Over 700 years old with a unique sound that highlights Indian music, the sitar has become Indias most popular musical instrument. There is a lot of debate over the origins of the sitar, however scholars believe that it may have originated from an ancient Persian instrument called setar. The sitar is popular in many forms of Indian music, from classics to folk songs and new age contemporary music. The instrument has been used in movies, commercials, in bands and has been explored even in the more avant garde world.
A sitar can have 18 to as many as 21 strings, and several of those strings stretch over raised curved frets. The remaining strings are left to resonate with the strings that are being played. The sounds from these strings are used to set the mood for a raga. The frets are moveable and are used to fine tune the instrument. The wood that’s used to construct the sitar is typically teak, and the sound chamber is made from calabash gourd. The bridges are made of deer horn, ebony and sometimes camel bone, synthetic materials are also used.
Ravi Shankar and tabla player Alla Rakha brought the sounds of India to the west in the late 1950’s to early 1960’s. This introduction was the base for many more experimental musical collaborations with sitar and western instrumentation. The sitar was used in music with the legendary Beatles, and also the Rolling Stones featured sitar in their music. During this time elegant Indian sitar became very popular leading Ravi Shankar to name the trend “the great sitar explosion”. Now today, across the globe, many people are familiar with the beautiful serene sound of the sitar, even if they have never seen it in person.
May is AAPI Heritage month, and a time for AAPI and BIPOC communities to come together, joining forces as one. This month, we should celebrate the many historical contributions of our Asian American and Pacific Islander brothers and sister. For AAPI month I would like to share a few poems from AAPI poets.
Dorothy Chan~
Dorothy Chan’s Chinese identity is a great part of her poetry. Dorothy is an editor for Hobart, and a professor at the University of Wisconsin-Eu Claire. Her poems speak of culture, interracial romance, identity and the exploration of how food can serve as a bridge between multigenerational family relationships. Dorothy Chan also founded the journal Honey Literary to publish works by women of color, looking deeper into the intersection between gender and ethnicity.
So Chinese Girl~ Dorothy Chan
Anyone who makes tasty food has to be a good person, because think of all the love that goes into cooking: salt and pepper, sprinkle a little extra cheese, and pop open a bottle
of Syrah, or if we’re eating at my parents’ in Las Vegas, we’re drinking Tsingtao beer, my father’s favorite, and he adds more bamboo shoots and straw mushrooms and baby corn,
and fun fact: When I was a baby, I’d eat only corn and carrot-flavored mush, and now, my dad adds more to the Buddha’s Delight, a vegetarian dish from China, and I think about my aunt
in Hong Kong, who, once a year, buys fish from restaurants, only to release them back into the sea—eat tofu, save a life—but back to the dinner scene in Vegas,
my mom is making her Cantonese lobster, extra garlic and ginger, and I grew up licking lobster shells for their sauce, I grew up waking up during summer vacations
to my mother wearing a headband, warding off the grease from cooking crabs and shrimps, heads intact, and there’s something, just something about my parents’ cooking that makes me feel
a little more like a Chinese girl, because I don’t live in Hong Kong, and unlike my cousins, my daily stop isn’t Bowring Street Station, where I could pick up fresh mango cake before it’s sold out,
or what about chocolate mousse cake in the shape of a bunny or mini–dome cakes shaped like cows and pigs or cakes shaped like watermelons and shikwasa and citrus mikans,
and who wouldn’t want custard egg tarts or hot dogs wrapped in sweet bread or sesame balls, washing it all down with cream soda, and I feel like that little Chinese girl
in Kowloon again, getting picked up by my grandpa after preschool, ready to go junk shopping, and I’d come home with shrimp crackers and a toy turtle aquarium and a snowman
painting and a dozen roses, and no, I don’t even like flowers anymore, but there’s something, just something about thrifting with my grandpa now at age twenty-eight that makes me feel
so Chinese Girl, the way he bargains in the stalls, asking for the best, “How much for that Murakami-era Louis Vuitton belt?” or “What about this vintage Armani?”
and it’s like that look he gives me at dim sum, after the sampler of shumai and har gow and chicken feet and char siu bao comes, and he tells me to eat everything, watches me chow down on
Chinese ravioli, and that face of his freezes in the moment: “Eat more, eat more, eat more. Are you happy?” And oh, Grandpa, I’m so happy I could eat forever.
