This week has been incredibly trying for so many of us and our community. How do we move toward a sense of balance, ease and fulfillment in a world that is so loud?
I don’t expect 2026 to feel easier or calmer than 2025, but I know I will move into it with some more supportive tools for my nervous system. As someone who grew up immersed in Quaker faith, Hinduism and Buddhism, I would like to explore meditation with you, as well as ways you can invite a bit of peace into your life.
I know many of us have heard “start where you are” or “just take the first step,” but even this can feel daunting when life is constantly bombarding our nervous systems. There is this idea, fueled by media depictions, that you’ll suddenly arrive at the gates of enlightenment. Books, courses and audio files are sold under the pretense that if you just purchase one more thing, your life will change. The biggest myth is that we are incapable of changing on our own, should we choose to, and that we require others to make a difference. Although we are creatures of relation and socialization helps us become through constant mirroring, we already possess many tools to improve our own lives. Though, to be honest, it takes time to build a consistent meditation practice and effort to simply sit still.
When I am internally distraught, I cannot for the life of me throw anything on the pottery wheel. It’s impossible without being centered in myself. It can be hard to sit still with the quiet of your own mind if life feels especially challenging, overwhelming or stressful, but the contradiction is that sometimes the quiet is exactly what your heart space craves.
“Lean into the stillness,” or, “Let go of the chaos that is around you.” We hear these words and think we are off course. Our minds may even start to betray us, focusing on how we are not doing things correctly, but overall, meditation is about learning to sit with yourself — integrating a bit of stillness if at all possible.
Start with a space. My daughter and I are on our 17th move collectively, not counting the times we hopped around and slept in people’s spare rooms and couches, and it’s been disorienting and destabilizing to say the least. Yesterday, a friend recommended I have one constant area in the home that stays the same and we set it up right away when we move. I wish I could say I thought of this, but I am thankful for her wisdom.
Start by setting up a consistent sanctuary in your home. It needn’t be large. (One time, I used a small downstairs half bath.) If you share a space with many people, it could be a corner. Sometimes I use stools I find on the side of the road or, if I have funds, I buy a small bench. Add things you love to it: flowers, candles, a photo from a magazine or a sticker. Energetically claim the space as your own. This will be a Zen zone.
Next, find some time to sit in front of it and spend time in your space. Settle in. Play music that feels soothing to your nervous system, make tea or light a candle (just don’t leave it unattended).
When you are having a rough day, or a hard time, you can return to the space you created for yourself. It can be a bit of an emotional landing zone. If you have small kids, you can store your items in a basket when you are done. The same can be done for roommates, too.
The goal is to find a little peace within, and it might not be for a long time, but if you can build up some reserves by having a quiet space to rely on, it means something. (Bonus if you set it up with replaceable items so you are not too distressed if something is tinkered with. A Zen zone is simply a quiet space for your energy to land, for your body to feel safe and for you to remember your own humanity.
The world is at a moment of noise beyond noise beyond noise. Quieting the mind may be the way forward. It may be a way to hear a little more of the quiet voice within that only speaks once. Let’s meet in the messy middle.
Serah Blackstone-Fredericks is a multidisciplinary artist, mother, and multilingual global citizen interested in race politics, creative exploration and human connection. Her two published works of prose explore the complexities of love and the underbelly of feeling forgotten.
This article appears in Health and Wellness 2026.