Autumn always ushers in a complexity of energies: The excitement of new beginnings coupled with the tender feeling of nostalgia… and maybe a resistance to letting go. It is a time of paradox, a time for transition and transformation.

Spiritual teachings remind us that we aren’t in nature, we are nature, and whatever happens outside of us is happening within. As we see the leaves begin to dry out, perhaps you are feeling a thirst for hydration in your body, on your skin.

On top of this anxiety-oriented season, I can’t not acknowledge that we are also in the midst of an election season. Things are extra stressful.

That’s why almost every week leading up to the election, I’m leading a free meditation series to help support us.

Now, this is a neutral, human-centered space. All are welcome.

We are invited here to regulate our nervous systems—together—to create space for self-awareness to increase our personal capacity to make more conscious, compassionate choices in our lives, families, and communities, so we are not driven by stress, fear, or habitual reactions.

That’s the work we’ll be doing.

I just read a recent survey from the Center of Psychology that said that 72 percent of Americans are feeling stressed about the election. Additionally, of those 72 percent, 57 percent were anxious about social division and polarization… regardless of the party they were registered with.

I share this because, even if we aren’t going to agree with 50% of our community, our practice can help us see each other’s humanity.

My friend Dr. Gail Parker, the incredible author, psychologist and certified yoga therapist, teaches that we don't have to agree with each other to make space to understand each other. Or to care for each other. Or to recognize each other’s humanity.

When we regulate our nervous system, we help set conditions neurologically and physiologically—in our mind and body—to create space for understanding, compassion, care, and empathy.

We can practice building the expansion of our hearts for each other, for humanity, and very importantly for ourselves as we move through this stressful time and beyond.

When we feel compassion for ourselves, we can access our empathy, not just for those we favor and feel connected to but even for those we don’t.

I want to emphasize that this doesn’t mean you aren’t allowed to have your views, your ideas, your skillful actions, and your wishes for our world. We are just expanding our circle of compassion in order to gain a deeper understanding of our collective humanity.

free meditation series leading up to the election

Each practice will begin with a somatic tool to calm our nervous system, which may include a breathing exercise, movement, or imagery, and then we’ll shift into practicing a variation of the potent metta meditation “Just Like Me.” You can sign up for the full series here or try the first meditation below.

May we all work on the expansion of the heart—our heart.

I’m looking forward to breathing through this journey together.