Meditation Instructions for Sun., March 23, 2014

For this Sunday, March 23rd, the focus for our meditation will be on Teaching. The city where I have lived for a number of years, Asheville, North Carolina, regularly gets mentioned in those popular surveys of “best cities to live in” for a variety of reasons including the climate, cost of living, cultural diversity, great restaurants, etc.  However, this past week the area made the news for a less desirable reason.  Some unfortunate child attending an elementary school in my area made national news because he was sent home by administrators after being taunted by bullies for carrying a “My Little Pony” backpack.  The incident reminded me of my own experience in junior high when I found myself inexplicably ridiculed for having a leather purse resembling saddlebags that I would sling over one shoulder.  A clique of older students whose names I never knew would pass me on the stairwell or in the hallway and hurl the invective “Saddlebags” my way.  It is laughable now given its sheer ludicrousness, but at the time the mere tone of their voices made clear the nastiness of their intent.  Fortunately, I was not troubled enough by these perplexing incidents to bother reporting to authorities what I now recognize as bullying.  By that age I had developed a healthy enough level of self-esteem to shrug off the unwanted attention.  Don’t ask me why that was the case.  In hindsight I certainly consider myself to have behaved in a manner as awkward, nerdy and occasionally idiotic as any other adolescent.  Thank goodness, however, none of this ineptness was ever recorded for posterity given the total absence of Facebook, Twitter and the now-ubiquitous “selfie.”  Admittedly, I was also a few years older than the 9-year-old boy with the Pony backpack, and that may have likely helped.  As I read his story in the papers, however, I am troubled by the fact that school administrators, approached regarding the bullying, took the illogical stance of requesting the child leave the backpack at home, claiming it only served to attract taunting.  In their subsequent backpedaling, authorities were quoted as saying, “Every situation with young children is a Teachable moment, and we will use this example in our efforts to address a wider issue of bullying.”  I can only imagine what I would have been Taught had I reported my experience and found myself unjustly faulted by those I considered to be accountable adults.  This week in our prayer and meditation let us ask that we all assess what we Teach others, particularly children, through our decisions and actions.  May those in positions of influence over children weigh carefully what lessons they Teach when they try to avoid accepting responsibility.  Let us also use the energy of our prayers to send light to school authorities across this nation so they may be emboldened to confront bullying and Teach children a more honorable form of conduct that will serve them well into adulthood.

In our efforts this week let us also continue to use the energy of our prayers and meditation to amplify the light that covers and fills this nation.  As we perform our meditation this week let us begin by re-energizing the brilliance and power of the light we create.  Just as before, 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.

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 realize the manner in which I conduct myself can serve to Teach others how to behave?  How does it feel in my body when I am willing to stand up to bullying so children may be Taught accountability for their actions?  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