Leighna Harrison, Ph.D.

"What do you create that helps you make sense of the world? Do you write, like Alvarez? Do you paint? Do you sing? Do you cook? Do you dance?

Meditation comes in many forms. Finding peace through movement, through creation, through flow can transcend the mundane and the painful, arriving deliciously at the divine, the ethereal.

Today’s meditation is a moving one: Reflect on a movement that is meditative for you. It might be one of the ones listed above, or it might be something else. It might be something you do all the time, or it might be something you long to do which you have yet to engage in.

Set the time for 2 minutes and do whatever your movement is. If it’s something that takes time, improvise. Maybe eat a snack mindfully. There’s no wrong way — simply moving, creating, engaging, and embodying is key. Notice what comes up for you: vitality, energy, adrenaline? Or perhaps there’s judgment or sadness around why you haven’t been doing more of whatever it is. Whatever the feelings, just notice them and gently bring yourself back to movement. In states of fear, from the most horrifying to the mundanity of analysis paralysis, it is movement that brings us back to, and into, life."

"Think about times when you have been (and may continue to be) the only person in the room who looks like you. Times when you’ve felt and feel lonely. Think back to the very first time you felt that way. You were probably a much younger person than you are now.

Honor the little girl inside of you that was brave enough to keep going, to keep persisting despite the loneliness. Breathe deeply; feeling into this time: what season of the year was it? where were you? what did you feel like? how old were you?

As you go throughout your day today, imagine this version of you by your side. Maybe you drive by the place where she felt the loneliest – the school yard, the gym, the community center. Or if you’re far away from that place, just imagine it in your mind. Invite your childlike self to hop in the car or hop on the bus with you. Take her hand. Take her to do something fun. The two of you. You’re not alone anymore. You never were. You never are."

"Reflect on the balance you have to find between how you will be perceived by others versus speaking your truth. The ubiquitous catch 22: if you come on too strong, the “angry” label may be readily on the lips and minds of whomever you’re interacting with; if you don’t come on strong enough, labels of “weak” may quickly follow.

This balancing act is “in addition to” the usual trials and tribulations of life; these mental hoops you jump through are not of your making. While holding space for the overwhelm and the injustice of this reality, embrace and celebrate the parts of your reality which you can create.

As you go throughout your day today, notice and acknowledge the moments when you have to “think twice” about your response to any given situation. If feelings of anger, vulnerability, helplessness, or shame arise during these instances, simply notice these too. Breathe into them. Practice compassion by reminding yourself that women of color everywhere share a version of this experience. You are not alone. Then gift yourself a tiny act of kindness - a long exhale, a neck roll, a cool drink of water, a stretch from the ground up to the sky.'

"Reflect on moments when your voice has been silenced, or you weren’t able to express yourself as you wished. Maybe this happened to you often as a child, to the point that you may now unwittingly do it to yourself.

As you inhale, imagine the air flowing into your nose and down to your throat chakra - the energy bridge between the body and the mind. As the air flows over and through your throat chakra, imagine it relaxing, washing away all those moments your words were lost or swallowed. Imagine it cleansing any accompanying shame you might feel around these memories. Imagine it clearing the pathway between your body and mind.

On your exhale, imagine that the lost and unspoken words, sentiments, emotions, and memories inside you are released into the world. Relax into a state of lightness at this release."

"So much of our time these days is spent consuming, consuming, consuming – the news, social media, shows while our proactive, creative muscles go stagnant.

When do you feel the most creative? What creation do you want to freely and joyously add to or give to the world?

Find a moment to sit quietly and breathe. As the air goes in through your nose, and down into your lungs and belly, call to mind the beautiful things you make, have made, or long to make. Hold these images lovingly in mind. On your exhale, imagine your out breath as the first part of your process of creation, of your beautiful elegance that feeds the world.

As your mind weaves throughout your ideas, and as you move throughout your day, remember that your creations are no less and no greater than even the most delicate spider’s web. They all have their place, and they all belong — just as you do — beautiful elegant creations necessary to nourish the world."

"Reflect on how you care for yourself. Do you put everyone else first? Did you see your mother and/or other female caregivers live selflessly, sometimes at the expense of their own health and well-being? Maybe because of that you find yourself overcorrecting. Do you vacillate between taking care of yourself - at the risk of being called self-centered, or as Lorde says ‘self-indulgent’ - and feeling terrified that if you give even an inch you will lose yourself?

In today’s meditation, focus on letting go of shame over either of these decisions. Honor that this shame is not yours to bear. Think of it as not having been internalized, but rather ‘appropriated’, meaning: you can give it back.

Sit quietly. Focus on how you will take care of yourself. Listen to what your body, your heart, and your emotions need. It may be that caring for others is your self-care. Honor your right to choose. Also focus on the loved one that is ‘you’. The loved one that is inside of you. Spend 5 minutes thinking of her and how you will care for her today. How does this small act of self-care fit into larger movements of resistance? What will your self-care look like today? "