Meditation Instructions for Sun., June 1, 2014

For this Sunday, June 1st, the focus for our meditation will be on Voice.  In 2012 the whole world came to know a young Pakistani girl named Malala Yousafzai when she became the target of an unconscionable attack by the Taliban.  They objected to her vocal stance on behalf of education for girls and therefore shot her while she was traveling defenseless in a school vehicle.  Their efforts to silence her failed, and she not only went on to survive but continued to speak out on behalf of her cause.  In her book, “I Am Malala,” she writes, “I raise up my Voice – not so that I can shout, but so those without a Voice can be heard.”  She knew her speaking out placed her at danger, yet she was courageous enough to continue to raise up her Voice and challenge those who wanted to oppress her and other women.  It is hard for me to imagine how she was able to be so brave, especially at her young age, and summon the determination not to be cowed by those who had threatened her and her family.  Her story serves to inspire people around the world to speak out on behalf of others.  When we see a wrong and remain silent, we not only ultimately jeopardize our own security, but more importantly we damage our soul by ignoring that which we should take action against.  It is this principle of non-action that allows numerous wrong-doings in the world, from outright oppression and dictatorship to school bullying, to persist in the world.  As in Malala’s example, taking action does not mean meeting violence with violence but instead just speaking out can be enough to deter others from perpetuating evil acts.  This week in our prayer and meditation let us ask if there are situations on which we have been silent too long.  Let us ask to be given the courage to raise our Voice against that which we want to continue and speak out on behalf of those who are not being heard. 

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 entire 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 have given Voice to a wrong that I have observed?  How does it feel in my body when I recognize by speaking out on behalf of others and raising up my Voice it strengthens all of us?  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

Meditation Instructions for Sun., May 25, 2014

For this Sunday, May 25th, the focus for our meditation will be on Feedback.  The gym I belong to caters to a wide variety of individuals, from ultra-athletes to folks like me who simply want to remain active and healthy.  Those of us in the latter category often find it hard to achieve consistency because of the interruptions from work and travel schedules.  I consider myself fortunate if I am able to get into the gym twice a week.  The challenge for my coach is figuring out what I am capable of on those days.  Depending on how well I slept (or didn’t) the night before, or whether I just returned from a lengthy, arduous trip, I might not be able to achieve the minimums laid out in my workout program, or I might find I can easily exceed them.  The solution my coach came up with was to implement a Feedback routine that lets my body set my baseline for the day.  It’s a simple procedure that you do before you workout and between sets to check how your body is responding.  The Feedback procedure lets me know if it is safe to do more or whether I need to scale back in intensity.  It’s a safer way for me to work out and reduces the likelihood of injury.  The usefulness of Feedback extends well beyond a gym session.  There are many times in life when I can count on good friends to be honest enough to let me know when I have made a mistake.  Similarly, it is gratifying to receive positive Feedback from others when we have excelled.  In either instance, the Feedback we receive helps keep us progressing forward in life or motivates us to keep going when we are discouraged.  This week in our prayer and meditation time let us think about the ways we seek and respond to Feedback.  Do we have a way of receiving direction and Feedback from Spirit rather than striking out stubbornly on our own?  Are there circumstances when we might want to be asking for Feedback more often than we do?  Other than Spirit, who do you have in your life as a source of candid Feedback that can help beyond measure?  Let us ask through our meditation to be shown more ways to receive useful Feedback in our life.

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 entire 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 have received useful Feedback that encourages or offers clear direction?  How does it feel in my body when I am grateful for the sources of honest and useful Feedback in my life?  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

Meditation Instructions for Sun., May 18, 2014

For this Sunday, May 18th, the focus for our meditation will be on Purpose.  A research study done by a Canadian university found that having a sense of Purpose in life is strongly correlated with longevity.  The reasons for this relationship remain unclear, but some researchers think having a direction and Purpose in life helps ease the stress of transition between stages in our life.  Those with a strong Purpose feel better anchored in life following graduation and the anxiety of searching for a job as you set out on your career path.  At the opposite end of life, those who are recently retired make that adjustment more smoothly if they are able to keep a feeling of Purpose that remains in their life.  Other research seems to indicate that having a sense of Purpose may also protect us from the effects of Alzheimer’s disease.  Feeling the presence of Purpose suggests a strong belief in the deeper meaning to life.  We tend to more readily realize that life isn’t just about us but has more to do with how we can make a contribution through our actions.  It is the sense of Purpose that keeps us motivated when we are feeling discouraged.  Popular evangelist Rick Warren writes in his book, “The Purpose Driven Life,” that “without God, life has no Purpose, and without Purpose, life has no meaning.  Without meaning, life has no significance or hope.”  This week in our prayer and meditation let us consider what is our Purpose in life?  If we are feeling the absence of a sense of Purpose and direction let us ask that we may be shown how to find greater meaning so we may achieve all that of which we are capable.

