Stay Grounded - Pamela Ayo Yetunde

The Buddhist way of life includes recognizing all of life as full of joy and sorrow, not joy or sorrow. In order to live fully with experiences that cause justice and injustice, we endeavor to bring awareness, mindfulness, to as many aspects of our body as possible in the midst of it all so that when reality hits, we are not devastated by the truth. We call this practice being established in the Four Foundations of Mindfulness: breath, body, mind, and sensations.

The truth is that another unarmed Black man, George Floyd, was tortured and murdered and the police officer accused of choking him to death is on trial. What do you think about that? How are those thoughts affecting your mind, body, and breath? How do you feel about the trial? How are your feelings affecting your thoughts, body, and breath? What is the quality of your breathing? What does your breath tell you about your thoughts, sensations, and body? Why be mindful about how the trial is impacting you?

Murder trials are sensational because they impact how we make meaning of our existential concerns. In short, a lot is riding on this case and whether the officer will be acquitted, but nothing about this trial controls your ethical decisions to take care of yourself and your community. Here’s one way how.

Make a vow that over the course of this trial, you will do your best to pay attention to yourself by grounding all aspects of yourself through the Four Foundations of Mindfulness. Make another vow that no matter whether there is an acquittal, a guilty verdict, or a hung jury, you will not allow the court system to determine your standards of self and community care. To learn more about these practices, read Thich Nhat Hanh’s Transformation and Healing.