I’ll be the first to admit it, the concept of “Mindfulness” is getting quite a bit of press. Like anything flashy it captivates. Draws our attention. We may pay a bit of mind to it as the benefits of a sustained practice are, without a doubt, extraordinary. Let me rephrase that…EXTRAordinary. I realized this morsel of Ancient Knowledge found a space in modernity when I read about Mindfulness-based Cognitive Therapy (MBCT). The aforementioned label is a link to the Wikipedia page. Might as well go right to the source.

I was visiting with my friend who has spent the last (30) years in Solitary Confinement and I was telling him about the practice and he blurts out, “That’s what I’ve been doing!” No doubt. Thirty years in a (8x6) box demands extraordinary if you have any chance of nurturing a shred of peace. So I imagine.

And that is the power of Mindfulness. My task is not to provide you with words but rather as ensconced in the title of this post, is to draw forth a connection between cranberries and a game we recently discovered at a workshop. First the game…

Imagine twenty people in a wide circle. Everyone has one person they will throw a rubber ball to and one they will receive from. They are different people. Easy enough. As the ball begins to fly from one person to another (they are soft balls…;-) order ensues. Now, the leader adds another ball…then another ball…then another ball…and if smooth flow continues…one more ball is added. Thus, the name, Pattern Ball. Imagine the wonder if you were to look down and see the uninterrupted flow of multiple colored balls, creating a pattern.

Our learning curve to Pattern Ball proficiency was not steep and it was not fraught with concern, worry, fear nor frustration. While you imagine yourself sharing in the enthralling wonder and glory of Pattern Ball professionals worldwide – you pause to ask, “what about the cranberries?” Indeed, what about the cranberries? We’ll stop here though and let you have a few days, fifteen if you’re a fan of the Blog, to consider. Stay tuned and be mindful for natural connections. (<That last sentence was a hint…;-)

This year from sunset October 11 until after nightfall on October 12, many people, Jewish and non-Jewish marked the Jewish High Holy Day, Yom Kippur with fasting and prayer. While I have heard of Yom Kippur my whole life, I really never knew the significance of the holiday. That is, until Washington Post syndicated columnist, Dana Milbank corrected this oversight in my cultural education.

Like many, I’m sure, I thought the Day of Atonement was singular, when individuals made amends for their numerous oversights throughout the year. The theory goes, when the body is uncomfortable – no food, multiple prayer services, no perfume, etc. for the day – then the soul is also uncomfortable and when one “feels” this pain, they can better appreciate the pain felt by others. Thanks to Milbank, I now understand that while the experience is individual, the empathy lesson is meant to go far beyond the individual. Indeed, the holiday is meant to awaken a sort of “group consciousness” to the suffering we have all inflicted directly and indirectly. He goes on (very eloquently, I might add) to connect this collective responsibility to the current political climate, calling us all out for the historical somnambulism that has allowed political corruption, incivility and divide to fill a gaping void left by lack of community involvement and oversight.

He’s right, of course, nothing happens overnight. Years and years have led us to now and it will no doubt take years and years to fix… if, and only if we all choose to bear some responsibility for the brokenness AND we all begin work to repair it. Big task. Isolated to politics? Nope. From loss of community to mass incarceration, perpetual war to addiction and increasingly medicalized death, we ALL bear some responsibility for allowing cruel isolation, stigma, indiscriminate killing, and electronic anesthesia to become our cultural norms. Is it any wonder employees feel stretched, students feel squeezed, families feel disconnected? All this puts even more pressure on our work and education structures. Admitting it is the first step toward recovery. Consistently acting on that admission is a pathway to long-term, sustainable health and wellness… for our culture, for our workplaces, for our homes, and for our souls.

Let’s be the generation that takes the first step; let’s turn it around… maybe by looking back, maybe by focusing forward on the positive power of community. We can be collectively responsible for joy as well as misery. How? Let me tell you a nifty story about a hungry man and an elephant…

https://www.washingtonpost.com/opinions/shame-on-trump-shame-on-us/2016/10/14/841e54e8-9214-11e6-a6a3-d50061aa9fae_story.html?utm_term=.b9679e3ee213