Meditation Instructions for Sun., April 1, 2012

For this Sunday, April 1st, the focus for our meditation will be on Beauty. Being able to recognize the presence of Beauty helps to feed our mind, body, and soul. A spiritual teacher once gave a class the simple instruction to look around each time we stepped out our front door and try to find three naturally-occurring items (not man-made) of a color other than green. The exercise helps to train the mind to seek Beauty around us. I have friends and family members who are exceptional photographers. It is remarkable to me how they can take something utterly mundane such as a fence line, a pile of twigs, or the brickwork on a building, and transform it into a thing of beauty through the eye of their camera lens. It teaches us that we are capable of seeing Beauty everywhere. When we consciously create a habit to look for Beauty it embeds the understanding that Beauty surrounds us and the expectation that we will find it anywhere. I believe something as simple as that alters us in a way that further trains us to always seek and expect something positive to occur. This time of year is rich with opportunity to find Beauty in the blossoming flowers that have emerged from the ground in spring. This week let us take time to consider the Beauty that exists around us. Let us recognize in our prayers and meditation that such signs of Beauty reflect all the good the universe has to offer if we only take a moment to find that which is already there.

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 Beauty across the nation.

The way to do this is to perceive in your body how the quality of Beauty feels. Ask yourself how do I feel when I have unexpectedly found a thing of Beauty in my surroundings? How does it feel in my body when I am consciously aware of all the Beauty around 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

Meditation Instructions for Sun., March 25, 2012

For this Sunday, March 25th, the focus for our meditation will be on Safety. This week has seen the tragic incident of a young man named Trayvon Martin lose his life in what appears to be a profound misunderstanding. The facts remain unclear, but from all accounts it seems both parties felt their Safety was at risk. George Zimmerman, the resident in Sanford, Florida, apparently felt the Safety of his neighborhood was being threatened, and Trayvon, according to the cell phone conversation he was having with his girlfriend, likewise felt threatened by someone he described as following him. Without passing judgment on either individual it is incredible that in such circumstances people should feel Unsafe. Yet we hear time and time again accounts of people arming themselves or feeling fearful in their own homes and neighborhoods. Unfortunately, in instances such as this one, the lack of a feeling of a Safety can lead to irreversible errors in judgment. The one thing we can do to help prevent similar incidents in the future is to offer our prayers and seek to bring the energy of light and Safety into our communities and neighborhoods. Let us use our meditation this week to ask that residents across this nation feel secure in the places where they live, and let us ask that any feelings of fear be replaced with a sense of Safety instead.

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 know I am secure and Safe in my environment? What does it feel like when I recognize there is Safety surrounding 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., March 18, 2012

For this Sunday, March 18th, the focus for our meditation will be on Endurance. One might expect that the best athletes are those in the prime of their twenties, but in the sport of long-distance running the average age of those who compete in such Endurance events as ultra-marathons is quite a bit older at approximately 45 years. It is interesting to consider that one of the most punishing competitive events, with some runners racing 50 to 100 miles or more, isn’t dominated by youth. Even in regular marathons (26.2 miles) the fastest category of runners is males between the ages of 40 to 44. What is it about Endurance events like these that seem to provide an advantage for the older athlete? While I don’t know that the edge necessarily comes from a physiological distinction, I like to think has more to do with the accumulated wisdom that comes with age. Perhaps these older marathoners perform best because they are better strategists or because they have already experienced sufficient trials to provide them the confidence that they can overcome the hardship. Their prior experience leaves them with the ability to better Endure most difficulties. In life we can similarly benefit from recognizing that the challenges we go through provide us with greater Endurance in the end. By taking this perspective it may help when we find ourselves facing a troubling stretch. If we can just hang in there and outlast the problem we will emerge with added wisdom and strength to more readily weather such trials in the future. For our nation we clearly have a number of trials testing our Endurance that will continue far after this fall’s elections have concluded. Let us ask this week in our prayer and meditation that we receive the wisdom and experience that will improve our ability to Endure future trials, both in our personal life and for our nation.

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 know I have the Endurance to make it through a challenge? What does it feel like when I have come through a trial with stronger Endurance as the result? 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., March 11, 2012

For this Sunday, March 11th, the focus for our meditation will be on Options. One of the effects of stress related to excessive production of adrenaline in the body is tunnel vision. Under a life-threatening situation this narrowed focus can actually help by eliminating extraneous visual stimuli, but for most of us this is a rare circumstance. Unfortunately, our body fails to distinguish among the various types of stressors we encounter in modern-day life and summons the same physiological response as if we were being chased by a dangerous predator. As a result, people under prolonged stress can develop a form of tunnel vision in which they are incapable of perceiving the multitude of Options they have before them. When people are exposed to continual stress in their life they can become depressed and hopeless, often because they don’t see any alternative. Individuals burdened by the worry of finding employment or in the stress of an abusive relationship sometimes become resigned to their situation and lose the desire to seek a change. They feel that there are no Options available to them and just give up. Yet we are never in a circumstance so desperate that we truly are without Options; the challenge is in maintaining our ability to perceive them. As our nation moves toward an important national election this fall we want to recognize that despite the many stresses our country is under there are always Options. Let us ask this week in our prayer and meditation that people throughout this nation be buoyed by a sense of hope for the future and recognize the multitude of Options available that will help our country move forward.

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 I have multiple Options to choose from in my life? What does it feel like when I feel the relief from stress by recognizing alternative Options available to 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., March 4, 2012

For this Sunday, March 4th, the focus for our meditation will be on Assessment. Many people work for an employer where they are required to undergo annual or regular performance Assessments. The purpose is not so much about handing out a long-overdue “attaboy” as it is about taking stock and appraising where you are on your career path. Part of the process entails looking back at what you have done during the year, identifying strengths and weaknesses, and then envisioning the future. Sometimes the appraisal entails a self-Assessment by the employee as well as hopefully honest feedback from management. Ideally the two should match, but in instances where they are discrepant the Assessment process is intended to help bring them more into alignment. Perhaps the individual fails to recognize a deficiency or maybe management isn’t aware of all the employee’s accomplishments. The process requires accurate evaluation and clear communication for it to succeed. Our national elections offer a parallel to the scrutiny of a performance Assessment. It marks a time when we want to look back over what we have accomplished as a nation and where we want to go in the future. In the run-up to the fall elections let us begin to engage in a thoughtful Assessment of our communities and nation to determine the direction we are headed and whether that meets our expectations. If there is much disparity between where we find ourselves and where we want to be let us consider using our right to vote to help bring the two back into alignment.

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 undergo a process of Assessment to help bring me into alignment? What does it feel like when an Assessment helps me recognize there is a need for change? 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