Sean Fargo says that the more he practices mindfulness and meditation, the more he feels like he is already home.
He recorded this short talk while driving through the middle of California’s Central Valley, from Bakersfield, where he had been visiting family, back to his home in Berkeley. Around him is farmland and desert, with not much to look at.
Sean says that when he used to make this trip he raced to the next town because he did not feel at home on the road itself. With practice, sensing the ground, the air, the sun and his own body and breath, he now recognizes the earth, his body and the life around him as home.
It is for anyone who is traveling, moving or between places and wants to feel more at home wherever they are. Sean hopes it helps people find some ease and groundedness as they move from one place to another.
Sponsored by the Mindfulness Meditation Teacher Certification MindfulnessExercises.com/Certification
Episode Overview:
Key Themes:
- Racing toward the next destination instead of feeling at home on the road itself
- Feeling safe and at home on a long drive
- Sensing the ground, the air, the sun, the body and the breath
- Gratitude for the earth, the body and the breath as a refuge
- Ways to feel at home during transitions and in a new place
Key Takeaway: Sean says the earth, his body and the life around him are home, and that he can find that sense of home even in the middle of nowhere.
Show Notes:
The Habit of Rushing to Arrive
Sean says that when he used to drive between towns he would try to race to the next town, to where he would sleep that night, or back home, because he did not feel at home on the road itself. He felt he needed to be efficient, to maximize his speed, to leave at just the right time and to pass people at just the right angle.
He adds that he did not really want to be in the middle of all that dirt and farmland, and that part of him did not feel safe there.
The more he practices, he says, and senses into the ground underneath him, the life and energy of the air and the wind, the sun, and even the weeds and tumbleweeds, the more he recognizes that the earth is his home, his body is his home, and the life around him is part of home.
Home as a Felt Sense, Not a Place
Sean says that when we sense into the subtle energies of wherever we are, and into the energies of our own bodies and breathing, we realize we are already home. He names:
- The ground underneath him
- The life and energy of the air and the wind
- The sun
- Even the weeds and the tumbleweeds
His point is that we do not necessarily need to be in the place where we normally sleep, or even around our family, to feel at home. He calls this earth, body and breath a place he can find refuge in.
Simple Mindfulness Practices for Feeling at Home Anywhere
Sean describes four things he senses into on the drive. They can be used while traveling or during a transition.
1. Ground Through Contact
Sean senses into the ground underneath him, and hopes listeners can find something in the talk that helps them feel grounded wherever they are.
2. Feel the Breath
He senses into the energies of his own body and his breathing, and names “this breath” among the things he is grateful for.
3. Widen Awareness
He senses into the air, the wind, the sun and the space around him, and into the subtle energies of wherever he is.
4. Trust the Earth Beneath You
He recognizes the earth as his home. Sean says that being able to feel at home this way, out in the middle of nowhere, has been very healing for him.
Questions for Feeling at Home
Sean asks a few questions in the talk:
- Can we be at home in our bodies?
- Can we be at home with the earth below us?
- Can we feel at home with the air and the space around us?
- Can we welcome that energy of care and groundedness into the heart and into the body?
- Can we feel safe where we are?
Gratitude as a Natural Response
Sean says he can be grateful for having this earth, this body and this breath, in this space, as a place to find refuge and a sense of home.
Gratitude for:
- The earth
- The body
- The breath
He says that feeling at home this way can help us find some ease in our transitions and in our movement from one place to another.
Belonging in the In-Between
Even in a new place, Sean asks, can he still reach the feeling of home, of safety and of connection with himself? He hopes listeners, whether they are between places or in their own home, can find some ease and connection and not feel that they are not at home.
He closes by saying he wanted to share his own experience with this, and wishes listeners well.
Additional Resources:
- Free Training with Sean Fargo: How to Teach Mindfulness With Confidence & Credibility
- Certification: Mindfulness Meditation Teacher Certification
- Blog: Boredom, Grief, and the Light of Presence
- Blog: 70+ Stress Quotes: Navigating Stress with Wisdom
