📿 Ground Down, Open Up: A Meditation for Surviving Election Stress

Don’t just do something, sit there

Image by Ron Smith

Growing up, there was a saying at Buddhist summer camp: “Don’t just do something, sit there.” 

As I witness people (understandably) unraveling in response to the latest election cycle, I see them scrambling to assign blame. Lashing out. Cutting ties. Attacking each other. The urge to strike back is strong. And yet, out of sheer aversion to this approach, I’ve leaned into its opposite.

Yes, I’m offering more meditation classes to help others during this time, but for me, personally? I sense that now is the time to not just do something, but to sit here. (Don’t worry: doing something is eventually addressed below)

What It Means to Sit Here

When I take my meditation posture, I focus on two essentials:

1. I get grounded

2. I open my heart center

Now, I’m a nerd and dutifully teach the classic seven points of meditation posture every time I offer instruction, but when I'm alone? Yeah. Grounding and opening are my anchors. I suspect that you, dear reader, may also benefit from these two points:

Grounding Down

In formal meditation, grounding begins with the physical. You cross your legs loosely, rest on your sitz bones, and feel the solid earth beneath you. The breath becomes your tether. With each inhale and exhale, you acknowledge the swirling anxious thoughts, release them, and return to the stabilizing rhythm of your breath.

But grounding isn’t confined to the meditation cushion. It’s a practice that extends into life. With that in mind, here are some grounding activities I’ve heard from my meditation community lately: