DON’T JUST SIT THERE, DO SOMETHING
This week I was planning to share with you all my fave detox tools, but given current events, I feel compelled to go in a slightly different direction.
In all the intensity of recent deadly hurricanes, tornados, earthquakes, flooding and wildfires, famine and war throughout the world, we are witnessing an immense imbalance in the elements of our planet.
And something has to be done. But what can YOU do if you’re not directly affected by one of these crazy events??
So, while most of what I talk about with my clients and in my programs is about BEING rather than DOING, today I want to talk about what we can DO, while staying present in our being ...
Because we are all so deeply interconnected to one another and the earth, when one part of the world is affected by something intense, it affects us all whether we realize it or not.
In our culture, we’ve been taught that this is nonsense, but over and over again, science is showing us that the butterfly effect is real. [1] [2]
On Thursday, I flew over the San Francisco Bay Area, and it was already blanketed in nasty thick smoke. The air over Lake Tahoe and halfway across Nevada was dirty grey, particularly noticeable because we were above it. And then I got home to Colorado and it was snowing and cold AF, but crisp and clean as ever.
I was grateful, and it would be really easy to disconnect here in my mountain retreat, and bury my head in the sand. I live in such a pristine little corner of the world.
We often hear about crises far away and feel helpless to do anything, and then we just don’t take any action because we don’t know what to do.
So let me offer this: there is ALWAYS something you can do.
I’ve talked A LOT about meditation here recently. If you want the full low-down on the why and how, check out the "Winter Called ..." blog post from a few weeks ago here.
One thing I haven’t talked about in a long time is prayer.
Meditation and prayer are POWERFUL ways to contribute (while sitting.)
And despite what you might be thinking, these are NOT PASSIVE activities.
I know it doesn’t seem like much, but rather than wallowing in hopelessness and sadness, or getting mad and railing at God or Mother Nature or the Universe or whomever (always futile), or burying our heads in the sand and pretending it’s not happening, prayers allow us to do something constructive – even if it’s as simple as sending our positive thoughts and intentions across the world and within our own communities.
Of course, it goes without saying that if there’s something you can do physically, do not hesitate.
For me, the LA fires hit particularly close to home because despite it really not being my vibe, I do have quite a large network of friends and colleagues located there. And because most of my life I’ve lived in wildfire country, it's always been a theme. So today I felt compelled to do some research on some immediate ways to help:
The LA Fire Department Foundation is seeking emergency funds here.
LA GoFundMe Master List: Donate directly to a family member who has lost their home.
The Pasadena Humane Society has been taking in animals and is in need of critical supplies. Donate here.
Mutual Aid LA has compiled a comprehensive spreadsheet of resources by location and aid type here.
LifeStraw has committed to deliver water filters and purifiers to impacted areas, ensuring that survivors have access to safe water during power outages and water system failures. Donate here.
But back to the magic of meditation and prayer – please do not underestimate it.
The world desperately needs more balanced, present humans.
Meditation and prayer will get you more deeply connected to yourself by balancing the elements within you.
Simple practices, yes. But, it’s no small feat.
>>> But imagine if EVERYONE were as calm in a shit-storm as you know you have the capacity to be?
>>> How would people treat each other?
>>> What would be possible that isn't now?
The world is chaotic and full of fear, but the deeper you connect to your truth and your intuition, the more gracefully you'll be able to navigate what comes next, and the more you can contribute to others when that shit-storm isn’t your own.
This week, I invite you to contemplate your own practice for finding stillness, presence and balance within.
And maybe your offering can be as simple as acknowledging someone’s pain, and sending your prayers.
I, for one, have been sitting in meditation and offering prayers all week.
To all my friends in LA today, I’m here to support you in whatever way I can! You are in my prayers, as are all beings.
Make LOVE ❤️ not HUSTLE.
P.S. If detoxing from the holidays – and all the world’s burdens – is still ONE OF your top priority this week, then here’s a little sneak preview of my FAVORITE tool for sweating out impurities and burning calories, reducing stress and boosting mood, and increasing blood flow and circulation. It FEELS SO GOOD!
Combined with a twice yearly liver cleanse protocol (more on that next week), dry brushing, magnesium salt baths, and lymphatic drainage, this is the BEST detox tool I've found. (BTW, my recommendations for upgrading your bath game still stand.)
More on ALL of this next week ...
And BTW, just because EVERYONE can't rest, detox and rejuvenate right now, doesn’t mean you shouldn’t. If you have the means and the space, take care of yourself now so that you can be even stronger when you are called upon to show up. I can’t shake the feeling that we will ALL be called upon soon, so get your body and your psyche rested up now.
REFERENCES
Lorenz, E. N. (1972). Predictability: Does the Flap of a Butterfly’s Wings in Brazil Set Off a Tornado in Texas? American Association for the Advancement of Science, 139th Meeting.
Capra, F. (1996). The Web of Life: A New Scientific Understanding of Living Systems. Anchor Books.