Held in a Wider Web: Interbeing, the Moon, and Compassion

Did you know that everyone, around the world, sees the moon in the same phase? 🌗🌖🌕 How about this - the first time people used the moon as a calendar? 35,000 years ago! The moon connects across time and space.  

Mor Keshet encourages a practice of “interbeing” — intentionally observing our interconnection to other beings, human and non-human – as a way to feel supported and build resilience.

Example: think about how plants emit the oxygen we inhale and consume the CO2 we exhale. So basic! But, also…take a moment to actually think about it and see if any dopamine-generating gratitude shows up. It might feel good — even if it feels silly.

If you’re up for a longer practice of interbeing: contemplate all the people who were involved in getting a carton of milk into your fridge. This is a beautiful meditation suggested by the wise Adreanna Limbach and reproduced, with variation, by me here.

Also — and, this bridge from "self care" to "community care"  might feel really nice at this particular moment in time  — acknowledging our interconnection strengthens compassion.  💙 It does something not just for us, but for the wider web of which we are a part.

Interconnection is mutuality, as described by Rebecca Solnit: “[Mutual aid] is a deep belief in and commitment to inseparability: that my well-being is inseparable from yours and that, in caring for yours, I care for myself…because we are in this together. That is, we are not mutual because of the exchange of aid; we aid each other because we are already mutual.” (More quotes like this here.)

So, thank you for being here. Thank you for being connected. And, if you find it helpful: 

✨Look up at the full moon tonight and imagine all the other people around the world who also see it. 

✨Imagine all our ancestors who have seen it. 

✨Maybe even imagine all the people that we will be ancestors to and who will see it in the future. 

May the moon be a comforting reminder of our interconnection. 🌕