It’s tempting to fall into inaction right now. The war in Ukraine, right on the heels of a global, once-in-a-century pandemic, feels overwhelming. If you’ve wanted to just hide in bed in the fetal position, you’re not alone. These are challenging times for sure.

1. To foster peace, we must be peace.
2. To be peace, we must practice mindfulness.

Now, more than ever, we need to practice mindfulness. My preferred method for daily mindfulness is qigong, but use whatever art resonates with you. If you don’t have any experience with mindfulness, then my book is a good place to start.

But first, just take a moment to breathe. Can you take 3 conscious breaths right now? Just three.

• As you breathe in gently through your nose, think, “I know that I’m breathing in.”
• As you breathe out gently through your nose or mouth, think, “I know that I’m breathing out.”

Repeat 3 times. It’s incredibly simple. Peace is simple. It’s not easy, but it’s simple.

If you fail, if you cannot even take 3 mindful breaths — then try again. Try later today, or tomorrow morning, but please try again.

What if the world truly is ending? Breathe anyway. In 1948, C.S. Lewis said:

If we are all going to be destroyed by an atomic bomb, let that bomb when it comes find us doing sensible and human things—praying, working, teaching, reading, listening to music, bathing the children, playing tennis, chatting to our friends over a pint and a game of darts—not huddled together like frightened sheep and thinking about bombs. They may break our bodies (a microbe can do that) but they need not dominate our minds.

Lewis didn’t mention breathing specifically, but I think it is the ultimate example of a “sensible and human” thing. Mindful breathing is what helps us calm our fears, find our courage, and continue with the strange and wonderful business of being talking monkeys on a floating rock spiraling through infinite space.

From the heart,
Sifu Anthony

The post Breathe, Even if the World Is Ending appeared first on Flowing Zen.

Qigong legislation? Huh?

Those two words don’t seem to fit together. And yet, in the state of Oklahoma, there is a piece of legislation attempting to regulate the art of qigong.

Senate Bill 190 aims to establish an Oklahoma Board of Qigong that would regulate how qigong is taught and practiced.

(You can read the bill yourself here.)

So is this bill good or bad?

After reading this post, you can decide for yourself.

The Background in Oklahoma

Since 2003, there have been 4 attempts by acupuncturists in Oklahoma to govern Medical Qigong. In short, they have repeatedly tried to put qigong under their purvue.

There’s no doubt that this would be a bad thing for qigong. If qigong is going to be governed, it should be by qigong practitioners, not acupuncturists.

SB 190 was authored in direct response to those previous attacks. It was written by a fellow qigong practitioner, someone I know and respect. His heart was clearly in the right place, and his efforts to fight bad legislation in Oklahoma should not go unrecognized.

Something needs to be done to protect qigong practitioners in Oklahoma. But is this bill the right answer?

Ken Cohen’s Petition

Ken Cohen, a senior qigong instructor in America who wrote a classic book on the subject, has already taken a public stance against this bill. In an article on change.org, he lists 7 major problems with the bill, which you can read here.

As of this writing, over 1300 people have signed his petition. In a small community like qigong, that’s a lot of signatures!

Sifu Cohen’s petition is making the rounds on social media. Teachers and students alike are coming together in order to stand against SB 190.

News of this bill, perhaps because of Sifu Cohen’s petition, also made it to Channel 2 news in Tulsa. Here’s a snippet from the Channel 2 article:

“The bill would create the Oklahoma Board of Qigong, and the board would be ’empowered to determine the standards associated with qigong practice in the state.’ The board would charge up to $300 for a licensing fee, and investigate possible violations of the measure. Qigong would be banned in the state unless the person is properly licensed by the board. Those who are in violation of the measure would be subject to a fine up to $5,000.”

The bill even appeared in an article in Esquire! (Scroll down for the part about qigong and the Oklahoma bill.)

The Word “Qigong”

So what’s going on here? What’s the problem?

