Ever heard of the poem by Rumi, “The Guest House?” It metaphorically gives a symbolic view of life’s journey and the circumstances of life that a human can encounter. I remember the first time I heard this poem. It was in 2018 and I was sitting in a chair, circled with my classmates at the ending session in my MBSR certificate program. Out of all the poems and meditations I listened to, this one struck me most. It speaks to the mindfulness principle of acceptance, accepted of the unexpected visitor in life: “A Joy, A Depression, A Meanness, The Dark Thought, The Shame, The Malice, meet them at the door laughing, and invite them in,” states Rumi. In a culture of America, where emotions equate to sensitivity or weakness, we can find ourselves not welcoming difficult emotions and circumstances in life, and suppressing and reacting in a form of distress.
