This is an AI-generated transcript from auto-generated subtitles for the video above. It likely contains inaccuracies, especially with speaker attribution if there are multiple speakers.

Happy Hour: Self-Care Through Embodiment

Introduction

So formally, hello and welcome to this rendition of Happy Hour. For today's practice, I'd like to bring in something thematic and also bring some Buddhist practices into that. It's the Olympics, as we all know, and I was quite touched by learning that one of the athletes, Simone Biles, who is a young gymnast—and if I heard correctly on the radio, she's the most decorated female gymnast—decided to pull out and not compete because of mental health.

What I heard is that the reason why they would pull out of a competition at this stage is usually because of a physical injury; it has never been mental health. Her making that courageous statement of self-care is so inspiring. It's inspiring to really not just take care of our physical health but our mental health. Of course, we can imagine how much pressure an Olympian like her would be under, and we all have pressures in our lives of different kinds.

Self-care, of course, we already know this as practitioners, and yet it is wonderful to see it in the zeitgeist. The Olympics being an international event that unifies all of humanity, to see an Olympian at this level really take a step to take care of herself for mental health is something I wanted to bring in. It's a theme worthy of our Happy Hour to give a nod to, for all of us in this community taking care of ourselves physically, emotionally, mentally. Self-care, and not being ashamed of it. There is no shame in self-care. It's so important, and it's actually an act of courage and strength.

We can see it for Simone Biles, and I see it for her and think, "Wow, that's very courageous. You go girl! Pulling out for mental health, what an act of strength." I trust you can see it for her. Now see if it's possible for you to see it for yourself. If there's a day you're too stressed out and it's just too hard, would you think, "No, I'm going to push through. My mental health is not important enough; I'm not sick, I don't have an illness"? Do we not see it for ourselves? Do we appreciate it for others but not for ourselves?

That's one reflection I'd like to bring up for us to sit with this Happy Hour: appreciation of self-care and the courage of self-care.

The other theme I want to bring in is one practice to offer ourselves self-care. There are many ways to offer self-care—the practice of metta^[1], compassion, presence. The way I'd like to invite us to explore tonight is one of holding presence in the physical body. There is the common image of the Buddha, the statues or mudras—this hand movement of the Buddha touching the earth, grounding himself. "As earth may be my witness, I am here. I have the right to be here." Connecting with the sense of stability of the earth, touching the earth with our bodies, and also feeling the solidity of the earth element in the body.

At times when the mind is going all over the place or is very challenging, this can be a support. Grounding oneself, feeling sensations of the earth, and the earth element throughout the body can be very grounding. I'll bring that into the invitations as we explore tonight.

Guided Meditation

Let's get into our practice posture. Let's start our practice together.

Landing in our bodies. Landing in this moment. Connecting with the felt sense of this body. This body connected to the earth, touching the earth.

Rising up from the earth, feeling our spine. This sense of integrity, sitting upright. Well-rooted to the earth with our feet, our legs, our sit bones resting on the earth.

Earth on earth. Resting on the earth. Earth giving its weight to the earth.

The whole body, this body has the earth element. Parts of it solid, heavy, resting on earth. Feeling supported by the earth.

As if we have an image of this whole body sitting, turn the gaze of our awareness internally, all throughout the body. Feet, sit bones, abdomen, chest, arms and hands, neck and shoulders, face. In our own time, feeling the settledness, the solidity. It can be such a sense of comfort coming home to the body. It can especially be stabilizing, calming, soothing to the heart and the mind.

Feeling this comforting solidity in our bones, the touch points. Even in places in the body where it feels empty or vacuous, see if you can feel the sensations of the solidity of the earth element. If it's hard, feel the solidity of the areas surrounding this part of the body. As if supporting, saying, "It's okay. You're supported."

Whatever tenderness there is in the heart, mind, and body can be supported with the stability, the solidity, the rootedness of the earth element elsewhere in the body wherever accessible—the touch points. Maybe the whole body is a whole block. Seeing yourself, this entire body, the solidity, uprightness, integrity rising up.

If you've never tried this, it can be helpful, especially if you step out of yourself for a moment and have an image of this entire body, and step back into solidity. The whole body. Earth on earth.

With this sense of presence, solidity, the earth element—earth sitting on earth—feeling connected to the earth, supported by the earth. You belong here.

Can we feel the sense of support? This earth element both connected to the earth and the solidity in our own bodies. Comforting, supporting, caring, loving, grounding. Imbued with a sense of metta, with care. It's okay. It's okay.

Hold to allow for the courage to recognize we need to care for ourselves physically, emotionally, mentally. It's an act of courage to connect, care, and make space.

Wherever a sense of stability is available, whether throughout the body or just feeling the contact points like the feet, the legs, or the hands, that's enough. If you like, you can experiment with putting the palm of your hand on your heart center, connecting with yourself. Making a connection with solidity, the sense of touch. Feeling a sense of care and the support of touch. Contact. This elemental touch. You can imagine it's either your hand or the hand of a good friend, someone who cares about you, touching you, supporting you. Let yourself be surprised. Your body knows the magic of touch.

As if borrowing from the strength of the earth element in this body, the strength, the support. The strength of compassion, of care.

Shining out the metta in the remaining minutes of this practice period. As we feel supported by the earth, feeling the solidity of this body, letting the care and goodwill shine out. Touching this body first and shining out to all beings who need to take time for self-care, for mental healthcare, emotional health. May they be well.

