my food reflects in the vibrancy of my life and character.

5.   I will live my life in a way that honors trees and forests as deeply sacred by greatly reducing my consumption of every piece and every form of paper and wood. Standing with your feel firmly planted on the ground, stretch your arms high into the air. Take a deep breath in, and release the deep breath out with the sound of wind. Wave your arms in the wind of your breath like branches of a tree as you give thanks for all the gifts that trees offer, including clean air to breathe, a stable climate, and water gathering, storing and release.

6.   Beginning with hands at heart center, palms together, slowly wave hands as if they are a ripple — first forward, then moving out to your sides, arcing upward, and then back to heart center. As you do this meditation, think about all of your daily actions and how they ripple out into the world, affecting people’s lives and the planet. Let us honor diversity in all its forms – plant, animal, and human. I recognize that environmental degradation is an attack first against the poor and historically marginalized and oppressed peoples, traditionally people of color. I will live my life in a way that recognizes that my choices ripple out into the world, affecting others’ quality of life.

Note on Photos:  Julia had asked everyone present to lay a hand on the tree and thank nature as a close to the dedication ceremony at the Emily Fowler Library.  Photos by Denton Reads, April 2007