Part of the problem is with the word “qigong” itself. The word is notoriously problematic for many reasons:

• The term “qigong” was established by Liu Guizhen in 1949 to refer to several different Chinese self-healing practices.
• Before 1949, the arts that we now call “qigong” were called by names like daoyin, yangshen, neigong, or xiudao.
• There are literally hundreds of different styles and lineages of “qigong”, with thousands of different techniques. So qigong is virtually impossible to codify.

Medical Qigong

Another problem is the use of the term Medical Qigong.

Over the last 10 or 20 years, Medical Qigong is being used more and more often to refer to a specific, clinical branch of qigong. But let’s be clear that this usage is new. It’s not historically accurate.

Students often get confused by this new usage. That’s because many teachers, myself included, teach Medical Qigong for self-healing. In other words, we teach qigong techniques that can help heal medical conditions. (Click here for an infographic showing the 13 scientifically proven benefits of qigong and tai chi.)

The Medical Qigong that I teach is for self-healing. It’s not clinical therapy. It’s a form of self-care.

For the sake of clarity, I will call the clinical version of Medical Qigong as Clinical Qi Therapy. This makes it clear that there are 2 people involved in the healing process — the therapist, and the client.

Clinical Qi Therapy

In Clinical Qi Therapy, the practitioner emits qi to the client in order to facilitate healing. It’s a form of energy healing similar to Reiki (but older). Think of it as acupressure, but without physically touching the person.

This type of therapy is ancient and has its roots in Chinese Medicine, but it has been heavily promoted in post-Communist China. As a result, you’ll find Clinical Qi Therapy in many hospitals in China.

In the US, there are now many schools teaching Clinical Qi Therapy. Of course, they typically refer to it as Medical Qigong, hence the confusion.

Over the last decade, the Clinical Qi Therapists have attempted to co-opt the term “Medical Qigong”, thus separating themselves from the rest of the qigong community. I’ve even met Clinical Qi Therapists who believe that they are the only ones qualified to safely teach qigong for healing.

(Let me be clear: Qigong is safer than getting into your car. It’s arguably safer than yoga, karate, and tai chi — arts that need no government oversight and require no licensing.)

The Oklahoma bill would effectively cement the Clinical Qi Therapist’s modern definition of Medical Qigong into law even though there is no consensus in the qigong community and no historical precedent.

With this background, you may be better poised to understand the battle that is brewing between the qigong community and the Clinical Qi Therapists.

The 3 Main Categories of Qigong

Historically, there are hundreds of different qigong styles, but there are 3 main categories:

1. Medical Qigong
2. Martial Qigong
3. Spiritual Qigong

(Note: I’ve previously written about the 5 categories of Qigong. Because there is some disagreement about whether or not Vitality Qigong and Scholarly Qigong are distinct categories or subcategories, I’m focusing on the 3 main categories that all qigong schools agree on.)

Clinical Qi Therapy is best viewed as a subcategory of Medical Qigong. The goal in both is to relieve pain and illness. The only question is whether we’re talking about self-healing or clinical therapy.

Despite all this, most styles of qigong don’t fit neatly into one category.

For example, Martial Qigong (like Tai Chi Qigong) is often used for deep healing.  And people practicing Spiritual Qigong sometimes incorporate Medical Qigong to get rid of, say, low back pain.

So things can get messy. It’s hard to draw clear lines.

Unite Rather than Divide

So how do I feel about the bill?

The outrage surrounding this bill tells me everything I need to know about it. A bill like this should unite the qigong community against outside forces.

Instead, this bill has divided us.

It pits the Clinical Qi Therapists against the rest of the qigong community, with massive legal ramifications if they win.

Can I Still Teach in Oklahoma?

I’ve taught in Oklahoma and right across the border in Arkansas for over a decade. I also have certified instructors living there.

So can I still teach there?

The short answer is: Probably not.

Here is the line that concerns me most from the bill:

However, no person may represent themselves as a qigong medical or clinical qigong practitioner or qigong teacher in any manner, unless licensed in accordance with this act.

