This election cycle has been tough on the senses.

Whether you were horrified by pussygate or mad about the email scandal, chances are if you’ve been tuning in, and you’ve bounced along the spectrum from irritation to anxiety and back again.

Today, it all comes to its peak as the nation decides which direction it wants to go in for the next four years.

After noticing that I was constantly refreshing my go-to news sites, it dawned on me: while I was seeking to stay informed about the latest poll or candidate news, I was actually creating conditions that resulted in feeling angry, anxious, and disconnected from an inner sense of well-being.

It was time to pause, step away from the computer, and go inward. I sat down on my cushion and meditated in a way that helped me to feel connected again. The Divine Breath Meditation creates a sense of inner peace. When we feel centered within, we are more equipped to deal with external circumstances that are out of our control.

The divine is whatever helps us feel a sense of interconnectedness. Some call it spirit, nature, oneness, energy, source, or goodness. You can relate to it in any way that makes you feel comfortable and connected to that which permeates everything.

Set a timer for 10 minutes—and come home to yourself.

Divine Breath Meditation

1. Sitting on a cushion/blankets so your hips are slightly raised, come to a comfortable cross-legged seat with your head, neck and trunk in a straight line over your hips.

2. Begin to breathe into your belly, as you scan your body and invite all of the muscle groups to relax.

3. Start to shape your breath so that your inhalation and exhalation are even (try inhaling to a count of four and exhaining to a count of four if you are new to meditation). 

4. Invite into your heart a sense of well-being or love. You can think of a person or place or animal that invokes this in you.

5. As you breathe in, sense that you are breathing in divinity, filling all of the spaces in your body.

6. As you breathe out, sense your exhale being breathed in by divinity. You are connected. Always

You can use this meditation while you wait in line at the polls, whenever you notice you feel anxious, and when you find out the results of the election.

Know that regardless of who wins, we are all connected to this source of divinity. Our daily practice gives us the tools to stay steady in the midst of change and uncertainty.

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“We do not have to be ashamed of what we are. As sentient beings we have wonderful backgrounds. These backgrounds may not be particularly enlightened or peaceful or intelligent. Nevertheless, we have soil good enough to cultivate; we can plant anything in it.” ~ Chögyam Trungpa

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Author: Nicole Taylor

Image: Author’s own

Editor: Khara-Jade Warren