In this guided practice, Shelly Harrell introduces us to a way of seeing others that encourages liberating awareness, caring connection, and deep acceptance.
In recent years, mental health professionals have raised the alarm about the growing epidemic of loneliness. Millions of people feel separated and isolated, even when they are surrounded by colleagues or thousands of social media acquaintances.
In today’s guided practice, Shelly Harrell offers one mindful approach that can counteract this sense of lonely atomization. It is the South African greeting of Sawubona, which carries an intentional willingness to see and to be seen, in our fullness, vulnerability, mutual belonging, and radiance.
A Meditation on the South African Greeting Sawubona (“We See You”)
A note from the Mindful Editors:
Here at Mindful, we focus on secular mindfulness and meditation for many reasons, chief among them being accessibility: We want anyone to feel that mindfulness can be for them, regardless of background.
One thing we’ve learned from the wonderful teachers we work with is that accessibility sometimes looks like welcoming different ways of speaking about and relating to the practice of mindfulness. While the core meaning of mindfulness is the same, different people have different words for the sense of present-moment awareness, self-connection, interconnectedness, and other qualities that arise from the practice. And for some communities, words like “spirit” and “soul” will be a more helpful framing to tap into those qualities.
So, in the spirit of accessibility and welcoming diverse ways of being and thinking in the mindfulness space, we’re welcoming a broader, less strictly secular vocabulary and you may see this in some of the meditations in this series.
Read and practice the guided meditation script below, pausing after each paragraph. Or listen to the audio practice.
- Sawubona is a South African phrase that means, “We see you.” It’s often translated as “I see you,” but it’s important to understand that in an African worldview context, this is an extended “I” as the self is experienced as collective. When greeted with Sawubona, it is a communication that you are seen, accepted, and cared about not just by the individual but by the ancestors and the interconnected community that we carry with that. Today we’re going to center on this phrase in our meditation practice.
- Start by taking a deep centering breath, inhaling deeply to clear space. Gently sweep the clutter in your mind. Open a passageway to that deepest part of your body. Then exhale a nice, long exhale through your mouth, settling into yourself and full presence in this moment, with this practice.
- Take another centering breath—a deep inhale, opening your heart space, receiving what you need in this moment. Exhale slowly to release any inner blocks or toxins that don’t serve you. Take another full clearing inhale, receive what you need. Open your heart. Exhale again, releasing, and go down to that inner river, settling on the riverbanks of your soul center.
- Let’s start our Sawubona practice. I invite you now to bring to mind a person or group or community that you care about. It could be someone going through something difficult who may be struggling, suffering, who may feel unseen and unheard. Compassion begins with a willingness to really see, hear, and feel another person. Compassionate action is energized by love and infused with the truth of another’s lived and embodied experience. So visualize this person, group, or community in your mind’s eye. Feel them in your heart and soul.
- Now imagine encountering that person or crew. Greet them with Sawubona and the intentions of its deepest meanings to see, hear, and feel another. Meeting them where they are. Meeting them and their truth as you greet them. Send them the energy of Sawubona with genuineness, humility, and care. Bring them into your mind’s eye and your heart center. When you greet them and say Sawubona, you are saying, “I see you. I see you through eyes that transcend my own sight, that transcend the visible and the material. I see you beyond your conditions and circumstances. I see you behind the walls you have put up and the masks you have put on. I see you as more than what you have done or what has been done to you. I see your humanity and your humanness. I see you at your best, thriving, soaring, and manifesting your greatest purpose and soul’s calling. I see the soul of who you are. I see you.”
- Take another deep breath, inhaling through your nose and exhaling through your mouth. Bring this person or persons into your mind’s eye. Greet them and say Sawubona. You are saying, “I hear you. I hear you through ears tuned into the whisperings of soul and spirit. I hear you behind what has been silenced or muted. I hear you beneath what you say, beneath the words you use and the language you speak. I hear you beyond what I want to hear. I hear the voice of your deepest longings, your truest intentions, and your highest aspirations. I hear your cries and I hear your celebrations. I hear your song, your story, your truth. I hear the soul of who you are. I hear you.”
- Take another deep breath. Bring your person or persons into your mind’s eye, into your heart. Greet them and say Sawubona. You are saying, “I feel you. I feel you from the vibration of our oneness, where our souls recognize each other. I feel you behind the visible and invisible barriers that separate us. I feel you beneath our differences in that space of our interconnectedness with each other and all life. I feel the power of the ancestors flowing through you over generations, across space and time. I feel your rhythm, your flow, your energy, your unique vibration in the world. I feel your vulnerability and your victories, your struggles and your strengths. Your tears and your triumphs. Your regrets and your risings. I feel your light and your glow. Your goodness and your love. I feel the soul of who you are. I feel you.” Take a deep breath. Sawubona.
- Here are a few thoughts for reflection, discussion, or journaling. I encourage you to imagine your next encounter with the person or group you’ve visualized and imagine greeting them with Sawubona and all that means. In doing that, what might be different in your interaction with them? What would it look like for you if you were to bring the energy of Sawubona to how you interact, meet, greet, and see others? Finally, how might you bring the energy of Sawubona to how you’ll meet, greet, and see yourself? Let’s take a final deep breath together. Inhaling deeply, and exhaling slowly through your mouth. Thank you for engaging in this practice with me. Sawubona.