Marilyn Chin~
Marilyn Chin was born in Hong Kong and raised in Portland, Oregon. She is the author of five poetry collections, and currently serves as a chancellor of the Academy of American Poets.
How I Got That Name~ Marilyn Chin
an essay on assimilation
I am Marilyn Mei Ling Chin Oh, how I love the resoluteness of that first person singular followed by that stalwart indicative of “be,” without the uncertain i-n-g of “becoming.” Of course, the name had been changed somewhere between Angel Island and the sea, when my father the paperson in the late 1950s obsessed with a bombshell blond transliterated “Mei Ling” to “Marilyn.” And nobody dared question his initial impulse—for we all know lust drove men to greatness, not goodness, not decency. And there I was, a wayward pink baby, named after some tragic white woman swollen with gin and Nembutal. My mother couldn’t pronounce the “r.” She dubbed me “Numba one female offshoot” for brevity: henceforth, she will live and die in sublime ignorance, flanked by loving children and the “kitchen deity.” While my father dithers, a tomcat in Hong Kong trash— a gambler, a petty thug, who bought a chain of chopsuey joints in Piss River, Oregon, with bootlegged Gucci cash. Nobody dared question his integrity given his nice, devout daughters and his bright, industrious sons as if filial piety were the standard by which all earthly men are measured.
Oh, how trustworthy our daughters, how thrifty our sons! How we’ve managed to fool the experts in education, statistic and demography— We’re not very creative but not adverse to rote-learning. Indeed, they can use us. But the “Model Minority” is a tease. We know you are watching now, so we refuse to give you any! Oh, bamboo shoots, bamboo shoots! The further west we go, we’ll hit east; the deeper down we dig, we’ll find China. History has turned its stomach on a black polluted beach— where life doesn’t hinge on that red, red wheelbarrow, but whether or not our new lover in the final episode of “Santa Barbara” will lean over a scented candle and call us a “bitch.” Oh God, where have we gone wrong? We have no inner resources!
Then, one redolent spring morning the Great Patriarch Chin peered down from his kiosk in heaven and saw that his descendants were ugly. One had a squarish head and a nose without a bridge Another’s profile—long and knobbed as a gourd. A third, the sad, brutish one may never, never marry. And I, his least favorite— “not quite boiled, not quite cooked,” a plump pomfret simmering in my juices— too listless to fight for my people’s destiny. “To kill without resistance is not slaughter” says the proverb. So, I wait for imminent death. The fact that this death is also metaphorical is testament to my lethargy.
So here lies Marilyn Mei Ling Chin, married once, twice to so-and-so, a Lee and a Wong, granddaughter of Jack “the patriarch” and the brooding Suilin Fong, daughter of the virtuous Yuet Kuen Wong and G.G. Chin the infamous, sister of a dozen, cousin of a million, survived by everybody and forgotten by all. She was neither black nor white, neither cherished nor vanquished, just another squatter in her own bamboo grove minding her poetry— when one day heaven was unmerciful, and a chasm opened where she stood. Like the jowls of a mighty white whale, or the jaws of a metaphysical Godzilla, it swallowed her whole. She did not flinch nor writhe, nor fret about the afterlife, but stayed! Solid as wood, happily a little gnawed, tattered, mesmerized by all that was lavished upon her and all that was taken away!
Jenny Xie~
Jenny Xie is the author of Eye Level, and winner of the 2017 Walt Whitman Award of the Academy of American Poets and a finalist for the National Book Award; and Nowhere to Arrive, recipient of the 2016 Drinking Gourd Prize. Jenny’s poems appear in Poetry magazine, the American Poetry Review, the New Republic, Tin House, and also found elsewhere. She earned her degrees from Princeton University and New York University’s Creative Writing Program, and has received fellowships and support from Kundiman, the Fine Arts Work Center in Provincetown, the Elizabeth George Foundation, and Poets & Writers. She is now a teacher at New York University.
Rootless~ Jenny Xie
Between Hanoi and Sapa there are clean slabs of rice fields and no two brick houses in a row.
