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Lately I\u2019ve been contemplating about how to direct my thoughts and take care of myself to maintain an inner calm, while there\u2019s so much violence happening in the world, like last week\u2019s violence in Washington, the ongoing violence towards minority groups and dictatorships who keep misusing their power to undermine democracy.<\/span><\/p>\n How do I cultivate a way of living where this hatred doesn\u2019t take over inside of me? And how do I do that without judging, myself or others? How can I have compassion for these who I strongly disagree with? How do I belong in a world where I feel so much disconnection?<\/span><\/p>\n That\u2019s where I got interested in finding out more about the expression; <\/span>strong back \u2013 soft front;<\/em><\/p>\n According to Buddhist teacher Joan Halifax; And she continues; <\/span>\u201ch<\/em>ow can we give and accept care with strong-back, soft front compassion, moving past fear into a place of genuine tenderness? I believe it comes about when we can be truly transparent, seeing the world clearly \u2014 and letting the world see into us.\u201d<\/em><\/p>\n Author and researcher Bren\u00e9 Brown says, <\/span>\u201cour belonging to each other can\u2019t be lost, but it can be forgotten<\/em>\u201d. Her research has reminded the world in recent years of the uncomfortable, life-giving link between vulnerability and courage. She also speaks about how we walked into the crisis of our life together and how we can move beyond it: with strong backs, soft fronts and wild hearts.<\/span><\/p>\n Ok, so what is a strong back and a soft front? Let\u2019s break it down in smaller pieces.<\/span><\/p>\n Joan Halifax means that having a strong back and a soft front \u201cis about the relationship between the equanimity and compassion\u201d<\/em>. \u00a0<\/span>And if we look into one at a time, a strong back is about equanimity and our capacity to uphold ourselves, especially during difficult times. It means we are cultivating an ability to maintain a calm mind with emotional and mental stability. It enables us to be grounded, rooted and strong while remaining flexible, adaptable and open to change.<\/p>\n The soft front is about opening to things as they are. It\u2019s about accepting life as it is rather than longing or worrying about the future and wishing things were different. Cultivating this quality within ourselves enables us to remain open to life without shutting down or collapsing.\u00a0<\/p>\n If you are willing I invite you to experiment here for a few moments; sit or stand comfortably and allow yourself to feel the feet on the ground and see if you in this moment can trust that the earth is supporting you. Feel the warmth spreading up your legs and spine. Maybe straighten the spine just a bit more. Take a few breaths here, just breathing into the spine. Then move your attention to your heart, you might even put a hand there. Feel the quality of the heart. Maybe you feel your heartbeats. You might even feel a softness. Allow a few breaths just feeling into your heart.<\/span><\/p>\n Then move your attention to a place in-between the spine and the heart. 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<\/span>\u201c<\/em>All too often our so-called strength comes from fear<\/em> <\/span>not love; instead of having a strong back, many of us have a defended front shielding a weak spine. In other words, we walk around brittle and defensive, trying to conceal our lack of confidence. If we strengthen our backs, metaphorically speaking, and develop a spine that\u2019s flexible but sturdy, then we can risk having a front that\u2019s soft and open, representing choiceless compassion. The place in your body where these two meet \u2014 strong back and soft front \u2014 is the brave, tender ground in which to root our caring deeply.<\/em>\u201d<\/em><\/p>\nCall<\/h3>\n
Email<\/h3>\n
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Hours<\/h3>\n