Yikes! That makes it pretty clear that I would need a license in order to teach in Oklahoma.

There are several exemptions listed in the bill, but those are not clear either. For example:

Exemption: “Persons who participate in general recreational qigong exercises for self-health and non-specific medical purposes and do not instruct others for profit or receive compensation through donations or by any other means.”

Recreational qigong? Non-specific medical purposes? Huh?

Can I teach a workshop called “Battling Depression with Qigong”, which is based on my own battle with Major Depressive Disorder?

Probably not! I’m certainly not going to risk a $5000 fine!

In other words, a respected teacher with 26 years experience who has taught thousands of students worldwide and certified dozens of qigong instructors — this teacher will need a license in order to teach in Oklahoma. 

And who’s to say that I’ll even qualify for the license! Although I have thousands of hours of training from an accredited acupuncture college (that’s in addition to all my qigong training), my training in Clinical Qi Therapy was done mostly in Asia. I certainly didn’t attend a “Medical Qigong” college here in the US.

No wonder the qigong community is divided!

What You Can Do

I don’t agree with everything that Ken Cohen wrote in his petition, but I support his overall sentiment.

I oppose Senate Bill 190 and I signed his petition.

If you believe as I do that this bill is problematic, then you can do the following.

1. Write to Senator Rader before February 8th — especially if you live in Oklahoma. It will only take 2 minutes. Click this link, scroll down, look for “Office Information”, and then click the link entitled “E-mail Senator Rader”.

2. Sign Ken Cohen’s petition. Click here to read and sign his petition on change.org.

3. Share this post on social media using the links below.

4. Join our Qigong Teachers’ Alliance group on Facebook.

I’d also love to hear from you. Do you have any thoughts on this subject? Anything to add? Did I miss anything? Post in the comments below.

The post The Messy Truth about Qigong Legislation in Oklahoma appeared first on Flowing Zen.

Note from Sifu Anthony: This is a guest post written by Sherrie Cronin, a Flowing Zen Qigong student since 2013 and the author of 5 science fiction novels. I was so impressed with one of her blog posts about world peace that I asked her if she would write a guest post for Flowing Zen. Here’s the beautiful result of that conversation.

If you’ve never heard of qigong before, and you have even a bit of cynicism in your personality, you will probably find yourself amused by the claims of long-time practitioners.

To hear it told, qigong will reduce your blood pressure, eliminate warts, make you smarter, and improve your breath.

Those who have been doing it for a while will say nothing as you shake your head. They know that if you do stick with it, you will be making similar claims of your own some day.

It’s been a mere few years since I was introduced to qigong and Flowing Zen at a wonderful retreat in Costa Rica, and I’ve already amassed my own short list of ways it has improved my life.

But it wasn’t until I recently compiled a book of essays about world peace that I realized how often I refer to my own journey of discovering qigong.

That’s right, add one more ridiculous claim to the list. I’m now touting qigong as a path to world peace.

Telepaths for World Peace

Let me back up. I’m the author of five science fiction novels about various superpowers, including telepathy.

The hero of my first book, Lola, develops her mind-reading abilities via her empathy and her knack for putting herself in someone else’s shoes. She eventually becomes obsessed with people learning to get along.

The promotional t-shirt for the book says “Telepaths for World Peace,” and, because of this novel, for almost five years now I have kept up a blog on the subject of resolving conflict through learning to see the world through the eyes of another.

So yes, I am sort of obsessed with world peace.

Power Corrupts

This doesn’t mean I’m a pacifist; I’m not. I’m pretty sure that I’d defend myself if attacked, and I like to think that I’d go as far as giving up my life if I had to, for the people I love.

And yes, I am grateful for my freedom and to those who have lost their lives in the service of my country.

However, on a less emotional level, I think that most armed conflicts are born of a desire to acquire power, money and land, and then are sold to the people who must fight as being necessary.

I acknowledge that many in power try to do the right thing in difficult circumstances, but I stand by my thesis that almost every armed conflict in the world could be avoided, and would be, if those making the final decisions were only able to send their own friends and families into battle.

