When I went to meditate during a particularly stormy day recently, I felt the warmth, safety, and relative calm that our house provided. On one level that’s what we are doing with our meditation practice; we’re cultivating calm in the midst of the storm.

There are various types and levels of calm and storminess. Some storminess could be associated with more outer conditions, such as other people’s behavior or particular situations we find ourselves in. These could be challenging, difficult, or even dangerous. Within these conditions there are different degrees of storminess. Some are mildly ruffling, while other situations can feel like they are going to blow us over.

Then there are the inner storms comprised of various forms of greed, hatred, and delusion. These also range from mild heart and mind disturbances to raging mind states that completely take us over, resulting in self identification and acting out.

Calm comes in two main types. One is the calm of a heart and mind that is settled and unified around a particular object, or samadhi. This provides temporary shelter from the mostly inner, and to some degree the outer, storms that inhabit our lives. We use the quiet and stillness of formal practice to cultivate calm in the heart and mind. To the degree that we develop a groove in the heart and mind, and depending on inner and outer conditions, we are more able to support calm and steadiness of body and mind. We are less apt to be “blown away” by the inner and outer storms of life.

Yet we are not in control of these inner or outer conditions. Storms arise without warning due to conditions that can’t be fully known. We can’t always rely on the calm of samadhi to protect us, as the present conditions may not be supportive. This is where we need the calm and steadiness of mindfulness and equanimity. We know clearly what is happening and we maintain an even hearted/mindedness in relation to conditions. Keeping enough distance from the storm so as to clearly know it and not be overwhelmed, while also remaining connected through mindfulness. This allows us to be present and potentially supportive to others and to the situation at hand.