Equanimity practice to cultivate non-reactivity and freedom

his month I’d like to share with you the practice of Equanimity or Non-Reactivity.

In Buddhist psychology, there are the Four Divine Abodes. These are lovingkindness, compassion, joy and the most important, equanimity.

During times of challenge, it is helpful to have a tool we can use to navigate the emotions we are experiencing from exposure to a conflict-filled and struggling world.

This month’s practice focuses on non-reactivity so that we can view what is going on around us with care. Equanimity is an inner refuge that brings freedom and acceptance.

In the words of Tara Brach, a Buddhist-trained meditation teacher who blends Western psychology and Eastern spiritual practices, “If we want to bring our intelligence, creativity and love into our relationships and world, we need to be able to access an inner refuge of presence.”

The family practice I’m sharing with you explores how to bring equanimity (inner balance and nonreactive awareness) into our responses to what is going on around us. The practice uses the mantra, “And This … ,” which allows space for the changing experiences of life to be acknowledged and move through us as we ground in the present moment.

When life gets busy and overwhelming, a powerful antidote is to pause, take a breath, notice what’s going on and then choose our next step. The freedom that comes from the pause is powerful. In the pause is the spaciousness of presence; it allows us to be aware and nonreactive.

And when we’re able to rest and notice what is going on in the moment, we can find peace in our hearts. When we think with the heart, the mind will follow.

Anne-Marie Emanuelli is founder and Creative Director at Mindful Frontiers LLC, an education-based mindfulness meditation center offering workshops, classes and coaching for children, families, classrooms and individuals. For more information visit MindfulFrontiers.net.

‘Between stimulus and response there is a space. In that space is our power to choose our response. In our response lies our growth and our freedom.’

– VIKTOR FRANKL

Author and holocaust survivor