Helping Haiti

Girl in Haiti

What a way to start a new year and a new decade—with a global humanitarian crisis. I had a blog already prepared about maintaining a healthy weight (as this is a common New Year’s resolution), but I’m shelving that for a future date. The January 12 earthquake that devastated Haiti just seems too pressing of an issue to ignore.

I’m sure you all have been following the news, so you don’t need me to recap story. It does seem like a truly dismal situation, not only due to the tens of thousands of deaths, but also the utter chaos, lack of food, fresh water, and medical attention for survivors.

One suggestion for something simple we all can do, aside from sending funds or going to Haiti ourselves, is a Buddhist practice known as tonglen mediation, which is designed specifically for expressing our compassion for the suffering of others. In the standard meditation, you breathe in peace and breathe out your stress and anxiety. With tonglen, you do exactly the opposite.

Sit in a comfortable position with an erect spine and close your eyes. Take a few moments to quiet your mind and call attention to your breath. Then move into tonglen: as you inhale, imagine that you are taking in all the pain and suffering of those in Haiti. As you exhale, send out loving-kindness, empathy, and a powerful wish for their wellbeing. Breathe in the darkness, breathe out relief. This is one very inexpensive and straightforward way to share your blessings with those in need.

Note: This is my latest posting to the Stanford Alumni Association’s “Living Well” blog.