153: 12 Ways I Stay Engaged In The World, Protect My Nervous System And Uplevel My Teaching
My understanding of the spiritual teachings is that my liberation doesn’t mean anything unless everyone else is free too. The teachings of Buddhism say over and over again that a huge part of our practice is about creating a world where the safety and freedom and happiness of all sentient beings is possible. So from that I take that being engaged in working for a better world is a necessary part of my spiritual practice.
This is a really dark timeline. The things the American government is doing are truly horrific. I want to stay out of the spiral of despair and overwhelm so that I can be engaged, focused, supportive and actually helpful.
Today we are taking a deep dive into the 12 things I do regularly to stay engaged without overloading my system, find ways to be helpful and let it all be part of my practice and teaching. Let’s dive in.
In this episode, you’ll hear:
4 suggestions for staying informed without mainlining the news, because no one’s nervous system is built for that
a soap box speech about social media and how I recommend you engage with it
the things I am doing to try and make both my small world and our wider community places better for everyone
4 things I do every day to keep my nervous system regulated
Resources Mentioned
Recent Podcast Episodes
I am so honored to be joined on the podcast by my teacher Cyndi Lee. As a senior yoga teacher, author, and Buddhist chaplain—Cyndi talks to us about what’s being gained, lost, and misunderstood as artificial intelligence enters yoga, writing, and teaching spaces.
Cyndi reflects on her five decades of practice and teaching. As the founder of Om Yoga Center in New York City, a global hub for yogis from 1998 to 2012, she has witnessed firsthand how yoga has shifted under the pressures of capitalism, scalability, and speed.