Furthermore, I believe that part of the process of mobilizing a group into war requires de-humanizing an enemy, one who is being told pretty much the same thing.

A Force for Peace

So where does qigong fit in?

My contention is that qigong is actually a force for peace in two ways:

1. The first component is that it encourages an inner peace which can be radiated outwards.

Qigong does not simply hand you inner peace, by any means, but the ongoing discipline of mindful meditation provides real world tools to help you fill your own heart with joy, hope and love. Practice and you will feel it. Then lots of peaceful hearts can help yield a peaceful world.

2. The second component is that qigong is helpful for dealing with the malice in the world around you.

It breeds confidence, both physically and mentally, and it’s my observation that confident people are less likely to follow others without asking adequate questions. It encourages calming down, and quieting the chatter in your brain, and often in those calm moments, clarity about those around you emerges.

And, if one is lucky enough to have the right sort of teacher, it encourages forgiveness, humility and compassion in dealing with others.

It’s true that many religions also do this last bit, so please let me go on record as being all for forgiveness, humility and compassion, whatever their source. More is better.

Our Better Selves

Is it possible to study and practice qigong for years and be guided by other, less noble principles instead? Of course it is. We are all human, analog creatures, never completely this or that, and we all slide in and out our of better selves as we make our path in this world.

So do I honestly think that qigong can result in world peace? No. But I do think it can help us get there.

If you’d like to hear more, I’ve put the best of the posts from my blog “Face Painting for World Peace” into a short (121 page) volume of essays that attempt to be both humorous and thought provoking as they examine what I like to call “intra-species harmony” from a wide variety of angles.

Three of my favorites are One Person’s Tourist Destination is Another Person’s Home, My Imaginary Prison Time, and My iPod Works as a Fortune Cookie.

This new eBook is available on Amazon for the least I am allowed to charge (ninety-nine cents), and is similarly available at Barnes and Noble, on Smashwords, and at the iTunes store where it can be found as an iBook by searching on Sherrie Cronin.

You don’t need a fancy device to read it; you can download it on to your computer or your phone or even print it out as a PDF file.

This is not intended to be a money making project; I have pledged to donate half of all proceeds to “Doctors Without Borders.”

This book is my way of embracing 2017 by wishing hope, joy and peace to every human on earth, with no exceptions.

Please enjoy it, and share with others. Then please seek out the chorus being sung by those who believe that kindness should guide our words, our actions and our world, and find a way to sing along, too.

Sherrie Cronin is a retired geophysicist and the author of five science fiction novels. She has been a student of Flowing Zen Qigong since 2013, and has attended several retreats in Costa Rica and Arkansas.

The post How Qigong Can Create a Path to World Peace appeared first on Flowing Zen.

Marriage is so hard. No one really tells you how hard it’s going to be.

They tell you that it takes work, but they don’t tel you that it takes SOUL work.

If you want a happy marriage, then you have to be ready to dig into your soul and pull out the weeds.

America is like a marriage. We have 2 major political parties, and you may have noticed that they don’t really get along.

It’s a rocky marriage.

This is an especially crazy election season. Emotions are high. America is having daily marital fights.

It might seem like this marriage is doomed to fail, but it isn’t.

Remember that, in the history of the world, America is one of the best marriages ever. There’s hope.

It will take work. It will take soul work.

But Americans are gritty. We know how to dig deep. We’re not afraid of getting our hands dirty while pulling out some weeds.

If you feel like you’re going batshit crazy during this election cycle, then you’re not alone.

The Zen tradition has some useful tips to help you get through this election, and also to help us all work towards a healthier America.

1. The One Breath Method

You’re not helping anyone by holding your breath.

You’re not helping your cause, you’re not helping your health, and you’re not helping America.

When you stifle your breathing, you can’t think clearly, your blood flow is restricted, and your qi (or vital energy) stagnates.

In the Zen tradition, there’s a teaching that this breath — the one you are taking right now — could be the one that finally leads to your awakening.