May all beings, including this being who is me, have all the resources and support they need to take care of themselves happily. May all beings, including this being who is me, have mental happiness and ease.

May all beings, including myself, recognize the need for self-care when it is needed, and take care of oneself happily, with ease. May all of us beings have well-being, goodness, and ease.

May all beings everywhere have mental and physical well-being. May all beings everywhere be free from suffering.

Q&A and Reflections

Thank you all.

So, we explored the theme of self-care—not just physical care but mental suffering and mental health. Then, one way to actually express that care or bring stability and holding is through this practice of the solidity of the body. Grounding the body with the earth element. Both from my teaching and practice, I found this to be so important.

Have you noticed that sometimes if there's a lot of mental distress, unhappiness, or agitation, the body feels as if it contains smoke? As if there's no solidity in the body? As a human, I have experienced that, and I've also witnessed it for many practitioners, especially if they're in very difficult mental states. Bringing this embodiment, this sense of grounding in the body with the solidity—earth on earth, the Buddha sitting on earth, touching the earth—is one aspect that's so important.

Just the sense of metta and care, feeling the whole body. Solidity, uprightness, support, and the calming, soothing lovingness in that. There's also something magical in the sense of touch. As little babies and newborns, when they're cuddled, they calm down. When they feel pressure in their joints, when they feel the solidity, when they're held tight, they calm down. They feel the sense of love and care. For us, it's similar. Touching ourselves, touching our heart center with our hand, holding ourselves, or just mentally touching ourselves and feeling a sense of solidity throughout the body can bring up a sense of stability as well as a sense of care and metta. There's so much science here as well as our own practice of experiencing, "Oh yeah, I feel more stable, more supported. Earth on earth. I belong here."

There's so much more I can say, but I'd love to hear from you. You can raise your Zoom hand to share what it was like for you for the benefit of the sangha^[2], or you can type it in the chat. Bill, please.

Bill: Hello. I really enjoyed the sense of being embodied. I just wanted to say that not too many weeks ago I wasn't able to really do that, but I think you've helped me a great deal there, and I want to say thank you.

Nikki: You're welcome. It is very satisfying to connect, to be embodied. I am delighted! I feel mudita^[3], vicarious joy for your ability to feel embodied after these many weeks of practicing. I do remember the times you would say, "I'm not embodied," so I cheer you on. Fantastic, and the whole sangha cheers you on; I see smiles on people's faces. This is so sweet. Thank you, Bill.

Melanie, please.

Melanie: Hi everyone, this is Melanie. I've been thinking a lot about Simone Biles in life, watching the Olympics and gymnastics really closely. For those of you who follow it more closely, Simone actually said that she withdrew because she got what in gymnastics is called the "twisties." It's when you basically lose sense of where you are in the air. It's incredibly dangerous for gymnasts because they can land on their head if they don't know where they are. I thought that was just so relevant to this practice. This idea that she withdrew because she had lost sense of where she was, and she needed to reconnect her mind with her body. It connects so much to meditation—having that awareness of, "Oh, my mind and my body are too separated right now. I need to withdraw and focus on myself and bring them back together." I really admire her, and I think it is just so related to this practice.

Nikki: Thank you so much, Melanie, for adding this nuanced detail. I got chills as you were describing the connection, which I hadn't heard of. Yes, connecting to her body, which is what we did tonight inspired by her. Beautiful. Thank you so much for bringing this nuance. I'm touched and so heartened.

Trevor, please.

Trevor: Hey. Before I joined tonight, I just got into a huge blowout with my family. It rarely happens in that manner. My dad has stage four cancer and he's potentially one of the most difficult people to deal with. He is not in touch with himself at all, and is very old-school stubborn. Even before the blowout, I had just been talking with a friend about how I have to have that sense of equanimity and do my best to take care of myself. I need to know what that means and what that looks like, to practice that, and to give to his treatment and love him without any expectations. That's a very difficult thing to do with a very difficult person. Just feeling the intense bodily discomfort and almost pain that comes with that level of blowout... thank you for having these every night.

Nikki: Thank you, Trevor. Thank you for being here and practicing for your own sake, the sake of your dad, your entire family, and everyone whose lives you touch. It's hard. What you describe is very hard. Holding you with care and compassion as you hold yourself with the stability and grounding that I trust you can have for your own sake in your practice. Thanks for dropping in tonight, especially after the blowout. I hope this was supportive for you.

So, dear ones, let's turn our attention to practicing in small groups. Oh, one more reflection! An hour before the sitting, I came across a word, so I looked up what it meant. It's the mudra of touching the earth—someone put it in the chat—Bhūmisparśa mudrā^[4]. I didn't know the name of it, and now I know: Bhūmisparśa mudrā. Thank you for that.

[Small group practice occurred here]

Hello everyone, welcome back. The rooms are closed. It's seven o'clock and I'll close our session actually by making a correction. I think I said Simone Biles is the most decorated. According to Wikipedia, she's the most decorated American gymnast and one of the greatest and most dominant gymnasts of all time. I just wanted to correct that if I remembered her accolades wrong.

Thank you all for your practice. I'll stay a couple of minutes extra if you'd like to share reflections. Thank you for showing up and cultivating this practice for yourself and the sake of all beings everywhere. May all beings be connected to their goodness, to their body, and feel supported on this earth. May all beings be free. Thank you.