I mean, no three— See, counting’s hard in half-sleep, and the rain pulls a sheet
over the sugar palms and their untroubled leaves. Hours ago, I crossed a motorbike with a hog strapped to its seat,
the size of a date pit from a distance. Can this solitude be rootless, unhooked from the ground?
No matter. The mind resides both inside and out. It can think itself and think itself into existence.
I sponge off the eyes, no worse for wear. My frugal mouth spends the only foreign words it owns.
At present, on this sleeper train, there’s nowhere to arrive. Me? I’m just here in my traveler’s clothes, trying on each passing town for size.
Poetry has the power to bring healing to our world, it can keep alive family stories, and the traditions of culture. Poetry is an art form that anyone can read or listen to, to feel, to decorate their minds and their lives. It is a way of expressing the inner self to the outer world, it is a way to bring light into dark places and also to promote freedom, equality and change, which is very much needed in our world today.
Many people the world over have seen Bonsai, maybe on movies such as Karate Kid, or at their local conservatories. Maybe even some people have friends, or relatives who raise the tree’s, or they have seen Bonsai in a garden center. These stunted trees have a very long history that goes back thousands of years to ancient China and Japan.
The word Bonsai derived from the Chinese word Penzai (盆栽) which means potted plant. During the Tang Dynasty Penzai was at its stylistic height. The stunted trees were favored by Buddhist monks, scholars and royalty. The trees were planted in shallow trays and decorated scholars rooms, temples and courtyards. It was common to display your tree for guests, especially if it were of flowering or fruiting variety. Bonsai were sometimes put on both sides of Buddhist statues as well. These little trees were found in nature by scholars who enjoyed the beauty of what nature can create. These scholars would travel risking their lives many times, to collect trees from the wild which had great potential to become a piece of living art. These wild pieces of art are extremely rare, they are rare because of the conditions needed to create them. Hundreds of years of wind cutting the tree back, storms, lack of nutrition in mountain soil, and roots restricted by rock can sculpt a tree into a beautiful piece of art that scholars prized and named literati.
Japanese scholars and Buddhist monks fell in love with the Chinese Penzai and brought them back to Japan where they were then pronounced as Bonsai (盆栽). Over many years the Japanese refined the art form and were inspired by the nature and organic perfection of pine trees. In 1950 John Naka (better known as the father of American Bonsai by Bonsai enthusiasts) and his friends established the California Bonsai society, which became an important vehicle for the birth of Bonsai in the United States. Master Naka was known for his work with forest plantings and conifers, and he used mostly native variety of trees in his projects. In 1976 Japan gifted 53 Bonsai to the United States which then eventually led to the founding of the National Bonsai and Penjing Museum in Washington D.C.
Photo: Asian Media Access
These little trees depict natural scenes, forests, and can even look like distant mountains with rivers and fog when created and maintained by a professional Bonsai artist. Have a look at the photo below, notice the illusion of distance in the planting. Such small trees can have a big artistic impact on the viewer.
Photo: Asian Media Access
The Chinese are famous for their masterful rock and tree plantings. The plantings range in size from less than a foot to well over 4 feet. One can say that it was the scholars visions of China’s great mountains that led to this style of this art today. In Japan the rock plantings are also popular, at one point they were much smaller than the Chinese plantings however Bonsai expert Masahiko Kimura totally went bold and created large masterful rock and tree plantings.
Photo: Alejandro Sartori
Photo: Alejandro Sartori
Today we are so lucky to be able to witness this incredible art of sculpting beauty with living wood. We can see the vision of the Bonsai or Penzai artist, we can see the distant mountains, forests and streams through their eye. If we can silence our inner-selves and allow the magnificent beauty of these trees to speak, we will be able to appreciate and be moved by these living works of art.
Heavenly music is interpreted differently by everyone.
Chinese proverb
Any music student, regardless of skill, will most likely have to learn western music theory. What is music theory?, well, Wikipedia says “Music theory is the study of the practices and possibilities of music.”~ Wikipedia. Across the globe civilizations have been playing some form of music for quite a long time. Music has been a part of human evolution since the start, was it called music at that time? probably not. But, this does not mean that humans did not relax to the sounds of song, instrument, or percussion. Music can be found in every culture, sometimes it takes form in ceremonies, or it may have been enjoyed for leisure, whatever the case we can say for certain that music does exist in all cultures.
