Bearing Witness to Tar Sands Resistance: Dispatch #1

one can understand more about their mindfulness practice when they're stopped, incessantly questioned and thoroughly searched at customs. 3 hours of my mindfulness practice engaged at edmonton international airport en route to the healing walk and compassionate earth walk.and i'm thankful (somewhat at least) because it's just a reminder to me how important it is to integrate our political and spiritual practices. for me it is not enough, particularly in situations of othering, to focus only on my breath and remain equanimous because well, this is just what is.for a brown queer womyn of "alien" descent this is always just what is.for real equanimity to arise within me, i must pair mindfulness with a political understanding of our capitalist system: i am one, a part of many, that are always found suspicious, a threat and a little (or a lot) less humyn.this may sound debilitating to one's heart and spirit but for me, politically engaged mindfulness provides me with a lens of curiosity so that i can witness the nuances of our system at play everywhere. everywhere becomes a place of study and learning.in a world such as our own, everywhere becomes inspiration to commit and recommit to our struggle to move freely in this world.nice to meet you, bpfers.xoxoxaneeta[divide style="2"]On behalf of Buddhist Peace Fellowship and thanks to support from readers like you, photographer and writer aneeta mitha is traveling for nine days to Alberta, Canada to join the indigenous-led Tar Sands Healing Walk, Buddhist-led Compassionate Earth Walk, and other organizing to stop tar sands extraction and the Keystone XL Pipeline.See all of her dispatches here, and all of her Turning Wheel Media posts here.Want to support more Buddhists participating in the fight against climate change and environmental racism?  Donate to BPF or join us with a year-long membership. Gratitude!