Meditation Instructions for Sun., Feb. 26, 2012

For this Sunday, February 26th, the focus for our meditation will be on Awakening. When we Awaken from a restful sleep our senses often seem sharper, our ability to perceive more vivid and distinct. So it is with the season in which we now find ourselves. We are coming out of the winter and ready to Awaken in the spring to the blossoming growth. For Christians around the world the season of Lent has begun in which we enter a period of deprivation before Awakening on Easter and celebrating the resurrection of Jesus. In each instance there is a time of being dormant that readies us to more fully appreciate and take in the vibrancy of what awaits. This week let us use this theme of Awakening to consider what may have fallen dormant in our life. Perhaps we feel stagnant in a personal relationship or have lost our motivation in our work or studies. Is there a way we can take a new approach that allows us to Awaken our feelings and resurrect a sense of enthusiasm? It can be dreary to be stuck in what seems to be a never-ending rut with no end in sight, but this season reminds us there is always the potential for an Awakening to occur. In our prayer and meditation let us ask to recognize the potential for a brighter perspective that follows an Awakening and be given that opportunity where needed 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 am roused from being dormant and feel eager at the opportunities that come with Awakening? What does it feel like when I find my senses refreshed and heightened after Awakening? Then send the energy and intention of that feeling to 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., Feb. 19, 2012

For this Sunday, February 19th, the focus for our meditation will be on Expansion. Have you ever tried too hard to perform some task and in the process become less capable of what you were trying to do? Sometimes we can focus so much on trying to achieve something that we become overly tight and constricted. While some activities, such as lifting a heavy weight, may require a certain level of muscle tension to be performed properly, other activities, such as meditation, actually are inhibited when we are too taut. If we strain too much to concentrate on what we are doing we restrict our ability to perceive. The internal constriction blocks the flow of energy and information and can make it harder to receive Spirit. The same is true in our interpersonal relationships. When we try too hard to find that “right someone” we can become too tense and then are unable to just be ourselves. For us to be able to wholly receive Spirit or others we want to be in a state of Expansion that opens us up and makes us less guarded. Energetically it is a lot less draining to be Expansive than to have to try and contain everything and put up shielding. Yet, constant shielding and trying to overachieve can become unconscious habits. Over time we are no longer even aware of the tension we are holding in our bodies and how that may be an impediment. This week in our prayer and meditation let us examine where we may be trying too hard or holding onto constriction. Let us ask instead that we be shown how to allow a state of Expansion that helps us better receive more of the world around us.

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 am able to let go of tension that constricts me and instead allow for Expansion? What does it feel like when I am aware of a state of Expansion in my body that helps me become more connected to the world around me? Then send the energy and intention of that feeling to 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., Feb. 12, 2012

For this Sunday, February 12th, the focus for our meditation will be on Confidentiality. There is something about modern technology that has encouraged the common phenomenon of sharing “too much information” about one’s thoughts and activities, particularly via on-line social networks. Perhaps it is because sitting behind a keyboard prompts a greater sense of anonymity, but people feel compelled to post all sort of information on-line that they would likely never share in person or at least not distribute as broadly as occurs with an on-line forum. Sometimes such failure to be discreet later comes back to haunt an individual. We occasionally hear of someone being considered for employment only to have their prospective employer pass them over after checking out their on-line persona and discovering a lack of decorum that leads to doubts about the individual’s maturity, judgment, level of responsibility, etc. In many instances there is information that is best left as Confidential and not freely shared with others. Popular therapist Martha Beck advocates that not all secrets should be disclosed, even in close relationships, as there are times when our failure to keep something Confidential can result in greater hurt and damage. Going beyond the realm of personal disclosure there was a tradition in ancient mystery schools to purposely cloak the most valuable information and only share it with those who had been properly vetted and prepared to receive such knowledge. Even Jesus was known to deliberately speak in parables to ensure that only those who deserved to have the deeper understanding of his message were the ones who were able to receive it. This week in our meditation let us consider our own sense of discretion and determine whether we have a clear awareness of what needs to remain Confidential in our life and what is appropriate to be revealed to others.

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 am aware there is information I have that is best kept Confidential? What does it feel like when I am able to maintain the Confidentiality of certain information? Then send the energy and intention of that feeling to 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., Feb. 5, 2012

For this Sunday, January 1st, the focus for our meditation will be on Initiation. An Initiation is a formal introduction to or acceptance within an organization or society. It suggests the beginning of a process and can hint at a challenge that lies ahead that is likely to involve numerous trials. In an Initiation the individual is placed upon a path, but it then is up to them as to whether or how they proceed. There are many ways in which we can experience an Initiation. Completing a degree program and taking part in the commencement ceremony, for instance, is often the beginning of the professional phase in one’s life. Taking the vows of marriage creates an Initiation onto the path of mastering the often complex art of intimacy and relationship. Even retirement can serve as the Initiation to a new stage in our development. Each of us in our own way faces an Initiation simply by entering this life on earth. We may find ourselves feeling daunted by the intimidating task of trying to figure out the direction we need to take. Rather than being overwhelmed or frozen by the fear of possible failure the key is to take that terrifying first step and start moving ahead. No one knows for certain at the start of such a journey where it will eventually lead, and the “end point” itself may not actually be the goal, but rather what truly matters is the experience along the way. In our prayer and meditation this week let us consider the ways in which life has presented us with the opportunity for Initiation and may we appreciate the tremendous potential that awaits us across its threshold.

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 Initiation across the nation.

The way to do this is to perceive in your body how the quality of Initiation feels. Ask yourself how do I feel when I have undergone an Initiation that set me on the exciting threshold of exploration and growth? How does it feel in my body when I am willing to accept an Initiation that creates a new path for me? 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