As an African American Guzheng performer, instructor and composer I often meet many musicians, some who are quite skilled in their music, and very knowledgeable in music theory. My training on the Guzheng was quite traditional, I did not learn Western music theory (which is forced on every musician today), I learned Chinese music theory. China has a very long musical tradition which has been documented and practiced for thousands of years. For example, the Guzheng 古筝 has existed for around 2500 years, the Guqin or 古琴 around three thousand years old, and the bronze bells 编钟 around 3,600 years old, and the Se or 瑟 of the Zhou dynasty 1045–771 BC. The list of ancient instruments in China is long, and notations for these instruments have been documented. Unlike the Western European music theory which uses a staff and dots to read, the Chinese developed an ancient thousands of years old numeric musical notation called Gong Che or 工尺 which is still used among the very small group of traditional musicians today. With modern westernization, traditional arts are transforming, some traditions are also dying. We must think about the importance of cultural arts, and not allow the modern world to kill what has held nations together, influenced identity, and promoted the respect of nature.
Here are some pictures of traditional Chinese instruments of the past that still exist today:
The original uploader was Zzjgbc at Chinese Wikipedia. – Transferred from zh.wikipedia to Commons. From the Tomb of Marquis Yi of Zeng, dated 433 BC, during the interregnum between the Spring and Autumn Period and Warring States Period of ancient China.
The original uploader was CharlieHuang at English Wikipedia. – Transferred from en.wikipedia to Commons by Shizhao using CommonsHelper.”Jiuxiao Huanpei” 《九霄環佩/九霄环佩》, the famous Tang Dynasty qin in the Fuxi form by qin maker Lei Wei. Image from a photograph from a friend in China.
A comparative table of Gongche notation and other notations, from a book published in Kyoto in 1909. In Japan, Gongche notation became widespread to a certain extent.
Yale University Art Museum – https://artgallery.yale.edu/collections/objects/92412. A Se (Chinese zither) from the 5th-3rd century BC with four pegs. Red and dark lacquer with carved textures. The strings have decayed.
Many Western European musicians do not consider Chinese music real music, some have even considered Chinese instruments quite easy to learn because of the Wu Yin 五音 or Pentatonic scale consisting of 5 notes. Some of the musicians I spoke to even went as far as saying that Chinese music lacks harmony and so on. These enthusiasts and musicians lack knowledge, and are ignorant to the facts, and ignorant to what it takes to be able to even create a beautiful sound on an instrument. Piano is made easier with keys, but when playing masterfully on an instrument like Er Hu 二胡 (Chinese fiddle), it can take years and years to master the techniques of just 2 strings. The Guzheng 古筝 is also incredibly difficult to master, it can take years to refine the many very complicated techniques on the instrument. If Music theory is the study of practices and possibilities of music, we should also include the practices and possibilities of non European music.
Photo: Yulin Cave 10, Western Xia, (1036-1227 C.E.), Wikimedia ( Apsara plays the zheng)
Going to temple every week was always quite exciting. The bells, the incense, the chanting and the strong community all together brought an incredibly warm and spiritual experience. I’ve always thought of ordaining as a buddhist monk, but the opportunities to ordain are not easy to come by. To ordain as a monk takes commitment, devotion and hard work, and is certainly not an easy life. There are many paths into a deeper stricter practice, the practice of studying buddhist literature, the practice of studying ones mind, studying ceremonies etc. These different practices can take us deeper into our spiritual journey. For me, learning the guzheng has brought me closer to my spiritual journey, in a very interesting way it has also brought me closer to my ancestors as well, and the same is true for my buddhist practice. Each time I give an offering I think of my ancestors and relatives, the world and everything and everyone. Giving offerings with a pure heart, with ones mind on those who experienced injustices can be a powerful way of healing from the generational traumas of slavery and white supremacy.
After nearly 10 years of inquiring to the abbots, monks, nuns and the Buddhist community about ordination, I was finally accepted into 4 monasteries. It was super exciting, I felt happy and peaceful however still a part of my heart was telling me to stay in Minnesota. I had an opportunity to study with a high ranking Lama in a Tibetan monastery, a couple of Zen masters in Vietnam and also with the monks in California and Kentucky. Through the intense studying, reciting scriptures and meditation, I’ve found even more of myself and what I needed for my practice in this lifetime, and that was mostly solitude. Without leaving behind my faithfulness to the Buddhist monastic tradition, I decided that I needed to meditate and practice in such a way that I can also benefit the Black community in the present moment and in the future. Talking with others about the black buddhist experience is always interesting, many people do not believe we actually exist, or they think its a “trendy phase”. No, we do exist, and our experiences, and perspectives are also valid. We exist in every lineage, in every language, in the north, in the east, south and west. However small the percentage of black Buddhist practitioners may be we will still hold together through love and the black buddhist experience. No matter the distance, or distance in time, it is our hearts and the goals we have that will bring us together in a community of love.
Through this journey into stillness I have understood silence, and it was in this silence that I realized music is also quite sacred, and the Guzheng is just that. Focused, with a heart of love, if your art calls to you, listen. Art is what brings all walks of life together, it is healing, it is emotion, it is history and it is the key that unlocks many gaps, distance, borders and barriers. I hope my new original compositions that are in the works bring a moment of stillness, peace and beauty to anyone who listens. I hope that these compositions will also build a strong basis of material for the African American Guzheng musicians of the future. The world may not see you yet, but I, Jarrelle Barton do.
I have always been fascinated by the mystics and sages who sought peace in the forests, caves, and mountains. They felt in their hearts a need, an urgency for some time alone. Some may seek solitude to be closer to god, some may seek solitude for meditation and others may seek solitude as a lifestyle. Sometimes these reasons may mend together, and it may be a stillness that we all could benefit from at times. Our lives in the modern world are incredibly busy, and we may not always have time to even make lunch, sweep the floor, or even bake our favorite homemade desserts that we enjoy! We push our needs aside at times, always watching the clock, to stay on top of life, and all the while something within us says ” I need a break” or “I need a retreat”.
When I was about 13 years old my grandmother gave me a book called A Garden of Chinese Serenity, Reflections of a Zen Buddhist. The book has many short Zen, Tao and Buddhist poems written by the 17th century Chinese author Hong Zicheng in 1590. One of the poems that really intrigued me was about flowers and bamboo. Here is the poem written by Hong Zicheng.
Flowers display their beauty to the bright spring. But when they are pounded by a downpour of rain and a gust of wind, they are hastened back to dust. Bamboos persist in the integrity of their elegance. Even though they are beaten by frost one morning and snow another, they remain true to their green jade hue.
~ Hong zicheng
It was poems like this, Zen poems and Tao poems that would eventually inspire my musical expressions on the Guzheng. As an urban kid, never having left the USA, the only real bamboo I saw was the bamboo at Wal-mart, my mind could only imagine how great a forest of timber bamboo would be. How beautiful it would be to see with my own eyes the beauty of their green jade hue, and to hear the wind blowing through the bamboos leaves. I feel that in order to truly play the Guzheng one must truly learn from nature first. When I studied with my teacher ( Laoshi) Master Li Jiaxiang, he told me to go outside and listen to nature. It was difficult to hear the stillness of nature in a suburb with cars and horns honking. However, I did find a gazebo on the lake where I would practice and listen to the little bit of nature that was there.
Some years later a new Vietnamese Buddhist monastery was built in my neighborhood, a Vietnamese Buddhist friend of mine knew that I was a practicing Buddhist and he suggested I go check it out. It was perfect timing actually, because there was a big event there, the Jade Buddha was traveling to all the temples across the world and it was a lucky day to visit a Buddhist monastery and see the jade Buddha for the first time. I was welcomed there, and eventually became friends with the monks, nuns and the community. Over the years I learned a lot about Vietnamese Buddhism. I learned how to chant some of the sutras and mantras, Vietnamese Buddhist customs and cultural traditions and how to prepare yummy traditional An Chay or Vietnamese vegetarian foods. These beautiful moments shared with a community that still practices the Buddhist way of life truly brought me a sense of happiness. We can all learn so much by taking time to learn with people from other cultures.
Without culture what would our world be like? It’s hard to imagine isn’t it?. Perhaps it’s hard to imagine a world without culture because a world with culture is essential. Our cultures are all very colorful, woven into our human experiences as a fabric, and very much important to us as human beings.
“Culture is a way of coping with the world by defining it in detail.”
Malcolm Bradbury
Culture is an important aspect of human life, and it plays a crucial role in how we shape our individual and collective identities. Culture provides us with a sense of belonging, purpose and meaning, as it embodies the values, customs, beliefs and practices that are shared within a community. Culture can also serve as a medium for expression and communication through shared experiences, and also influences our society in many ways. Our communities and ourselves as individuals are also shaped by culture, hence culture is very important.
Sharing our cultures can reward us with many benefits that can improve how we better understand others with cultural backgrounds different than our own. By sharing our cultures we inspire new ways of expression and appreciation, and we learn to accept differences in traditions and different ways of life. When cultures are shared, horizons become broader, and more understanding and less conflict is created. When we share culture, new ideas are also born, new music and arts are created, and different perspectives are also shared. Sharing cultures creates paths and opens doors for many sincere hearts to learn, study and practice traditional arts, revitalize traditional arts and keep alive ancient customs, languages and traditions.
There are different ways of understanding, and by sharing culture we learn this. Our way may look like its the only way, however we must step back sometimes and simply listen and observe other ways that are different than our own, we may even find a lot in common. We can break down racist stereotypes, and end discrimination by sharing cultural family stories, and educating people about our cultural history. We are all living on this planet together, as one family under the sky and clouds, let us live happily, colorfully and beautifully unique.
Cultural differences should not separate us from each other, but rather cultural diversity brings a collective strength that can benefit all of humanity.” Also: “Intercultural dialogue is the best guarantee of a more peaceful, just and sustainable world.
Our world is vast, our experiences, identities and ways of expression vary from individual to individual and sometimes it can be difficult for people to communicate with each other. There are verbal and non verbal ways of communication, and at times we greet others with a handshake or with a bow, depending on how and where we were raised. It can be easy to offend someone, or totally lose communication, or other opportunities all by that first greeting gesture and this is why learning about intercultural communication is important.
Interculturality refers to the interaction and exchange between different cultures with the goal of promoting mutual understanding, respect and appreciation. It recognizes the complexity of cultural diversity and the importance of creating inclusive environments that value and celebrate different cultures. Interculturality is something that goes beyond tolerance and aims at creating a space where individuals from different cultures can learn together and work together in shared goals. Now, when we speak of intercultural communication we are talking about how to communicate with others in or from different parts of the world who’s backgrounds may be greatly different than our own. Intercultural communication is about having respect for people who’s cultures are different than ours, having a curiosity about their cultures, and learning about other cultures and customs.
Ways that Intercultural communication benefit society:
Promoting mutual understanding and respect
Enhanced creativity
Enhanced personal and professional development
Stronger communication skills
Promotes social connectedness and shared identity among cultures
Breaks down barriers and unites with a common goal
Appreciation of differences
Gives us skills to handle complex issues regarding culture and communication
On our mission of creating a more equitable and just society we need to not forget how to listen. We must learn when to be silent, think, feel, process and understand before speaking, and this is especially helpful when discussing things like politics, race, identity etc. Many of our global problems are all caused by lack of understanding, lack of appreciation for each other. If we can flip the switch and learn how to communicate with each other, we would learn a lot about ourselves as well, and bring more love and peace into our world. If we can educate ourselves of different cultures, make the effort to actually learn, we would unlock more communication skills that can allow us to communicate more fluently with others as well. It would be incredibly beautiful to see a world who sees their neighbors as friends.
” The way you dress is an expression of your personality.”
~Alessandro Michele ~
Bruce lee
For many BIPOC/ AAPI artists, it may sometimes be challenging to express themselves in a way that is uniquely original, partly due to the fact that society has a so called “standard” way of expression. They may have an idea about what colors they like, what style of shirt and shoe’s, or what brush strokes to use on a painting, what ink with what brush etc, but still maybe they feel something might be blocked or just missing all together. This is when we must look at our world, we must look at our cultures, we must look into our dreams and the stories that our grandparents have told us. Here, in those things, are the colors and textures that can be used to paint your vision, here is the the medium for part of your expression, the other part is you, your life and your experiences. Being brought up in a multi-cultural, or bicultural home is the greatest blessing of all, never forget that. I say it’s the greatest blessing because it not only challenges our minds, but also opens our minds and gives our mind more windows of light to work with. All of these things and more can influence, and also impact our creativeness and our expression.
Ways to express yourself:
Writing poetry
Working with clay
Writing stories
Painting
Composing your own songs
Keeping a journal
When we are able to find that medium in which we can express ourselves through freely, either by painting, writing poetry or stories, or even creating our own original fashion statements, in those moments we have tapped into our potential of unique original expression. For us POC, we may also at times feel ashamed to express ourselves freely, because of how society may label us as POC, or because of the complexities of culture and religion. It can be so challenging to take the courageous step of liberating ourselves through expression, however once we are able to achieve such, all of the nets society has thrown on us will fall away.
I encourage you to be creative, listen to your heart, respect traditional cultures of your own and others, and live each moment as colorfully possible.
As meditation becomes a more globally popular way to destress and bring about an inner peace many may be questioning what it means to have a Bicultural perspective on the practice. Let us have a look at the benefits of bicultural meditation and what bicultural meditation actually means. First, what is biculturalism?.
Biculturalism refers to the ability of an individual to successfully navigate and integrate into two different cultures. It can also refer to the coexistence of two different cultures within a society, where individuals from both cultures are able to live and work together while maintaining their own cultural identity. Bicultural individuals are able to understand, appreciate and respect the values, customs, and beliefs of both cultures they are part of, while still maintaining a sense of belonging to each culture. They are able to communicate effectively in both languages and understand the nuances of each culture, which can be a valuable asset in many different settings. Biculturalism can be a result of a variety of factors such as growing up in a family with parents from different cultural backgrounds, living in a country with a dominant culture different from one’s own, or actively seeking to learn about and immerse oneself in another culture.
Bicultural meditation is a universal practice that integrates principles and techniques from two different cultural traditions into one unified meditation practice. This is especially helpful for individuals who come from bicultural backgrounds or those who have a deep appreciation and respect for multiple cultures.
Bicultural meditation can involve combining different meditation techniques, such as mindfulness meditation from the Buddhist tradition and heart centered prayer from the Christian tradition. It can also involve incorporating different cultural symbols, ritual instruments, practices or chants into the meditation practice, such as lighting incense or candles, using specific postures or hand gestures ( mudra ) or chanting in different languages.
Bicultural meditation can offer a variety of benefits for individuals who are seeking to integrate principles and techniques from multiple cultural traditions into their meditation practice. Here are some potential benefits:
Increased self-awareness: Bicultural meditation can help individuals gain a deeper understanding of their own cultural identity and how it impacts their thoughts, emotions, and behaviors.
Greater empathy and understanding: By incorporating practices and symbols from different cultures into their meditation practice, individuals can develop a greater appreciation and understanding of other cultures, which can promote empathy and understanding.
Enhanced mindfulness: Combining different meditation techniques can help individuals cultivate a more focused and present state of mind, which can promote greater mindfulness and reduce stress and anxiety.
Greater spiritual growth: Bicultural meditation can provide a unique opportunity for individuals to explore and deepen their spirituality, drawing on the wisdom and practices of multiple cultural traditions.
Improved emotional regulation: By cultivating greater awareness and compassion for oneself and others, individuals may find that they are better able to regulate their emotions and respond more effectively to challenging situations.
Greater sense of connectedness: Bicultural meditation can help individuals feel more connected to their cultural heritage while also promoting a sense of connectedness and community with others who share similar values and beliefs.
Bicultural meditation can offer a powerful way to explore and integrate multiple cultural traditions into a meaningful and effective meditation practice, promoting personal growth, cultural understanding, and spiritual development.
Alison Czinkota / Verywell
Spirituality and identity are closely related because they are both fundamental aspects of human experience that help shape our understanding of ourselves, our place in the world, and our relationship with others. Our spirituality can play a significant role in shaping our identity by providing a framework for how we understand and interpret our experiences, emotions, and values.
