Hello hello and happy Ash Wednesday to all who celebrate.
One of my earliest memories was being afraid of the people in church with swatches of grey on their forehead, but today I might seek out a service just to partake in a familiar ceremony.
Strange, I know—chalk it up to the past week of world events or this recent round of PMS that has made me cry three times already with no period in sight! I need not tell you how crazy everything feels right now, nor do I need to describe the extended existential dread of witnessing another war through a device that also happens to live in your pocket.
Spirals happen when we aren’t looking. I started to experience this and went off instagram for a few days. I needed to check the compulsive thoughts that asked me to attend only to the world within my phone.
The mind will always wish to run through patterns of tragedy, without keeping count of the emotional toll. It’s a hard thing to remember, but the mind will always want to press towards a problem even when the situation is largely out of your personal control.
Today’s offering is a meditation to anyone feeling overwhelmed and out of control of their own mind. It’s a moment to step into the observer’s perspective and connect with the breath instead of the thoughts.
I hope it’s a release from whatever cycle you may find yourself in.
Sending you all lots of love right now,
James
Attending to Attention