Meditation Instructions for Sun., Aug. 30, 2009

It was just over a year ago that this Meditation Project first began. For the most part I have resisted the temptation to respond to news reports and national events to direct our focus each week. Instead, I feel this effort needs to be proactive rather than reactive, and to serve as a means of being open to spiritual guidance and receiving direction from Spirit as to what this nation most needs. This week, however, we will use the efforts of this group to bring needed energy and light to the nation in response to the growing problem of misinformation surrounding Pres. Obama's policies and specifically the debate on health care reform. Here are two accounts that describe the pervasive tone of fear and suspicion that is being fed by misinformation [please note - "tinyurl.com" is simply a way of shortening very long web addresses so they can be more easily listed in text]:

http://tinyurl.com/m5rcxh - an AARP Bulletin Today report from August 14, 2009

and,

http://tinyurl.com/mt329a - a column from the Charlotte Observer posted August 26, 2009

What is most distressing is how readily people succumb to blind acceptance of (mis)information that is not only hard to believe but downright ludicrous. If we want to help bring greater discernment to the people of this nation we need to first remove them from the place of fear in which they are now mired. Until the mind-numbing waves of fear and anxiety are lifted people will remain unable to recognize the truth. Our focus then for this coming Sunday, August 30th, is to bring Calm to the nation. If we can instill a greater sense of calm and serenity we can then focus next week on bringing greater Discernment. Once the fear is removed people's minds will be open to considering other viewpoints with more clarity.

Please follow the same practice as before: Get centered, ask to bring in your guides and others who are there to assist us, connect to the circle of others participating in this project, create the brilliant star-like light over the nation and extend blue rays to its four borders, then connect to the grid or matrix that extends from the circle.

Ask yourself what does it feel like in my body when I am feeling Calm? How do I feel when I am aware of remaining Calm in the presence of fear and anxiety? Then send the energy and intention of that feeling to the grid for the nation.

Be sure to disconnect from the circle at the end and express thanks for those who have helped us in this effort.

If you have feedback or experiences you would like to share please let me know via e-mail to k_miritello@bellsouth.net or kmiritello@gmail.com

I want to also express my deepest gratitude to each and every one of you for continuing to support this project. Many, many thanks for contributing your energy and feedback, for helping to spread the word, and for being a part of moving this nation forward.

Meditation Instructions for Sun., Aug. 23, 2009

For this coming Sunday, August 23rd, the focus for our meditation will be on Clarity. There are so many ways in which the path before this nation seems unclear. Much debate is going on as to the direction we should take regarding various policies. Combined with this there seems to be a great deal of miscommunication, some likely purposeful, in order to instill confusion and distrust. Should we or should we not support proposed health care reform? Are we on the cusp of financial recovery, or do we need to prepare ourselves for further belt-tightening? Perhaps in your own life you feel the same way, with confusion and miscommunication swirling around you. Ask yourself where you feel you need to clear out aspects of your life. By bringing our meditative efforts to bear on Clarity this week we hope to make the right path before this nation and ourselves come into greater focus.

Please follow the same practice as before: Get centered, ask to bring in your guides and others who are there to assist us, connect to the circle of others participating in this project, create the brilliant star-like light over the nation and extend blue rays to its four borders, then connect to the grid or matrix that extends from the circle.

Ask yourself what does it feel like in my body when I am feeling Clarity in my life? How do I feel when I am confident the direction or path I am taking appears Clear? Then send the energy and intention of that feeling to the grid for the nation.

Be sure to disconnect from the circle at the end and express thanks for those who have helped us in this effort.

If you have feedback or experiences you would like to share please let me know via e-mail to k_miritello@bellsouth.net or kmiritello@gmail.com

Meditation Instructions for Sun., Aug. 16, 2009

For this coming Sunday, August 16th, the focus for our meditation will be on Prudence. We've focused previously on individual financial responsibility through being satisfied with what we have as well as being generous stewards to others around us. In this week's meditation we want to extend this notion of Prudence and fiscal responsibility to the corporate world. Headlines continue to signal alarm over the shaky financial health of many of America's corporations. Despite the introduction of various stimulus and assistance programs companies are finding they need to make significant cutbacks, and their employee population is often the first to feel the impact through forced layoffs. Yet at the same time we read of the lavish bonuses being handed to top executives of these distressed companies or of corporate events where management wines and dines in extravagant style. Clearly something is out of balance, and so we want to use our meditative efforts to strengthen the sense of corporate fiscal responsibility and Prudence as a foundation for our nation's return to economic health.

Please follow the same practice as before: Get centered, ask to bring in your guides and others who are there to assist us, connect to the circle of others participating in this project, create the brilliant star-like light over the nation and extend blue rays to its four borders, then connect to the grid or matrix that extends from the circle.

Ask yourself what does it feel like in my body when I am being Prudent with finances? How does it make me feel when I recognize signs of fiscal Prudence and responsibility in companies? Then send the energy and intention of that feeling to the grid for the nation.

Be sure to disconnect from the circle at the end and express thanks for those who have helped us in this effort.

