I recently attended a workshop on Tibetan Buddhist Art and Meditation at Omega Institute. While not a practicing Buddhist, I am an avid student of contemplative practices from many different traditions. At the retreat, we worked on creating a Thangka (traditional Tibetan art drawing of a Buddha) of Green Tara.

Interspersed with our drawing sessions were meditation practices and contemplation breaks. I supplemented these with an in-depth study of a book by Pema Chödrön, called Start Where You Are. In retrospect, it feels as if it was exactly the slogan that I needed at the moment, as I had never taken an art class before

What does being grounded mean to you? To me, being grounded means being fully present in my body. It involves experiencing each moment as it comes, even when it includes pain or discomfort.

Discomfort is something we often try to avoid or dismiss. If we don’t completely reject it, we tend to want to speed through it or replace it with something more pleasant. How can we stay embodied when we feel uncomfortable with the sensations in our bodies or the thoughts in our minds? When I experience discomfort in my body or the fluctuating emotions and thoughts of my psyche, how do I return to a state of balance?

Chop wood, carry water

There is a Zen proverb I always loved: “Before enlightenment: chop wood, carry water. After enlightenment: Chop wood, carry water”. For me, it’s served as a reminder of what most of us easily forget as we get caught up in the race to get to a destination, and that is to be fully embodied in the moment by moment experience. Embracing the present moment, fully immersed in our current reality, allows us to embrace our humanity. Through this immersion, we open ourselves to a broader perspective, humbly acknowledging our place in the vastness of the Universe, and recognizing the truth of our own insignificance.