Yesterday I went to my ANAD group for the first time in months. Barbara Murphy, the therapist who leads the sessions, always opens group with a meditation. It helps us come into our bodies and leave whatever was pulling at us before stepping into the room behind so we can receive the healing we need. It's a way to center ourselves and call our attention to the present.
During yesterday's meditation Barbara led us into our hearts. She then asked us to open up space within our hearts to hold all those being affected by the devastation in Japan, sending them love. It was very powerful to feel the reality that we are all interconnected. Distance does not separate us. What affects one, affects the whole.
It is the web of life. When one intricate thread is altered the entire web is forever changed. As I sat there in meditation breathing into my heart, I could feel the expansiveness of connecting with those in Japan, clear across the globe. The experience brought me to tears. It sounds rather esoteric but in that moment it was very tangible. I could feel the presence of their suffering... filling my heart... filling the room I was sitting in thousands of miles away in California.
At first, I felt a little self-conscious. I'm highly sensitive. Only recently have I started to embrace this quality as a blessing and not a hindrance. I tend to feel very deeply and have been ridiculed for my sensitivity in the past. I was surprised when I opened my eyes to see that there were many who shared this experience. There wasn't a dry eye in the room. The group was shedding their tears openly. So many of us felt this connection and were emotionally impacted by it. This feeling has stayed with me.
In the space of a quiet moment, close your eyes and breathe deeply. Leave behind the cares or concerns that have been weighing heavily on your mind. For this moment, simply be here. Come into your body. Breathe deeply into your belly. Follow your breath in and out. Notice the temperature of the air as it enters your nostrils. Sense how the temperature of the air changes on the exhale. Feel your clothes resting upon your skin. Become aware of the chair you are sitting on. Notice how it supports you... how you can let your body go and feel held. Feel your feet planted on the ground. Become aware of the way your soles connect you to the earth.
During yesterday's meditation Barbara led us into our hearts. She then asked us to open up space within our hearts to hold all those being affected by the devastation in Japan, sending them love. It was very powerful to feel the reality that we are all interconnected. Distance does not separate us. What affects one, affects the whole.
It is the web of life. When one intricate thread is altered the entire web is forever changed. As I sat there in meditation breathing into my heart, I could feel the expansiveness of connecting with those in Japan, clear across the globe. The experience brought me to tears. It sounds rather esoteric but in that moment it was very tangible. I could feel the presence of their suffering... filling my heart... filling the room I was sitting in thousands of miles away in California.
At first, I felt a little self-conscious. I'm highly sensitive. Only recently have I started to embrace this quality as a blessing and not a hindrance. I tend to feel very deeply and have been ridiculed for my sensitivity in the past. I was surprised when I opened my eyes to see that there were many who shared this experience. There wasn't a dry eye in the room. The group was shedding their tears openly. So many of us felt this connection and were emotionally impacted by it. This feeling has stayed with me.
In the space of a quiet moment, close your eyes and breathe deeply. Leave behind the cares or concerns that have been weighing heavily on your mind. For this moment, simply be here. Come into your body. Breathe deeply into your belly. Follow your breath in and out. Notice the temperature of the air as it enters your nostrils. Sense how the temperature of the air changes on the exhale. Feel your clothes resting upon your skin. Become aware of the chair you are sitting on. Notice how it supports you... how you can let your body go and feel held. Feel your feet planted on the ground. Become aware of the way your soles connect you to the earth.
Once you feel fully in your body... in your experience... breathe into your heart. Imagine the breath opening your heart wide like a beautiful white rose unfurling its petals. Feel your heart expanding with each inhale. Allow each exhale to release whatever you are holding that is now ready to be surrendered. See if you can create space for those in Japan. Bring them into your heart. Acknowledge their suffering and flood them with the intention of your love. Envision your heart embracing all of those who have been touched by this tragedy. Stay in this moment, raising love and healing energy for as long as you feel comfortable. Notice what this brings up in you.
This practice is beautifully paired with the Tibetan Loving-Kindness Meditation. As you breathe into your heart and open this center first speak words of blessing to yourself...
May I be free from inner and outer harm and danger. May I be safe and protected.
May I be free of mental suffering or distress.
May I be happy.
May I be free of physical pain and suffering.
May I be healthy and strong.
May I be able to live in this world happily,
peacefully, joyfully, with ease.
Then, expand your heart to hold those suffering in Japan and all their loved ones throughout the world. Continue to breathe into your heart as you recite the following blessing...
May all beings be safe, happy, healthy, live joyously...
Repeat this blessing like a mantra, over and over, until you feel the fullness of the world in your heart. Then add this blessing...
May all beings in Japan and their loved ones live in this world happily, peacefully, joyfully, with ease.
Repeat this blessing until your heart overflows with love. Know that you have contributed your healing energy to those in need.
Japan needs lots of love right now. We each can do our part to send love their way. Love shared is always returned to the sender. In this way we are reminded of the interconnectedness of all things. Love has no limits.
This practice is beautifully paired with the Tibetan Loving-Kindness Meditation. As you breathe into your heart and open this center first speak words of blessing to yourself...
May I be free from inner and outer harm and danger. May I be safe and protected.
May I be free of mental suffering or distress.
May I be happy.
May I be free of physical pain and suffering.
May I be healthy and strong.
May I be able to live in this world happily,
peacefully, joyfully, with ease.
Then, expand your heart to hold those suffering in Japan and all their loved ones throughout the world. Continue to breathe into your heart as you recite the following blessing...
May all beings be safe, happy, healthy, live joyously...
Repeat this blessing like a mantra, over and over, until you feel the fullness of the world in your heart. Then add this blessing...
May all beings in Japan and their loved ones live in this world happily, peacefully, joyfully, with ease.
Repeat this blessing until your heart overflows with love. Know that you have contributed your healing energy to those in need.
Japan needs lots of love right now. We each can do our part to send love their way. Love shared is always returned to the sender. In this way we are reminded of the interconnectedness of all things. Love has no limits.
No comments:
Post a Comment