If one breath can potentially enlighten you, then it can probably help with something more mundane, like calming your election crazies.

I call this the One Breath Method.

Try it now. Take one, complete, full breath. Breathe in gently and fully through the nose. Hold it for 1 second. And then release the breath completely through your mouth.

Release until there’s hardly any air left in your lungs. All the way out.

That’s it. Good.

You can — and indeed probably should — do this while scrolling through Facebook, while reading the newspaper, or while watching TV news.

Do it now. Do it often. Just one, complete breath. Even if it doesn’t enlighten you, it will help you get through this crazy election season.

2. Find the Frigging Goodness

Great Compassion is one of the twin pillars of Zen. (The other is Great Wisdom, which I’ll talk about later.)

In order to have Great Compassion, you must train it.

An efficient way to train compassion is to look for the goodness in people.

Everyone has goodness in them. Even Darth Vader. Look for it, and look hard.

This question will make it easier to find:

What good result is this person trying to achieve? What good do they think they are doing?

Remember what I said about marriage being hard work? Well, it’s frigging hard finding the goodness in people.

For example, if you’re pro gun control, and you have a friend who is the opposite, then ask yourself the following question: 

What good result is my pro-gun-rights friend trying to achieve? What good do they think they’re doing?

For example, I know a young woman who was raped as a teenager. She is pro gun rights because she believes strongly in protecting herself. She’s determined to never let something like that happen again. Ever.

That’s why she carries a concealed handgun on her hip at all times (legally, of course).

Whether or not you think that her solution is effective — isn’t there something good that she’s trying to accomplish?

Underneath it all, isn’t she just trying to protect herself from being harmed? And isn’t that, fundamentally, a good thing?

Of course, we can flip it the other way too.

For example, I have a college friend who is passionate about gun control. He works in a crime-ridden area of a major city where kids are frequently killed by illegal guns.

My friend actively promotes gun control as a solution to the inner city violence.

Whether or not you think his solution is effective — isn’t it a good thing to try to protect innocent children?

Maybe you think that less gun control is the solution, but underneath that disagreement, don’t both of you just want to stop kids from getting killed?

What’s the goodness that the other person is trying to achieve? Look for it.

3. Don’t Be Highly Illogical.

Only the facts matter! Charisma doesn’t matter. Spin doesn’t matter! Facts are everything in an election!

It’s a nice notion. It’s a logical notion. Spock would approve.

But Spock would also be the first to point out the fact that humans are highly illogical.

The fact that you haven’t accepted this fact proves that you are human.

It’s okay. It happens to the best of us.

Even Spock wrestled with his emotions.

If Spock, who was 50% more Vulcan than you, had such a hard time controlling his emotions, is it any wonder that you do too?

Maybe an analogy will help.

Everyone knows that sex sells, especially the advertising companies.

Pretending that elections are all about facts is like pretending that people are immune to subliminal advertising. The facts say otherwise, my friend!

Meditation is the only way out of this mess. It is the only thing that gives you the superhuman ability to control your emotions and your thoughts.

If you want to be more in control of your emotions, if you want to be more like Spock, then meditate daily.

If you already meditate and you want to help others to control their emotions — then do what I did and quit your job to become a meditation teacher.

4. Wield the Sword of Manjusri

In the Zen tradition, there is a beautiful story about Manjusri, an enlightened being who wields a flaming sword that cuts through ignorance.

Earlier, I mentioned the twin pillars of Zen — Great Compassion and Great Wisdom. Manjusri’s sword represents Great Wisdom.

And we can all learn to wield it.

Let’s take the issue of sexual abuse.

“What Mr. Trump said on that recording was wrong,” I said to a friend. “It’s wrong to objectify women. It’s wrong to joke about grabbing a woman’s pussy. It’s wrong to touch a woman without consent. Don’t you agree?”

But my friend didn’t answer the question. Instead, he skipped straight to an argument about the sordid past of the Clintons.

This is where we need to learn to wield the sword.

