When I first started leading a yoga and meditation group at work, someone told me that I didn’t have to know the whole alphabet to begin teaching something. If I knew A, B and C, that was enough to begin. If I waited until I got to Z and felt like a master, I wouldn’t share anything for a long time. And what if I never get there, or if it takes a lifetime?
Still, my first thought is always “I’m not qualified” when an opportunity comes along to lead a meditation or present about the topic to a group. After all, I really struggle with the concept of a daily practice and I have not made it to a weeklong silent meditation retreat.
What I do know is that meditation is simple to do but really difficult to practice. And what I’ve learned is that I don’t need to be a master of it to hold the space. In fact, it’s really only about holding the space. If I create that space and set an intention, the rest takes care of itself. It’s magical.
I don’t need to be a master of it to hold the space.
I discovered that hosting a group gave me the discipline to practice that I had been lacking. Even if I didn’t manage to meditate on my own all week, there was a group at a set time to help hold me accountable and to support the practice. On these scheduled days, it wasn’t just about me. It was a community. This community inspired me to look for articles that I might share as inspiration, which extended my personal practice.
It’s so easy to make this type of self-care the last of our priorities. But I think that we need to practice holding space now so that we have a ritual for holding each other when we really need it. It’s immediately beneficial, but becomes critical in times of crisis or grief. We need to build the container. If we hold the space, it will hold us.
Audrey and her partner Amy live on a family farm. With their own three acre slice, they consider themselves to be part of a day to day experiment to see how much of their own food can be raised on a small plot while holding down two regular jobs. They are experienced in raising chickens and goats and they recently raised and processed a couple of pigs. They also tend an organic kitchen garden. They find chickens to be one of the most enjoyable and rewarding ventures so far and are eager to share what they have learned through much trial and error to others who want an abundance of the best tasting eggs in their own backyards. Audrey is a beloved Board Member of Abundance NC!
