In a time of political upheaval, national unrest, and accelerating climate change, it is important for everyone to find balance in navigating the complexity of our lives today. An increasing number of people are using mindfulness as a way to find peace in the midst of these global and personal crises.
One of the people leading this turn toward mindfulness is Deborah Eden Tull, founder of Mindful Living Revolution, an organization that teaches the practice of conscious compassionate awareness in order to cultivate ecological consciousness toward a sustainable future. Tull is a Zen meditation and engaged mindfulness teacher, public speaker, author, activist, and sustainability educator.
In this interview Tull shares how mindfulness can inform how we find balance during these troubling times, and talks about their panel session at the Annual Bioneers 2020 Conference.
Your teachings focus on “engaged awareness practice.” How can people stay engaged with the world around them during difficult times like these without becoming overwhelmed? Are there times when it’s OK to disengage with the world around us?
The purpose of engaged practice is to bring presence, courage, and compassion to every aspect of our lives. There is no island of peace outside of We Consciousness. Rather, meditation helps us to remember the interconnection that is our natural state. The Buddha was a social reformer and taught meditation as a pathway for transformation. Practice reveals unconscious and systemic biases that have confused humanity for generation upon generation… and engaging in practice allows us to release these biases and remember who we really are. It also allows us to cultivate a steadfast compassionate relationship with ourselves and with life.
