Another Country

This weekend I wandered to my book shelf and pulled off my 1^st edition copy of the James Baldwin’s classic, Another Country. I was driven by my recent return to my own creative writing; the truth in his words that have been flying across social media in the wake of the #BlackLivesMatter movement, and the recent Supreme Court decision legally supporting gay marriage.

Baldwin was one of my childhood heroes, as were many of the classic literary figures of the last century. I was lucky to be introduced to Claude Brown’s, Manchild in the Promised Land, by my 7^th grade creative writing teacher, when he noticed my boredom with the required reading. My parents approved me to check out and read the book, and after a long 6 months of getting through the book, and asking many uncomfortable questions, I was hooked. I was then opened to the world over the next several years to Ellison, Wright, Hughes, Hurston, Angelou, and most prominently, Baldwin. The years before had been a childhood spent exploring African-American and African history through encyclopedias, biographies written for children, and magazines.  These books allowed a young Black kid, living in a predominately white and conservative suburb of Los Angeles, the opportunity to connect to African-American experiences across the country, if not, the world. Manchild and later Baldwin’s, Go Tell It On The Mountain, also connected me to the experiences of other Black male experiences that was absent in the required reading in most of my classes.

Another Country, once I read it in early high school, instantly became one of my favorite books, and occupies that space in my life until this day. It not only introduced me to many different types of relationships and lifestyles, but also helps to counter the constant racist, homophobic, sexist, and other norms that existed in my immediate and broader environment. As a young straight male, Baldwin’s illustration of gay and bisexual characters were transformative in how I would positively perceive all individuals in society, and instilled the value that we all had the same struggles and human emotion, and desire for love in our lives. The early 80’s environment that I read this 1963 classic in did not embrace this humanity.

Now I embark on this journey again, reading a novel that I have read more than any other (I don’t re-read books often), wondering what my thoughts, feeling, reactions, emotions, and insights will be.  I am only a few pages in, and already understand, and feel what drew me in over 30 years ago. In the coming months I will share how the reading of this classis sits with me a generation later.

Self-Care Series Part 2 – Meditation

Over the next several weeks I will be releasing a series of short blogs on self-care, based on many things that I do personally, and what I have observed in others. This will be a primer for a future self-care and life journey book to appear in 2016. Enjoy the journey!

This is the second blog in my Self-Care Series.

Meditation

I just finished my morning mediation, and I reflected to when I was a kid, and I would often sit in meditative states unaware that I was tapping into an ancient practice that exist in different forms in many cultures. I would move away from my quiet sessions alone where I attempt to calm myself during frustrating times ad a child. As I grew into a young adult I viewed meditation/mindfulness as something that was not attainable to me. It was something that well trained followers of eastern religions executed, and unless I converted to those faiths, meditation was not accessible to me. I was not aware that many faiths, non-faiths, religions, cultures, ethnicities, etc. practiced some form of meditation. Over the last 15 years I have been lucky enough to rediscover meditation through reading, spiritual discovery, and yoga.

For most of us the toughest thing to do is to be alone with ourselves, with no music, television, reading, video games or any other activity going on, except sitting quietly with just you. I know when I first began to sit; I was terrified of what I might find out about my true self.

My practice has been pulled from different traditions, but mainly tied to Buddhist and yogic traditions. I first re-attempted meditation years ago through reading books by Stephen Bachelor (Buddhism Without Beliefs), and Angel Kyodo Williams (Being Black). I was not looking for a religion to follow, but more looking for spiritual practices to incorporate into my life that would help with keeping a daily balance, and facing my fears. My practice would remain erratic for several years, until about 7 years ago when I began running regularly again, and practicing yoga. I also was reading text by many spiritual leaders (Pema Chodron, Thich Naht Hahn, the Dalai Lama, Eckhart Tolle, Deepak Chopra. etc.), all of which put forth meditation as one way to bring happiness and joy into your life. One of the hardest parts of meditation is all those thoughts running through your head, and how you begin to let them flow by, and not trigger the fears that impede each day.

It also began to look at how meditation has been instrumental in the following, supported now by medical, scientific, and personal accounts.

·         Emotional well-being

·         Improved physical and emotional stress

·         Improved health, including reduction in blood pressure

·         Improved breathing and relaxation

·         Reduction in worrying and anxiety

·         Improved optimism

·         Improved focus

·         Less depression

·         Better thinking and creativity

·         Lessons premenstrual and menopausal problems

·         And many more

I practice daily now, and incorporate meditation into my other activities, such as running. Meditation is not just sitting with your legs crossed on a cushion. You can sit in a chair; meditate as you exercise, on your walk to work, and many other activities. I even use mindfulness during those stuff conversations and meetings at home and work. I also meditate now with my 2 young children, teaching them early the benefits of mindfulness. My son has testified how he has used his breathing in tough situations in school successfully. In fact, a group called Mindful Schools in Oakland, CA has introduced mindfulness as a way to improve behavior of students.

Meditation is a powerful tool that takes the simplest and hardest action, just being with ourselves. Practicing mindfulness/meditation does not require you to visit a guru or temple, or even attend a yoga or meditation class. There are plenty of guides in spiritual books, or online. Find the style and type of practice that works for you. Whether you sit quietly and follow your breath, or scan your body, or stand next to a running river with your hands at your side, find that space in your daily routine to take, 5, 10, 15, 30 60 minutes to honor  yourself, and you just might find many other parts of your life improve.