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 entire 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 am aware of a strong sense of Purpose in my life?  How does it feel in my body when I recognize there is a higher Purpose to life that helps smooth over the rough spots?  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

Meditation Instructions for Sun., May 11, 2014

For this Sunday, May 11th, the focus for our meditation will be on Empowerment.  Statistics indicate that although women now represent an equal half of this nation’s workforce, they still struggle against a pervasive gender pay gap.  Across sectors, women make at least 20% less than their male counterparts in the same positions.  Worse yet, women continue to remain in the minority when it comes to breaking into executive ranks in corporate America.  The unfortunate incident involving young schoolgirls kidnapped in Nigeria demonstrates the extreme results that can occur when women are oppressed and prevented from being Empowered through education.  Although women in America are thankfully protected against such blatant oppression and abuse, they still face more subtle discrimination and objectification in our society.  Perhaps there is a way to change this not only in our own country but through a method that creates a powerful ripple effect across the globe.  During the 1950’s, scientists studying macaque monkeys on Japanese islands discovered that once 100 monkeys in a population acquired a learned behavior (in this case, washing sweet potatoes), this same behavior was suddenly observed in other groups of macaques on neighboring islands.  The researchers postulated that once a critical mass was reached the same information could be transmitted to others even without physical contact.  Imagine the effect we could generate if women in America were treated with greater respect and given the Empowerment to receive equal opportunities in education and the workplace based purely on skills and abilities.  Once the thinking of a critical mass of individuals was altered in terms of their perceptions of women this same enlightenment could potentially expand to other countries and continue to spread around the world.  This week in our prayer and meditation let us spark such a thought revolution by asking that women be aided in their efforts to be Empowered.  Let us ask that women be recognized for the contributions they are able to make and be given the opportunity to fully utilize their talents through education and meaningful jobs.  May the light of our prayers help strengthen the Empowerment of women across our nation and ultimately around the globe.

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 entire 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 I have been Empowered to fulfill my potential without limitations?  How does it feel in my body when I appreciate the positive benefits to a society and nation from the Empowerment of all women?  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

Meditation Instructions for Sun., May 4, 2014

For this Sunday, May 4th, the focus for our meditation will be on Disruption.  Ameena Matthews is a community activist whose life work involves trying to interdict gang violence from erupting in the streets of Chicago.  She and other former gang members like her now working for peace are part of an organization called CeaseFire.  They patrol the streets looking for signs of incipient violence and then intentionally step in to Disrupt the activity.  Instead of using the threat of violence to get gang members to back down, the CeaseFire members confront them with straight talk about the path they are about to take in using weapons against each other.  The tactic works.  CeaseFire has successfully been able to Disrupt the cycle of violence that had been escalating in its city.  In the world of business and technology, Disruptive innovation can completely turn an industry on its head.  The automobile did this for the horse-drawn carriage, and the iPod made the Walkman obsolete.  In each of these instances of Disruption a path is taken that is different from the initial direction.  It requires change, and we all know how human beings so love being in the midst of change.  Not.  But often we need to be pulled away from a direction in which we are headed that ultimately may not be helpful to us.  For instance, those caught in the cycle of addiction or depression may require an intervention by loved ones in order to Disrupt further deterioration.  This week in our prayer and meditation let us evaluate our own lives and consider whether we would benefit from  Disruption that might move us in a different direction.  Additionally, let us look to the future of our country and ask whether it, too, may be headed down a detrimental path in terms of trends that would be better off being Disrupted.  In each instance, let us ask that the Disruption come in a manner that is supportive and intended for our higher good.

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 entire 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 am willing to Disrupt my life in order to consider alternatives that may be more beneficial?  How does it feel in my body when I experience Disruption that places me on an unexpected path which turns out to be better than the original direction?  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