Is Something Wrong?

 

This week, I have a simple gatha to share. A gatha is a short poem, phrase, or word that brings you home to yourself in the present moment. 

Of course, there are plenty of things that we can name as not "right" in the world. That goes without saying, but inside myself, whenever I feel some generalized anxiousness, I do a quick check-in and, more often than not, can say, "you may be feeling this, Jean, but nothing is really wrong right now." Not in a future moment or a past moment, but in this one right now. It's a reminder to my nervous system that I can be at ease, which, for one reason or other, sometimes needs to be reminded. In the present moment, there is nothing I need to contract against, nothing I need to defend myself against, nothing coming at me, nothing I need to prove. There might be a challenge, an uncertainty about something coming up, an unresolved issue, an insecurity, but while these may feel hard, they aren't "wrong" and in this very moment, I am actually okay. I am breathing. I am here. It moves me into observing what actually is here rather than what might be. "What is" rather than "what if." It grounds me and I can let go.

My invitation this week is to check in with yourself when you feel anxious, restless, or a mild funk descending, or the desire to escape into some habit you'd rather not pick up and ask yourself, "is there anything really wrong right now?" If what comes is relatively insignificant, or not actually real in the moment, can you let yourself know that you can relax, that you are okay?  Can you let go of feeling like there is a weight on you when there isn't? Allow yourself a nice long exhale. Remind yourself that you don't need to hold your breath. Repeat as necessary in the day/week. Some of these tendencies of thinking that there is always something not okay are deeply engrained, often passed on, and we can undo this habit if we want to. We can train ourselves to be at more ease and instead open to what is well and good.

But what about those bigger issues in the world that don't seem okay at all? We have a whole slew of them right now and they may be affecting our nervous system just below the surface, under the radar of immediate experience. They may be adding up to create that generalized anxious feeling. Can I still say, "nothing is wrong?" Yes, and here is why. To say, "nothing is wrong" doesn't mean that actions don't need to be taken. To say, "nothing is wrong" is to acknowledge that what is here isn't a mistake and isn't the result of any one thing. Numerous conditions have come together for this to be here as it is and while it might be heartbreaking, infuriating, frightening to see, we got here for a reason and that's not "wrong." It's something that needs care and attention. It is something we all need to grow from. That shift to a larger perspective brings back our humility and the understanding that we are all part of something much larger. 

Wishing you many moments throughout the week of experiencing "nothing is wrong right now."

🧘🏽‍♀️
Jean