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Happy Hour: Appreciating Labor's Love

So formally, hello and welcome to Happy Hour, dear sangha^[1]. Today in the United States is a holiday. This is a holiday weekend, and this Monday is a holiday called Labor Day. It's the day to celebrate labor, the workforce, the labor of all who work. That's a very general description of the holiday.

Given that particular theme, I wanted to use it, but shift it for us to practice appreciation and gratitude for all labor, all work, and all gifts. We can appreciate all the labor and gifts that anyone has given us, both knowingly and unknowingly, as well as appreciating our own labor. The word labor perhaps is kind of laborious, it sounds a little heavy. But maybe we can think of it as something light. For example, I'm wearing this shirt here because of so many people's contributions around the world. This shirt has made its way, providing support from the elements to this body. There's been the designer, the person who has produced it. If it's cotton, the farmer who has produced the cotton, etc. All these human contributions.

Also, closer to home, all of us human beings, whether we've had parents who've been loving or not as caring, for the first four years of our lives, are completely dependent on the care of others. It has taken a lot of labor for us to even survive to make it to this point. So, appreciating the labor, the contributions of people who have supported us—friends, coaches, etc.—as well as our own labor, our own contributions, our own work, our own practice, our own studying, or whatever we have done to bring us to this point.

For the practice today, the invitation is to turn off our judgment. This is not the time to start judging. Of course, the judgmental mind can be there, but we have a choice which way to go. If we notice that we've gone down the road of judging others—"Well, they didn't work so hard and they should have done more"—we come back. We are inclining our mind towards appreciation. We're cultivating appreciation; this is the work we're doing right now. There might be another time for discernment, but right now, given that our minds tend to be more judgmental than appreciative normally, we are going to choose to strengthen the muscle of appreciation. Again, this is not to say there is not a time for discernment; that has a right place and time, but not judgment. There is a sharpness, an acerbicness in judgment that is not helpful and doesn't serve.

Similarly, for ourselves, when we turn today to appreciate ourselves, don't start unleashing all kinds of judgments and self-recriminations onto yourself to evaluate everything you've done as a shortcoming. Turn your mind towards appreciating what has been done, what you've been able to do. That is the frame for today's practice. I've spoken enough, so let's turn to practice appreciation for all our labors and everyone else's together. I'll lead us as usual, so let's begin.

Guided Meditation

Let's begin by landing in this body, landing in this breath. Letting go in this moment, choosing to let go, choosing to put down what is not helpful, what doesn't serve in this moment. Softening, relaxing into the body.

Relaxing, softening into the breath. Allowing your spine to have a sense of integrity, to be upright, rising up from your sit bones from a stable base. Sitting with integrity, tall yet relaxed. The muscles soft and relaxed.

As always, we start with settling, arriving. Just this breath received in the abdomen in this moment in time. Just cherishing this moment as a moment of refuge. Connecting with the breath in the body in this moment.

As we receive the breath, each in-breath, each out-breath, appreciating this body and the way it works. The way it functions, all the internal functions. It's not just the breath; it's the autonomic nervous system functioning. All the chemical, biological functions, systems, actions that support this being who is me, who is us. Functioning without thinking about it too much. Just receiving the breath and whatever sensations reveal themselves, present themselves to you.

And as we connect with the breath, with the body, connecting with appreciation for this body functioning, working as well as it does, which may not be perfect. Breathing, digestion, hearing, seeing, tasting, smelling, touching, healing, etc. So many functions to be grateful for.

And now turning your awareness or attention to someone who's easy in our life. Maybe a parent, maybe a teacher, a coach, a benefactor, someone who's been there for us. We feel gratitude, appreciation for their work, for their labor, perhaps previously unappreciated, unseen, or unacknowledged. Letting a sense of appreciation for their work, for their contributions, for their labor, be an open-hearted one. It's a gift that may be continuing or was previously gifted. By receiving it graciously, continuing to receive open-heartedly, we honor the gift. We honor the labor, honor the contribution, receiving it wholeheartedly with appreciation.

You're welcome to invite more benefactors if you wish in this circle of appreciation. Spending time with each person, not jumping quickly from one to the next, which can get the mind a little unsettled. If we jump too quickly, spend a little bit of time with each. Remember, it's not the time to get judgmental and consider all the shortcomings, but to be generous. Cultivate generosity in seeing the good, cultivating generosity in the appreciation.

And now, if you wish, expanding the circle of appreciation to categories of beings. Maybe all farmers in the world. All fruit pickers, vegetable pickers, all farm laborers all over the world who've had any hand in supporting the food you eat, have eaten. So many people, so many beings. Maybe bringing to mind just one or two.

Maybe appreciating the work of all drivers in the world, everyone working in transportation, supporting the movement of food, of goods. Feeling the interconnection with so much of humanity.

Maybe choosing another category that's meaningful to you, maybe from your profession. All those who've laid the foundation for what you do, or maybe all writers whose writing, whose work you have appreciated.

Now including yourself. Including this being who is you. Appreciating your work, your labor, your contribution to yourself and to others. Your interconnection with others through not just your work, but living your life, simply being. Being a friend, being a neighbor, a child or a parent, a sibling. Seeing others appreciating your contributions, your work, your labor. You simply showing up.

And beware of judgment. If you consider your showing up, your contribution, to be subpar or lousy: "Thank you, judgmental mind, not needed right now." Letting yourself, this being who is you, be appreciated, be seen for your gifts, contributions in this interconnected web of humanity.

You are needed. Your participation is needed.

