Meditation Instructions for Sun., January 20, 2013

For this Sunday, January 20th, the focus for our meditation will be on Strength.  It is easy to assume the burden on our military personnel by the conflicts in Iraq and Afghanistan is soon coming to an end.  Troop withdrawals have continued, and those who remain are serving in more of a training and advisory capacity while responsibility for security is being transitioned to local forces.  More and more units have been demobilized and military men and women sent home to return to their loved ones and pick up their civilian lives.  It would appear all is finally coming to a close.  But for many who have served the conflict is far from over.  In the past ten years the number of military suicides has risen to where they now exceed the total for combat deaths.  The rate of suicide in the Army in particular is more than double that found in the civilian population.  There is no single cause, but the pressures of being deployed, traumatic experiences during combat, stressed family relationships, financial hardships, and the fight to receive care for service-related conditions such as PTSD appear to be part of the picture.  These are the unseen battles our military men and women continue to fight long after their return home.  In our prayer and meditation this week let us ask that those who are most vulnerable to suicide find the Strength to reach out to others and ask for the help they need.  May our prayers Strengthen their ability to fight the dark demons that haunt them, and may they find comfort in the light that we send to envelop them. 

In our efforts this week let us also use the energy of our prayers and meditation to amplify the light that covers and fills this nation.  As we perform our meditation let us re-energize the brilliance and power of the light we create.  Begin by forming a concentrated ball of light that is so bright it is almost impossible to look directly at it.  Raise this sphere of light up high over the nation and then let its rays cascade down to create a solid, impenetrable dome of light that completely covers every inch of our country.  From shore to shore and border to border let the entire continent be filled with this brilliant, dense light that will serve to magnify the best and highest qualities of our country and the people who live across its vast lands.  In particular, let us focus this light on our military men and women who have served or continue to serve this 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, and connect to the circle of others participating in this project. 

Ask yourself how do I feel when I have the Strength to be able to turn away from darkness?  How does it feel in my body when I have the Strength to reach out to others when I need their help?  Then send the energy and intention of those feelings 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