Think of the sword as a wise debate moderator who cuts through all arguments that don’t DIRECTLY relate to the discussion at hand.

Wielding the sword of Manjusri against my friend, I said:

“Can we please focus on one issue at a time? The issue of abuse is really important to me. I want to know whether or not you agree that what Mr. Trump said about women was wrong? Yes or no? Afterward, please feel free to ask a yes or no question about the Clintons.”

The sword cuts through the clutter. It focuses the discussion on one thing at a time. And that’s Zen.

But remember that the sword can — and should — be used against you as well. In fact, it’s a good idea to pass the sword right to your friend after you use it. If you look carefully, that’s exactly what I did in my comment above.

5. Practice Forgiveness Fu

What if your friend doesn’t agree that what Mr. Trump said was wrong? What if they don’t think that abuse is a problem?

They they are wrong. It’s really that simple.

You know that you’re right, right?

Do you need to win an argument with your friend to validate what you already know to be true?

For example, I know that racism is wrong. I don’t need to win an argument with a racist to know that I’m right.

And yet, you’re probably having silent arguments in your head all the time — even when you already know that you’re right.

You probably feel a little crazy at times?

Right?

Forgiveness is the solution to that feeling of craziness. When you practice forgiveness diligently, it’s like a magical potion that sets you free from those endless mental arguments.

It is critical to understand that forgiving someone doesn’t mean that you condone what they did.  That’s not what forgiveness means. We can forgive someone and still hold them responsible.

In fact, if they weren’t responsible, you probably wouldn’t need to forgive them in the first place.

And that’s why it’s so hard.

Remember, to err is human. To forgive is divine.

Practicing forgiveness is hard. In many ways, it’s harder than learning kung fu. Even if it’s the hardest thing you ever do, it’s worth it.

6. Practice Metta Meditation

If you don’t know how to practice forgiveness, then start with Metta Meditation.

Metta meditation is an ancient Zen practice, and it can change your life.

Of course, it’s not just from the Zen tradition. Jesus taught similar ideas, but used different words.

Metta translates to “loving kindness” or “compassionate kindness”.

The way that I teach metta involves 4 stages:

• Stage 1: Send loving kindness to someone you love (pets count).
• Stage 2: Send loving kindness to a neutral person, like a Starbucks barista.
• Stage 3: Send loving kindness to someone you dislike (one or both of the presidential candidates, for example).
• Stage 4: Send loving kindness to yourself.

Here’s a 10-minute guided audio where I lead you through all 4 stages. It’s free.

If you practice this meditation, and find it difficult – congratulations! You are human! It’s hard work.

But it’s good work. It’s important work. It’s soul work.

And it’s patriotic work.

This is how we begin to heal our political marriage. This is how we work towards a better America. This is how Zen can help us in the 21st century.

From the heart,
Sifu Anthony

The post 6 Zen Tips to Get You through This Crazy Election Season appeared first on Flowing Zen.

I love Donald Trump.

There, I said it.

I love The Donald.

I love his presidential candidacy. And I love his supporters.

Does my love make you angry?

Are you thinking, “How the f**k can a Zen teacher possibly love Donald Trump?!?”

If so, then please keep reading. This article (and the free guided meditation at the end) are perfect for you.

No, I’m Not Joking

If you think I’m somehow joking about loving Trump, then you’re going to be disappointed.

I’m not joking. I do actually love him.

The more he opens his bigoted, hate-filled mouth, the more love I send.

Early this morning, I sat on my meditation cushion and sent loving kindness toward Donald Trump using an ancient Zen technique called Metta.

I did the same thing yesterday.

It looks like I’ll probably be doing it again tomorrow.

Why Loving Kindness is the Answer

Trump’s candidacy is running on a platform of hatred, mistrust, fear, and anger.

Do you stand against those things?

If so – and I’m assuming that you do if you’ve read this far – then it is critical that you do not become that which you stand against.

If you respond with hatred, then hatred wins.

And when hatred wins, Trump wins.

