Oct172023
Team BlogsBeing-basically-OK

I have been going through a bit of a demanding time, lately. I have just changed jobs and come back to work at the wonderful Mindfulness Association, have started placement for my Psychotherapy Masters, and have become the caregiver for my partner as he finds his way through long-term illness.

All of these are very noble plates that are spinning in my orbit. However, they can all become discombobulating when combined together. Therefore, when Heather Regan-Addis asked the question, ‘Are you ok?’ It felt quite poignant to say, in this moment, I am OK.

But what does that mean?

Being OK does not have to mean that everything is going according to plan, or indeed that life is all a bed of roses. Rather, it means that we have one foot placed in a sense of what the Buddhists call Ultimate Reality. A reality that is fundamentally peaceful, connected and at ease. Some may even say Love. In fact, Tsoknyi Rinpoche calls it Essence Love. There still may be spinning plates of difficult emotions, challenging situations and the demand of ordinary life, but somewhere deep down, we embody a basic Ok ness.

For me, this is the essence of wisdom and indeed what is taught on the Level 4 Wisdom course that is run by the Mindfulness Association. The wisdom has taught me some skills and introduced me to the possibility of having one foot in both Ultimate Reality and the messiness of ordinary life or what Buddhists call Relative Reality. If we can touch in with a taste of this basic Ok ness, we can get a sense of peacefulness, be at ease and inhabit a deep connection with all that is around and within us. Being anchored in this state can help us navigate our way through the spinning plates and can help to keep things in balance.

The challenge is to remain anchored in the state of basic alright-ness, or a sense of peacefulness, ease and connection.

My challenge for each of you is to see if you can touch down in the knowledge that right now, as you read this, as you are breathing and maybe even have a bit of food in your tummy, you’re maybe even warm and protected from the elements, that you are basically OK. How does this feel?

If there is any solace in any basic Ok-ness, can you bring it with you into whatever it is that you will be doing next? Maybe even your week?

Jane

Author: Jane Negrych

Jane began working for the Mindfulness Association in 2013 as the Communication Manager running the membership and marketing. In which time, she began teaching mindfulness and compassion, was a lead tutor on the teacher training pathway and became an Honorary Fellow of the University of Aberdeen, where she has taught and provided pastoral care to students. She took a break from her work in the MA from 2018- 2023, in which time she was the Managing Director (MD) or the Sanctuary in Dublin. She has been running the Irish franchise out of the Sanctuary for the past 5 years, heading all courses and teacher training pathway. Jane delivers a mindfulness and compassion based practice module for Dublin City University, as well, she has developed and delivered the Caring for the Caregiver programme in the Sanctuary. She returned to the Mindfulness Association in the Autumn of 2023 as Managing Director.