Meditation Instructions for Sun., September 27, 2015

For this Sunday, September 27th, the focus for our meditation will be on Acceptance.  Most of us are probably familiar with a well-known prayer by theologian Reinhold Niebuhr that is often referred to as the Serenity Prayer.  The prayer is a simple one:  “God, grant me the serenity to Accept the things I cannot change, the courage to change the things I can, and the wisdom to know the difference.”  A key element to this prayer refers to the concept of Acceptance which is not synonymous with resignation or apathy.  It is about freely giving one’s consent once you recognize the limits of your ability to influence or change a particular circumstance.  Acknowledging the intractability of a situation without criticism relieves the need for judgment and better allows one to be more fully in the moment.  You regain control because only you can give your consent to Accept the otherwise undesirable condition.  But what about situations that should never be Accepted?  Should a person ever consent to being the target of racial prejudice?  It makes no sense to expect someone who is the victim of sexual abuse to ever agree to such treatment.  In these instances Acceptance does not mean condoning the situation but simply recognizes there may not be anything one can immediately do about it.  Rather than hold onto the anger and frustration from trying to resist something that cannot be overcome, Acceptance lets you release your attachment to it.  This week in our prayer and meditation let us look at those situations in our life that may be a source of irritation and consider whether we may want to choose Acceptance over futile resistance that only drains us.  Let us ask to be shown greater discernment as to when we want to try to overcome a difficulty and when we are better off releasing ourselves from it through Acceptance 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 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 appreciate the value that comes from Accepting some situations?  How does it feel in my body when I recognize Acceptance may be the best use of my energy instead of resistance?  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., September 20, 2015

For this Sunday, September 20th, the focus for our meditation will be on Effort.  In April 1910, President Theodore Roosevelt delivered an address to the Sorbonne, the esteemed university in Paris, France.  His theme was individual citizenship, or the Effort put forth by the common man through sometimes small actions that collectively contribute to advancing the greatness of an entire nation.  There is an oft-cited portion of his speech that goes, “It is not the critic who counts; not the man who points out how the strong man stumbles, or where the doer of deeds could have done them better. The credit belongs to the man who is actually in the arena, whose face is marred by dust and sweat and blood; who strives valiantly; who errs, who comes short again and again, because there is no Effort without error and shortcoming; but who does actually strive to do the deeds; who knows great enthusiasms, the great devotions; who spends himself in a worthy cause; who at the best knows in the end the triumph of high achievement, and who at the worst, if he fails, at least fails while daring greatly, so that his place shall never be with those cold and timid souls who neither know victory nor defeat.”  His remarks make clear that without Effort, without at least giving it our best try, we cannot accomplish anything.  Yes, there will be failures and times when we fall short, but the act of striving and putting forth an Effort is what will ultimately allow us to succeed.  This week in our prayer and meditation let us consider how we make an Effort in our life.  Let us ask if there are ways in which we have not taken the initiative for fear of failure and be shown how to courageously step forward and make an attempt to accomplish something we feel may be greater than our abilities.  If all across our country were willing to put forth the Effort to do our best, just think how great this nation could become. 

 

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 am willing to put forth the Effort even though I know I may not always succeed?  How does it feel in my body when I am able to make an Effort in a way that contributes to a larger achievement?  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., September 13, 2015

For this Sunday, September 13th, the focus for our meditation will be on Visualization.  Thanks to modern neuroimaging studies our current understanding of the brain has drastically changed over the decades.  For instance, the notion of the “left brain” being responsible for verbal activity and logical reasoning and the “right brain” being attributed to spatial skills and creativity have since been debunked.  Instead, the entire brain is engaged in these processes, and research has shown most functions are not isolated to a single geographically contained set of neurons.  Just as fascinating, brain research has also shown that the act of Visualizing oneself engaging in a particular activity will activate the same neural patterns as actually doing the activity itself.  Since activation of neural connections strengthen and reinforce their ability to fire more efficiently this shows how the power of mental preparation, especially for physically challenging tasks, can enhance our subsequent performance of that skill.  Highly competitive athletes have understood this for years and recognized the value in utilizing coaches who train them in psychological techniques rather than just physical exercises to improve their abilities.  Visualization becomes more than just a mental exercise but also has kinetic properties that lead to better, faster, and stronger results.  The key is in making the Visualization process as realistic as possible and feeling as much of the sensations one would normally experience when engaged in the activity.  If you are able to achieve this, the potential for change and improvement is limitless.  You don’t need to be a high performance athlete to benefit from Visualization.  Mentally preparing for any challenge, even something such as having to conduct a difficult conversation, can increase our confidence when we subsequently tackle the task.  The key is in understanding that the mental act of imagining or Visualizing ourselves doing something changes our physical brain and ultimately improves how we perform.  This week in our prayer and meditation let us consider what changes or improvements we might like to see take shape in our life.  May we be shown a better way to Visualize a new pattern or outcome we may not have been able to imagine previously.  Let us remove any blocks that have prevented us from making desired changes in our life and use the power of Visualization to bring them to reality. 

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 have used Visualization to help me successfully prepare for a challenging task?  How does it feel in my body when I acknowledge that I can change myself and how I behave through the power of Visualization?  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., September 6, 2015

For this Sunday, September 6th, the focus for our meditation will be on Rewards.  One of the most common regrets expressed by those who are near the end of their life is that they wish they hadn’t worked so hard.  Because of their misguided zeal to succeed at a career they sacrificed time with family and friends that could never be recaptured.  This does not mean that we should be slothful and abandon all efforts to be successful; it simply reminds us to maintain a balance in our life so our work drive does not supplant other aspects that are equally important and Rewarding.  To avoid coming to the end of our life and having this regret we want to remain mindful of allowing ourselves to experience the Rewards that come from hard work.  As the bumper sticker says, “Work to Live, don’t Live to Work.”  When I am consumed by a project for work it would be easy for me to remain so focused that I neglect taking care of myself.  Instead, I’ve learned over time to break the project up into small milestones and to Reward myself when each one is reached.  Since I work from home I don’t have the option of socializing around the office water cooler.  But once a task milestone is completed I permit myself to get up, take a walk with the dog, go get a snack, or do something that essentially gives myself a pat on the back.  Our national holiday this weekend was established to honor the labors of all workers.  Even as we celebrate our national compulsion with hard work, let us also consider whether we give ourselves sufficient Rewards for our accomplishments.  This coming week as we return to work or school let us take time to occasionally pause and give ourselves a well-deserved Reward that shows our efforts are not entirely in vain.

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 am willing to Reward myself for a job well done?  How does it feel in my body when I recognize the importance of taking time from work to Reward my achievements?  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