Your outrage against Trump’s bigotry is 100% justified, but your hatred is not.

This might be a good time for a quote from a little green Zen master:

What Trump is Teaching Me about Zen

Listening to Trump makes me want to scream.

Not very Zen, I know. Perhaps you can relate?

I know that anger and hatred are not the solution. And yet, I know that I have to do SOMETHING.

This quote comes to mind:

“The world is a dangerous place to live, not because of the people who are evil, but because of the people who don’t do anything about it.” – Albert Einstein

Thanks to Trump, I’m learning that there is something I can do — something important, something that will not only have a positive effect on the world, but also on me.

Here’s what Lao Tzu said 2500 years ago:

“If you want to awaken all of humanity, then awaken all of yourself. If you want to eliminate the suffering in the world, then eliminate all that is dark and negative in yourself. Truly, the greatest gift you have to give is that of your own self-transformation.” – Lao Tzu

You want to awaken all of humanity, right?

I bet you want to wake up Trump supporters, shaking them until they come to their senses.

It won’t work. It never works.

If you want to awaken them, if you want to show them that hatred is not the answer, then start with yourself.

Why I’m Taking a Stance

Let me back up a bit.

Let me explain why I’m taking a stance on this issue:

Because my wife is brown. She was born in Venezuela, she is beautiful, and she is brown. Trump didn’t specifically say anything about Venezuelans, but he might as well have insulted all Latin Americans for all the bigoted comments he made about Mexicans.

Because I want to stand in solidarity with my Mexican friends and students. I’ve been to Mexico, and I love my friends and students there. I want them to know that I don’t agree with what Trump has said about Mexicans.

Because I want to stand in solidarity with my Muslim friends and students. Trump’s anti-Muslim rhetoric is dangerous, and unacceptable, and I want that to be clear to everyone. Below is a picture of me and my wife at a Muslim wedding a year ago. If I’m slightly scared to post a picture from a Muslim wedding, what must it be like for all my Muslim-American friends?

Because of what a middle-eastern Jewish Rabbi once said. He said that we should love our enemies, that we should bless those who curse us, and that we should do good to them that hate us. I think those are pretty wise words. [Matthew 5:44.]

Because of what an Indian monk said 2500 years ago. He said that hatred does not cease through hatred, that hatred only ceases through love. [Verse 5 of the Dhammapada.] He also gave us a technique for practicing this, which I’ll share with you below!

Because…science! Meditation can change the world. Here’s some proof.

What Happens if We Don’t Take a Stance

They say that those who don’t learn from history are bound to repeat it.

Well folks, we are watching history repeat itself. It’s happening right now.

Normally, I cringe whenever someone compares a politician to Hitler. It’s usually just hyperbole.

Trump’s comments, however, rightfully deserve to be compared to Nazi Germany. And to McCarthyism. And the Jim Crow laws. And to the unconstitutional internment of Japanese Americans during WWII.

Recently, Trump called to have a special database to identify Muslims in America.

And then the other day, Trump called to block all Muslims from entering America.

It’s tempting to dismiss Trump.

And yet, he is the leading candidate for a major political party, running for the highest office of the most powerful country in the world.

Resist the strong temptation to dismiss him and his supporters.

Do something.

What You Can Do

Below is an audio file with a 10-minute guided meditation that you can practice right now.

There are no gimmicks here. You don’t need to buy anything. You don’t even need to give me your email.

The audio is free.

I give it to you in the sincere hope that you will actually practice it.

Remember – it takes practice to be a master of loving kindness.

If you practice this meditation, and find it difficult – congratulations! You are human!

It is sure to be uncomfortable and awkward for you to practice loving kindness toward Trump and his followers.

But you know what? You are already uncomfortable! Every time you read about Trump  in the news, you cringe. Right?

The discomfort that you experience during Loving Kindness Meditation is no worse than what you feel when reading the news.

And it gets easier. The more you practice, the easier it gets.

Loving Kindness Guided Meditation (10 Minutes)

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