Rootedness as Mindful Focus

 

 

My New Mural

My back yard is home to a new mural – a tree with curving branches and vibrantly colored leaves.  Created by Amy Calabrese, it is painted on the side of my garage, and makes a backdrop for the currants and nettles.  I can see the tree as soon as I open my kitchen blinds in the morning.  The mural reminds me of dozens of spiritual principles – beauty, strength, diversity, connectedness, and more. But today rootedness is at the top of my list.  Rootedness is the ability to anchor ourselves in our values and principles. It enables us to be in the world as strong, vibrant, assertive participants.

Rootedness Nurtures Us

With any tree, including this imaginary one, we tend to notice the leaves first. But leaves are only made possible by the tree rooting itself. That step must happen first. This in turn nourishes the branches and leaves. And just like the tree, if we are going to show up and be vibrant in the world, we need to root ourselves in our values and deeper purpose.

This week I’ve had an abundance of emails and messages in my news feed reminding me to be strong in the face of adversity. My favorite is this one posted by my friend Susan Slack:

Do not be daunted by the enormity of the world’s grief.

Do justly, now. Love mercy, now. Walk humbly, now.

You are not obligated to complete the work, 

But neither are you free to abandon it.(1)

I love this quote, however, I don’t think it is possible to be “not daunted” without rootedness. That’s what feeds us and makes us more able to confront the injustices in the world.

The Almost Invisible Preying Mantis

Tucked away in the upper branches of the tree, almost invisible at first, is a preying mantis. The quiet nature of the mantis reminds me that there are people all over the world working for good. I might not see them or know exactly what they are doing, but they are out there. And each of them is drawing on their own rootedness, grounding themselves in love, kindness, and connection so they can be a light in the world.

The mindfulness focus this week is rootedness.  We can pay close attention to what anchors and nourishes us and make a deliberate effort to be grounded and connected first, before we head out into the world.  This is an act of self-nurturing and survival.

     For more information on weekly mindfulness focus words  click here

(1)This quote is attributed to Rabbi Ravi Shaprio, A.W. Streane,  and also The Talmud.  I am not sure which it is, but it is beautiful and so appropriate to what we are living through.