How We Hold Each Other Steady Today

A practice of energetic transmutation — for protest, for presence, for power.

Dear friends

On this day of protest, when so many are rising to say no, I’ve been thinking about how we hold each other — across distance, across fear, across fire.

Tonglen — the practice of breathing in the suffering of others and breathing out relief, strength, or love — can be a powerful act of protest in itself.

I'd like to offer you this practice to anchor you in what matters as you move through the day — a way to transmute the raw emotions that may be holding you back, not only into personal power and resilience, but a kind of quiet alchemy, rippling through the nation.

Today, let your breath become part of your protest.

Tonglen — Breath for Resistance

Inhale:
Breathe in overwhelm —
the noise, the urgency,
the weight of too much happening all at once.

Exhale:
Breathe out unwavering steadiness.
The kind that anchors you in the storm.
The kind that does not flinch, does not fold.
The kind that holds the centre — no matter what comes.

Inhale:
Breathe in fear —
of being seen,
of being targeted,
of what might be waiting.

Exhale:
Breathe out sacred resolve.
Rooted in justice.
Sharpened by truth.
Sustained by the unshakable belief that we are all equal, and all worthy of freedom.

Inhale:
Breathe in outrage —
at the daily desecration of truth,
at cruelty disguised as policy,
at one man dressing himself in honour.

Exhale:
Breathe out fierce compassion.
The kind that does not look away.
The kind that shields without hardening.
The kind that burns clean and loves without apology.

Inhale:
Breathe in grief —
for what seems lost,
for who has been taken,
for the world that should be being built.

Exhale:
Breathe out Divine love.
The foundation of hope when all feels lost.
The force that finds a way where there seems to be none.
The power that makes change possible — when nothing else can.

Repeat this practice as many times as you need, each breath anchoring you deeper in your strength, your resolve, and your purpose.

Let it steady you. Let it remind you of what you are fighting for.

When you feel ready, step into the world with this quiet power, knowing that your presence — grounded, clear, and unwavering — is itself an act of resistance.

And finally, this is the intention I hold for all who are protesting today — or any day — wherever you are, however you choose to show up. Please feel free to extend it to others.

May you be fierce,
with a fire that refuses to be dimmed by fear.

May you be steady,
rooted like trees that have weathered storms before.

May you be ready—
not just for what comes,
but for who you are when it comes.

May your voice be clear in the noise,
your purpose sharp in the fog,
and your love louder than their lies.

May you protect each other like kin,
stand like those who came before,
and carry hope like a shield.

May no king claim your silence,
no tyrant claim your truth,
and no parade drown out the drumbeat of freedom.

Go together. Go safely.
You are not alone.

In solidarity, always

— Lori

© Lori Corbet Mann, 2025

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