Meditation Instructions for Sun., Oct. 30, 2011

For this Sunday, October 30th, the focus for our meditation will be on Decontamination. I recently learned a startling statistic that the use of the Internet for pornography outnumbers its use for normal communication and social networking by a ratio of five to one. While I was certainly aware that the Internet had become an enticing environment for people to access and distribute pornography in the anonymity and privacy of their homes I had no idea it was this pervasive. The thought of my emails and Facebook or blog posts crossing the ether surrounded by at least five times more of this type of content is repulsive. Mentally it conjures up an image of being surrounded by an infestation of cockroaches or vermin, leading to our theme this week of Decontamination. Recently the rogue hacker group, Anonymous, which had previously worked against “establishment” targets such as Wall Street and banking sites announced a change in focus to find and disrupt web sites specifically designed to promulgate child pornography. Although this redirection of their efforts earned a tentative nod of approval from my corner there are other methods available to help Decontaminate the Internet from this appalling misuse. Those who operate such sites want to do so while remaining hidden and in darkness, hence the technical reference to that portion of the Internet dedicated to this type of activity as the “darknet.” Wherever there is darkness in the world the best solution is to bring what is hidden into the light. This week through our prayers and meditation we want to focus on filling the Internet with light. Let us use the light of our prayers and meditation to help Decontaminate this environment from that which would instead have it filled with darkness.

Please follow the same practice as before: Get centered in your body, ask to bring in your guides and others who are there to assist us, connect to the circle of others participating in this project, and create the brilliant star-like light over the nation. Extend blue rays from the center of this light to the nation's four borders and then connect to the grid or matrix that extends from the circle. In our efforts this week let us also consider connecting our energy to the vast etheric network that forms the Internet.

Ask yourself how does it feel in my body when I seek to clean out an infestation through Decontamination? What does it feel like when I use light to help show where an area needs Decontamination? 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., Oct. 23, 2011

For this Sunday, October 23rd, the focus for our meditation will be on Learning. Research studies on memory and aging have reportedly discovered that continually challenging the brain helps protect it against the onset of dementia. Novelty, in particular, as in the form of Learning a new language or skill seems to particularly help keep the brain “young.” I believe our spirit also retains its youthfulness when we preserve our inquisitiveness and ongoing desire to explore and Learn new material. There often is an excitement at discovering some new aspect of a body of knowledge you thought you already possessed. The key is to remain receptive to recognizing there is more to Learn on a topic and to never presume you have “mastered” a particular subject or skill. Most would advocate that Learning is a continual, lifelong process that never ceases. Learning can be in the form of facts and knowledge or in simple lessons such as how to avoid making the same mistake repeatedly. In our meditation this week let us examine whether there is something we could be Learning that would benefit us in our life.

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

Ask yourself how does it feel in my body when I have a desire to Learn something new? What does it feel like when I challenge myself by Learning something I didn’t know before? 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., Oct. 16, 2011

For this Sunday, October 16th, the focus for our meditation will be on Offering. For eons people have used Offerings in their spiritual practice as a means of appeasing the gods (“sacrificial offering”) or in atonement for some wrong or offense towards another (“peace offering”). An Offering can also be made as an expression of gratitude for the blessings one has received. In making an Offering one usually gives thought to what would best serve the intended purpose. In Native traditions a person might make an Offering of tobacco in recognition of the material’s importance to the history and culture of Native peoples. Followers of the indigenous Tibetan pre-Buddhist Bon religion use an Offering called the torma, a ritual cake made from barley grain and yak butter that is formed into a shape and ornately decorated. Modern Western religions formalize the process of an Offering by incorporating it as a routine portion of a religious service and even providing special envelopes to be used in making a donation. In each instance one is making a ritual Offering of some sacrifice to honor a divine presence or spiritual being. The action ideally should be much more than just the mere writing of a check and instead truly reflect our intent. This week in our meditation let us consider all the reasons why we might want to make an Offering in our life. What are the blessings we have received and how do we want to Offer an expression of gratitude for them?

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

Ask yourself how does it feel in my body when I make an Offering out of gratitude for the blessings I have received? What does it feel like when I choose an Offering that best reflects how I wish to honor another? 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., Oct. 9, 2011

For this Sunday, October 9th, the focus for our meditation will be on Gestation. Rather than thinking of this concept as referring only to the pre-birth in utero phase there are actually many times in our life when we experience Gestation periods. Each time we begin something anew, maybe a period of change or transformation, or perhaps even just a work or school project, there is an epoch of time at the beginning that resembles a Gestation. It is during this period that we may be concretizing our ideas, pulling out of the amorphous jumble of our mind the clarity that is needed to move the project along. This is a necessary period but one that can sometimes be frustrating. Just as one cannot rush along the development cycle of a fetus, the same is true with other Gestation experiences. We have passed beyond the starting point and believe we already have an end in sight, but the middle may still be taking time to develop and acquire the structure it needs before we can move on. During this period we can feel impatient at what we perceive to be a lack of progress or a feeling that we are “stuck.” However, there are occasions when such a lull is necessary and does not indicate a lack of forward movement, merely our inability to accept that it would take more time than we had anticipated. It may feel to some as we look ahead to 2012, whether one’s focus is on the Mayan prophecy or the national election, that our nation is also undergoing a period of Gestation. In our prayer and meditation this week we want to recognize the vital importance of nurturing this preparatory phase. Let us send prayers and energy that nourish us and our nation during this Gestation while we await the birth of what comes next.

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

Ask yourself how does it feel in my body when I have observed a period of Gestation in my life? What does it feel like when I recognize the importance of nourishing and supporting the Gestation process to provide for a healthy outcome? 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., Oct. 2, 2011

For this Sunday, October 2nd, the focus for our meditation will be on Experience. There is a joke about people who claim years of Experience in some skill or ability as to whether that consists of the accumulation of greater wisdom or merely the repetition of the same learning. In order for us to truly benefit from Experience it helps if we can examine each success or failure for what it teaches us. Some of our best lessons can come from when we fall short and subsequently gain an understanding of how we might adapt our approach to optimize our chances the next time we try. Even in success there are important insights that can come from determining what combination of factors may have led to the accomplishment. While a lot is to be said for the contribution of sheer determination and will, seldom does one consistently achieve success through mere effort alone. When one has triumphed sometimes there are still valuable lessons in how to perform the task more easily or with better results that come from examining how we managed to do what we did. In each instance, the advantage comes from a desire to seek a greater level of self-knowledge. To turn an Experience into a critical learning episode one needs to strike a fine balance between beating oneself up for a perceived failure and resting on one’s laurels for having made it. In the former instance one is likely placing undue blame and in the latter one is perhaps taking unjustified credit. If one instead were to take the approach of honest self-critique with the aim of future improvement, we would add to our base of Experience in a more positive way. This week in our prayer and meditation let us examine whether there are ways in our life that we can better accumulate true Experience and avoid repeating the same lessons over and over.

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”). 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 this meditation. Ask for those in the spiritual realm (especially the nation's Founding Fathers) who want to assist us in this effort 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 "Explanation of the Grid or Manitou" for more information) with the intent of sending the energy of Experience across the nation.

The way to do this is to perceive in your body how the quality of Experience feels. Ask yourself how do I feel when I am aware I gain insight from my Experience? How does it feel in my body when I learn something valuable from an Experience that helps me in my life? 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. 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.

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