If you have feedback or experiences you would like to share please let me know via e-mail to k_miritello@bellsouth.net or kmiritello@gmail.com

Meditation Instructions for Sun., Aug. 9, 2009

For this coming Sunday, August 9th, the focus for our meditation will be to Re-energize. I'm a frequent business traveler, and every August I observe the same pattern of families heading off for the last gasp of vacation fun before school resumes. Despite claims of current economic conditions cutting into family vacation travel I haven't seen any signs of it waning in my trips through airports. Yet, there is something puzzling to me about this phenomenon. More often than not everyone looks tired, stressed, and not at all as if they were truly enjoying themselves. The parents, lugging luggage, car seats, and kids, look frazzled beyond description, and the children rarely appear calm and content. It makes me wonder what is the aim of this pursuit? Americans work longer hours than any other industrialized nation and on average take less time away from the job to relax and recharge. We may appear to be very good at operating at this incessant speed, but it will eventually take its toll. For this nation to return to a healthy state we need to be mindful of our own energy level and the important role of taking time to recharge. You can do this through simple processes such as sitting quietly and taking a few deep breaths several times a day, finding sources of beauty around you, allowing for introspective periods of prayer and meditation, and just recognizing the value of taking yourself off the assembly line for a few moments to Re-energize.

Please follow the same practice as before: Get centered, ask to bring in your guides and others who are there to assist us, connect to the circle of others participating in this project, create the brilliant star-like light over the nation and extend blue rays to its four borders, then connect to the grid or matrix that extends from the circle.

Ask yourself what does it feel like in my body when I allow myself to be Re-energized? How does taking time to Re-energize help my body feel different and healthier? Then send the energy and intention of that feeling to the grid for the nation.

Be sure to disconnect from the circle at the end and express thanks for those who have helped us in this effort.

If you have feedback or experiences you would like to share please let me know via e-mail to k_miritello@bellsouth.net or kmiritello@gmail.com

Meditation Instructions for Sun., Aug. 2, 2009

For this coming Sunday, August 2nd, the focus for our meditation will be on Influence. Whether we are consciously aware of it or not we have an impact on the world around us merely by the energy we carry in our bodies. The quality of this energetic field is transmitted in a ripple effect as we move through our environment. Just as a pebble thrown into a pond ultimately has an effect on the waters on the opposite shore, our energy likewise impacts everything around us. Einstein once said energy is never lost, it only becomes transferred to another form of energy. This is kind of a scary thought if you think about the "downstream" impact of an angry moment. What happened to that energy after it left my body? Where did it go in the universe, and more importantly, whom might it have affected, perhaps inducing a similar state of rage in another person? If we take a step back and examine what we broadcast through our energetic field, what do we see? Similarly, if we look at what our nation as a whole broadcasts to the rest of the world, what sort of Influence do we project as a country? In our meditation this week we want to become more conscious of the energy we send out through our thoughts, words, and actions. We want to increase our awareness of our impact on others and in doing so make a concerted effort to broadcast more positive ripples of Influence as individuals and as a nation.

As a reminder, we typically form as a group in our focused meditation every Sunday from 12:15 to 12:30 pm (Eastern time) and return to bring more energy to the same theme throughout the week as time permits. If you are unable to participate at that particular time there are instructions posted on how to energetically contribute at either an earlier or later time (please see "Instructions for Meditating at Alternate Dates or Times" posted on August 21, 2008). A few minutes before 12:15 you may want to get into your meditation posture and begin the relaxation phase.

Stage 1:
Sit (or lay down) so that you are relaxed and comfortable but your spine is straight and aligned over your pelvis (if seated). Begin by taking several slow, deep breaths. Follow the sensation of the breath down into your body. Breathe into your spine, your hips, and then your legs. Feel the breath reach your feet on the floor and then feel the connection through your feet to the earth’s energy. Draw the earth’s energy up through your feet into your body. Feel your body fill completely with this energy from your breath and the earth. Invite your own personal spiritual guides to join you in the meditation. Ask for those in the spiritual realm (especially the nation's Founding Fathers) who want to assist us in this project to be present. If you have trouble feeling centered and fully in your body or feeling grounded to the earth ask Guidance to help you.

Stage 2:
Stay relaxed and begin to make a connection with the others in the group by perceiving that we are present in the same room and formed in a circle. Feel yourself make contact with the person on each side of you in the circle by taking their hand – one to the right and one to the left. Feel the energy of the group grow as you make this connection. Recognize there are groups all over who are doing similar activities with the same intention. We are connected to them as well as to each other. Feel the grid or network that is created from this energetic connection. We receive energy from it as we feed energy to it.

Stage 3:
Place a brilliant white light over the center of the country. Extend blue rays out from the center of that light in the four directions (north, south, east, and west). The blue rays fill the country from border to border and sea to sea. Connect to the energetic grid or network created across the circle. Use that grid to direct energy to the manitou of the nation [See Meditation Instructions for Sun., Sept. 7, 2008 for explanation] with the intent of permeating a sense of being Grounded to the Earth. The way to do this is to perceive in your body what being Grounded feels like. Ask yourself, "How does it feel in my body when I am aware that I create a positive presence for those around me?" "How do I feel when I am conscious of my Influence on others?" Hold that sensation and allow it to intensify as you feed that energy to the grid or network with each breath.

Stage 4:
Close by disconnecting from the group circle. Feel as though you release the hand of the person next to you and feel yourself break from the group.

Stage 5:
Thank your guidance and those in the spiritual realm for coming to assist you in this endeavor. Ask them to continue this work from their plane on your behalf throughout the week. If you are able, you may want to repeat this process throughout the week, focusing on bringing light and energy to the meditation topic. When you do, connect to the same network or grid of energy created by the group at the original meditation session. Direct your intention to help support and grow that group energy. Be sure to disconnect from the group at the end.

Remember to report your experiences (if you choose) by email to k_miritello@bellsouth.net or kmiritello@gmail.com.