Belonging to Two Cultures

Hello, and welcome. In honor of Latin and Hispanic Heritage Month, this meditation is for anyone who's ever felt as though they were living between two worlds. Maybe you grew up speaking one language at home and another one everywhere else. Maybe your name, food, family, traditions, beliefs, music, or way of expressing yourself changed depending on where you were or who you were with. Or maybe you've felt too much of one thing in one room and not enough of it in another. For many of us, belonging has not always been simple. We may have learned how to translate more than language. We learned how to translate ourselves. And while moving between cultures can be a beautiful gift, it can also be exhausting to feel as though we have to divide ourselves in order to be understood. So, today, this is an invitation to come home to your whole self, the entirety of who you are. Let's begin. Find a position that feels comfortable for you, that allows you to be both alert and supported. You might sit with your feet resting on the ground, allowing your spine to rise naturally. Your hands can rest wherever they feel comfortable. If closing your eyes feels supportive, you can do that. Otherwise, let your gaze soften toward a steady point in front of you. Begin by noticing your breath, the rhythm of your breathing. There's nothing special you need to do. Just noticing. Simply feel yourself breathing in and feel yourself breathing out. Taking a slow inhale through your nose and an exhale gently through your mouth. Again, breathing in and breathing out. Let the breath settle into its own natural rhythm. Now, noticing the points of contact between your body and the surface beneath you. Feel your feet, your legs, your seat. Noticing the steadiness of the ground. Whatever your story may be, whatever places you have called home, your body is here now. Breathing. Present. Whole. Now, bring your attention to the center of your chest. You might place a hand over your heart if that feels comfortable, noticing the warmth or pressure of your hand. Noticing any movement beneath it as you breathe. And then gently, silently say: "I am here. All of who I am is welcome here." For some of us, identity can feel like a series of questions. These questions can begin to live inside us, even when no one's asking them out loud. Notice whether your body responds as you hear these words. What language do you speak? Why don't you have an accent? Why do you have an accent? Why don't you speak more Spanish? Gently begin to notice your response to the words. Perhaps there's a tension in your throat, a heaviness in your chest, a tightening in your stomach. Simply noticing. There's nothing wrong with you responding. The body remembers the moments when belonging felt conditional. Take a gentle breath into whatever you're feeling. And as you breathe out, offer...