Cooling Down
reflections, images, and resources for this New Moon
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New Moon / June 25, 2025
Lately I’ve been thinking a lot about śamata (pronounced shamata). Along with vipassana, it’s one of the core qualities of mind developed through Buddhist practices such as meditation. Śamata is a Sanskrit word that can be translated as “tranquility” or “calm abiding.” It’s about calming one’s mind and not churning up an endless chain of reactions. It’s peacemaking in the most intimate sense.
The Tibetan term for śamatha is shiné. What’s interesting is that, according to Tibetan scholar and teacher Dr. Reginald Ray, the semantic field for Sanskrit śama and Tibetan shi is “the slowing or cooling down,” and “rest.” Something about this cooling feels so relevant.
Our world is literally on fire right now. Gaza, Iran, Israel, Los Angeles… the litany of locations experiencing out of control violence, most of it coming from state-sanctioned military and vigilante forces, is endless. My own heart and mind churns with heartbreak, anger, a desire to act in any kind of way to stop this. Action is of course necessary. Skillful action. But for me in this moment, I sense that this kind of cooling may be what is most needed.
As I write this, a gentle afternoon rain has finally pierced the intense dry heat we’ve been experiencing for weeks in Northern New Mexico. The skies are gray, a soft breeze brings the temperature down. It is such a relief, and the Earth gratefully receives every drop.
This is what śamata is like for our mind and body – a wave of calming and cooling energy that turns down the volume of intensity. It does not negate action, but it helps our actions come from a place of wisdom and compassion; and it can reduce the possibility that our actions could generate even more harm. I don’t have to tell you how badly we need that right now.
Honestly what I’d really like is to impose śamatha upon every so-called leader who is issuing orders for masked men to abduct people, orders to drop bombs, orders to deny trans people their right to healthcare that affirms their gender. These dudes are leading us all into a path of immense suffering. But I’m not sure it works coercively, and in this moment I only have the capacity to cultivate my own calm abode, so that’s where I’m putting my energy.
A List of Cooling/Soothing Activities
I’m noticing small things I can do to infuse more of that cooling energy when I start to feel highly reactive and over-heated (metaphorically and literally!) –
Drink a glass of cold water or juice
Take a slow walk, noticing my feet coming in contact with the earth, being in relationship with whatever I’m walking by: grass, trees, trash cans…
Sit by water in some form — a river, the ocean, a waterfall, an acequia
Listen to music that soothes my soul. Here are a couple of tracks I’m appreciating right now:
Sam Cooke’s A Change is Gonna Come — a powerful reminder that calm energy is not mutually exclusive from engaging with suffering
Maenam, a beautiful instrumental piece by the cellist Jami Sieber. The title means “river” in Thai and it’s incredibly calming. The piece can be found on Jami’s magnificent album inspired by her time with elephants in Thailand, Hidden Sky.
Simply stop, and breathe
Write down the emotions and sensations that are moving through my body. If I’m in a heated place and emotions are ranging toward anger and rage, I do this with no judgment. For me the act of actually writing down words that come along with those emotions is helpful.
Coloring between the lines. Last week I picked up a book called Calm Coloring to do just that, and I swear it works!
Śamata Practice
Like many things in Buddhism, classical śamatha can be very precise and nuanced. If you’d like a simple but excellent introduction, check out this guided meditation video from Pema Khandro Rinpoche:
I’d love to hear how you’re finding ways to cultivate calmness these days. Please join the conversation and leave a comment below!
“It does not negate action, but it helps our actions come from a place of wisdom and compassion” - thank you my friend for this timeless wisdom of śamata.
I practice gazing at the rain making ripples into the lake at a distant from my house to let the tenderness of water flow through me. We all can use some practices of cooling right now living through our burning times. Thank you so much for always reminding us. 💜
Reading your piece, I found myself nodding along, especially when you mentioned the internal churning of heartbreak and anger. It's a heavy world out there, and sometimes the pressure to "be calm" can feel like another burden. But what I appreciate about your approach to śamata is its inherent kindness. It feels less like a strict discipline and more like an act of self-compassion, a gentle turning down of the volume when things get too loud inside.
And that's where I think humor, even a gentle self-deprecating chuckle at our own "over-heated" moments, can play a role. It's about acknowledging the intensity without judgment, as you beautifully articulated when you mentioned writing down emotions "with no judgment." Sometimes, just admitting, "Yep, I'm a mess right now," can be the first step towards a cooling breath. It's a reminder that even in the pursuit of tranquility, we don't have to take ourselves too seriously.