And for the last moments of this practice period, feeling the interconnection opening. Appreciating the interconnected web and how all our contributions, our participations, all the labor, all the love is needed. And may our contribution be of benefit to ourselves and the whole world. May all beings be free. May all beings be happy.

Reflections

Thank you all, thank you for your practice. We have time for reflections, for questions, time in the sangha to share your insights and observations as a gift to participate with everyone. You can raise your Zoom hand if you wish, or you can also type in the chat.

Jerry has shared with me that today is also the Jewish New Year, so happy Rosh Hashanah. As a part of our practice, we also appreciate the work, the labor, and the contributions of the Jewish community around the world. So, any reflections on this Labor Day, Rosh Hashanah?

Dawn says, "Thank you. The sentiment 'you are needed' was a gift." Thank you, Dawn, and you're welcome to raise your hand to say more if you wish. And Rosie, please.

Rosie: Where I went to in my mind was with my grandmother and my sister who were carers for me in the absence of my mother, and I got in touch with so much love that I experienced as a child that I hadn't really reflected on in that way. Then when I extended that to a group, it was women that have given birth. Because we all came, and that's labor, right? Because we all came from someone that gave birth to us. We had this all in common. The next group were teachers because I saw their influence on me in my life. I really did see—because I'm a high school teacher now—the connection between the care I received from these women in my life then, all the mothers, and then the teachers, and now what I do. Oh, it was a beautiful big web of interconnectedness. Like a map, it was lovely. So thank you.

Nikki: Thank you, Rosie. It's such a beautiful reflection and thank you so much for sharing this beautiful web that came up for you in your practice. I love this other definition of labor! We've all come through wombs of mothers, they've all labored. We thank you for that resonance, that's beautiful. So much love in so many different ways. And we've all had teachers, so many teachers. Beautiful, thank you Rosie.

Lovely. Terence says, "Reflections on the labors of the Buddha and the lineage of the teachers that have connected us with the teachings." Wow, indeed. The labors of the Buddha, it wasn't easy for him. The story goes that after he was awakened, he didn't want to teach. It was too hard. He thought nobody's going to get what he wanted to teach. And it was hard. All the lineage, all the teachers, and all the practitioners. Being practitioners yourselves, you know that sometimes practice is nourishing and rewarding, and sometimes it's hard, it's challenging, it's difficult. So connecting with that, thank you Terence, that's a beautiful reflection. Any other reflections? Any other groups that came up for you? I would love to hear, or anything else. Jeff, please.

Jeff: I just felt a real expansiveness of my heart. Finding the gratitude and the appreciation for entire groups of people, it was just such a big feeling. Just an expansiveness. I almost felt like my heart wanted to beat out of my chest. It was really beautiful, thank you.

Nikki: Thank you, beautiful, thank you so much. Lovely. We have time for one more reflection. Yes, Diana, I do see your hand.

Diana: I have difficulty with one thing, which is that my contributions have been huge. I know them, I think about it in so many ways, but it would be nice to have something recognized at some point, you know? I'm a really good friend to someone, I go through life not feeling recognized, just being there. But I just heard a thought that may be a healing thought for me. The previous speaker talked about his own expansiveness of heart. Maybe it may be within me being closed off and not seeing others' appreciation of me, or something like that.

Nikki: Diana, I love how you circled around your insight as you were speaking out loud into, "Oh yeah, maybe that's what needs a little more leaning into and opening up to." The bigger part. Beautiful. Thank you for your inner wisdom answering your own question, I love it when that happens. Thanks Diana, beautiful.

Jeff, if this is quick here before we go into groups? Yes.

Jeff: It is quick. This was just to address Diana's point. I used to be a real people-pleaser, and I was really looking for a lot of recognition. It wasn't until I started a lot of self-compassion practice, and started to really appreciate myself for who I am, and appreciate what I've accomplished, that I stopped looking externally for that validation. That was a really huge part of my transformation, so I just wanted to share that with you.

Nikki: Thank you, Jeff, for sharing your journey in this way and how this has lit you up. Beautiful. So dear ones, speaking of sharing our journeys with each other and supporting each other in this sangha, now we turn our attention to practicing in small groups of roughly size three or so. As always, we'll start with 15 seconds of silent mettā^[2] for one another, and then you'll speak as little or as much as you wish, appreciating yourself, appreciating others, sharing their practice and sharing your practice. Being in groups is a labor of love, hopefully not too laborious, but maybe leaning into the love, appreciating yourself, appreciating others. So take care of yourself, take care of others, and the rooms are open.

(Breakout rooms session)

Welcome back everyone. So we just have a minute for any... yes Kenneth, I see your hand please.

Kenneth: I have a lot of appreciation for my Kundalini teacher I studied with for years and years because he didn't want to be a teacher either. But when he was given the gift from his teacher, he taught us to honor his own teacher. A lot of times he didn't want to be there, but he did it in honor of his teacher, and I have a lot of respect and love for him because of that.

Nikki: That warms my heart. That absolutely warms my heart. Thanks for bringing him into the circle, Kenneth. Beautiful. So honoring, appreciating all labors, all contributions, ours, others. And all the labors—I love how earlier Rosie brought in the labor of our mothers, a different definition of labor that's going to stay with me for the rest of the day.

So thank you all. Thank you all for showing up, for practicing, for contributing your labor of love to this sangha by showing up, supporting yourselves, supporting each other. May all beings everywhere benefit from our labor of love in our practice. May we awaken, may we be happy, may we be free, and may all beings everywhere be happy and free. Thanks everyone, thank you all.