Meditation Instructions for Sun., November 30, 2014

For this Sunday, November 30th, the focus for our meditation will be on Backing.  In a new television show on the A&E channel called, “Dogs of War,” a non-profit group called Paws and Stripes rescues shelter dogs, trains them to be service dogs and pairs them with veterans with PTSD.  In the first episode a veteran instantly bonds with one of the dogs whom he renames “E Suda,” which he explains is loosely translated in Cherokee for “My Six.”  In military jargon your “six” is the person who has your Back (think of a clock face with you in the middle, and the six o’clock position would be someone behind you).  Veterans with PTSD often experience hypervigilance and anxiety which can be exacerbated by situations such as crowds, feeling confined, loud noises, etc.  Many have difficulty sleeping due to night terrors and sleep walking.  To know someone is there who has your Back relieves much of the stress these veterans carry.  In the show you see the veteran, named Michael, begin to smile and appear more relaxed after he is paired with his service dog.  You don’t need to be a veteran with PTSD to benefit from feeling as though someone has your Back.  Everyone feels a greater sense of security and support from knowing someone is there for you.  This week in our prayer and meditation let us consider those who are present in our life who are Backing us up and serve as an important source of support.  Let us come to appreciate all those who are there for us to help watch our Back in a variety of ways.  Let us ask that everyone across this nation come to feel as though they, too, have someone who is watching their Back and will be there for them when needed. 

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 know I can let go of stress because there are others in my life Backing me up?  How does it feel in my body when I recognize the value of having someone there to watch my Back and be present when needed?  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 kmiritello@gmail.com

Meditation Instructions for Sun., November 23, 2014

For this Sunday, November 23rd, the focus for our meditation will be on Union.  As the United States prepared to enter World War II they tried a novel experiment in forming some of the units that would be shipped overseas.  For the men of Easy Company of the 506^th Parachute Infantry Regiment, 101^st Airborne Division, the unit on which the book and miniseries, “Band of Brothers,” was based, they were joined together at the very beginning of their training.  Usually servicemen would go through their basic training followed by advanced training, such as infantry school, as individuals and would not be assigned to a unit until after they had completed all their required training programs.  For Easy Company, the military decided to form them as a unit from the beginning, and the entire group remained together through basic and advanced training.  By the time Easy Company was deployed they had spent months working and living together and had consequently formed a bond or Union that it is thought to have made them one of the best units on the battlefield.  The men spoke of knowing each other so well that they could recognize their fellow soldiers even at night just by the way they walked or from their silhouette.  They knew instinctively how each would react and worked together so effectively that they became one of the most accomplished and decorated units in World War II.  The men who survived credit the unbreakable Union with their fellow soldiers as the reason for their making it through the war.  This week in our prayer and meditation time let us consider the Union we may have with others in our life.  With whom do we have such a bond that we feel almost as a single entity?  Let us recognize the opportunity for Union with others and appreciate how it can so tremendously enrich 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 had a bond or Union with another being that helps me achieve more of my potential?  How does it feel in my body when I am able to recognize the importance of being in Union with others 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 kmiritello@gmail.com

Meditation Instructions for Sun., November 16, 2014

For this Sunday, November 16th, the focus for our meditation will be on Being.  One of the foibles of life is our tendency to want to label things according to a dichotomy where they are either good or bad.  Creating this opposition can be the basis for much of the conflict we experience in life.  It limits or restricts how we perceive and even interact with that situation or person.  Rather than feeling as though we have to pigeonhole something it is far easier if we recognize that it just is what it is and accept it.  This approach of objective neutrality is a key tenet to many Eastern systems of thought or belief systems such as Buddhism and Taoism.  By accepting someone or something as merely Being relieves us of the burden of having to further analyze them.  When we feel compelled to analyze instead it leaves us more prone to frustration because we seldom have enough information to reach an accurate assessment.  This week in our prayer and meditation time let us ask if there are situations or people in our life where we would be better served accepting them as Being rather than labeling or judging them.  Let us ask to be shown how to better recognize the Being-ness of the people and circumstances we encounter so we may be relieved from the pressure of wanting to judge them instead.

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 accepted others in my life as just Being without placing any value judgments on them?  How does it feel in my body when I am willing to encounter people and situations as merely Being what they are rather than assessing them?  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 kmiritello@gmail.com

Meditation Instructions for Sun., November 9, 2014

For this Sunday, November 9th, the focus for our meditation will be on Breakage.  One of the most popular books by Tibetan Buddhist nun and author Pema Chodron is titled, “When Things Fall Apart:  Heart Advice For Difficult Times.”  In her teachings, Pema speaks of the value of when things Break down in our life.  Breakage is inevitable and what matters most is the lesson we take away when it occurs.  Life is about weaving a tapestry of good and bad, high and low points, which means there are different colored “threads” that run through that tapestry.  If we wove our life’s fabric with a thread of a single color and texture it would be boring and monotonous.  The richness comes from the variety we introduce.  Unfortunately, or perhaps fortunately, sometimes the variety and richness become forced on us when something unexpected or initially unwanted happens.  It is those moments in life when things Break and fall apart that sometimes take us on a different path, one we might never have explored if not forced in that direction.  This week in our prayer and meditation let us consider if there are moments in our life when we have had to experience the unexpected in the form of things falling apart or Breaking.  Looking back, how did we deal with those experiences?  What was the most valuable lesson we came away with as a result?  How did that moment of Breakage set us on a path that might otherwise never have brought us to where we are today?  Let us give gratitude in our meditation for times of Breakage and ask for the strength and wisdom to recognize the rich contribution they make to 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 experienced the unexpected and had things fall apart and Break in my life?  How does it feel in my body when I have experienced gratitude for how Breakage has helped redirect and enrich 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 kmiritello@gmail.com

Meditation Instructions for Sun., November 2, 2014

For this Sunday, November 2nd, the focus for our meditation will be on Aloneness.  I recently was astonished to read about a study where people who were forced to sit Alone in a room with nothing to do would rather give themselves electric shocks than go through the discomfort of complete solitude.  As someone who is very comfortable with being Alone and have never found it a lonely experience I find this an incredible result.  From my perspective the time we spend by ourselves is an opportunity to know ourselves better.  It is through periods of introspection where we can get more in touch with our inner thoughts and feelings and come to accept who we are as imperfect human beings.  For some, unfortunately, the notion of recognizing our flaws is too difficult.  Because they remain in denial as to their true nature they never come to really love and accept themselves.  This sets up a vicious circle of unrealistic expectations, inevitable disappointment, and subsequent self-loathing that makes people feel discontent with their lives.  The entire cycle can be avoided if we only learn how to be comfortable with Aloneness and embrace it as an opportunity for self-awareness and growth.  This week in our prayer and meditation time let us consider how we perceive Aloneness.  Let us ask how do those times when we are Alone and separate from others make us feel?  If we find those moments unbearable let us ask to be shown how to convert them to a chance to bathe ourselves in self-love.  From those solitary times of introspection may we be shown how to better accept ourselves and consequently bring a greater sense of comfort to our relationships with others.

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 completely Alone but do not feel at all lonely by the experience?  How does it feel in my body when I realize the moments when I am Alone give me an opportunity for valuable introspection that lead me to have more compassion for myself?  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 kmiritello@gmail.com