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Speak so we all can be free. Love so we can all be liberated. — Yoko Akili

photo by george hiles

How can we take care of ourselves? How can we be present with all that’s arising in and around us? Is it safe to be fully present amidst a life that offers many moments of joy, peace, ease alongside grief, injustice, and sorrow?

Buddhist teacher Mushim Patricia Ikeda shares a “Great Vow for Mindful Activists” in Lion’s Roar:

Aware of suffering and injustice, I, _________, am working to create a more just, peaceful, and sustainable world. I promise, for the benefit of all, to practice self-care, mindfulness, healing, and joy. I vow to not burn out.

I encourage us all to make a vow in these challenging times, a vow to take excellent care of ourselves, our communities, our earth. A vow to engage in the deepest care possible. What does that kind of care look like for you?

In the aforementioned article, Ikeda mentions: “Healing. Rest. Self-care. Restorative justice. Restorative yoga. Trauma-informed dynamic mindfulness. Compassion. Love. Community healing.”

A few more: Being in nature. Generosity. Service. Gratitude. Forgiveness. Simplicity. Letting go. Boundaries. Laughter. Creativity. Retreat. Physical activity. Nutrition. Mental health care. Play. Radical Self-love. Beginning again.

And countless other forms of care…

If we all took a vow of self-care and prioritize it in our lives, I can only imagine the ripple effect of care it would have in the world.