Meditation Instructions for Sun., February 26, 2017

For this Sunday, February 26th, the focus for our meditation will be on Discomfort.  No one enjoys being in Discomfort.  Whether from emotional or physical pain the experience is one that can bring a craving for release so strong it leads people to addiction.  Yet Discomfort can also serve a beneficial purpose.  It can be a critical signal to listen to our body when we are trying to do too much.  Those occasional feelings of Discomfort can also be telling us to take notice of our surroundings and the situations we find ourselves in.  Sometimes our body creates a sense of uneasiness to alert us to danger or to get us to reconsider a wrong decision.  Discomfort can be the impetus needed to get us to act, particularly when it involves change.  Rather than turning to substances that deaden the pain we may be better served attending to those signals and altering our behavior.  This week in our prayer and meditation time let us consider those moments when we have been in Discomfort and the powerful lessons that can be manifest from the pain we experience.  Let us ask to be given greater clarity in times of Discomfort so we recognize the signals that suggest a different direction be taken, and may we come to appreciate the positive change that can result.

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 what do I feel in my body when I experience Discomfort that provides me with an important signal about a change that needs to be made?  How does it feel in my body when I recognize the importance of Discomfort and the lessons it can bring?  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., February 19, 2017

For this Sunday, February 19th, the focus for our meditation will be on Compassion.  I recently read an article about nonviolent protest of the type often promoted by such luminaries as Mahatma Gandhi and Martin Luther King Jr.  I wish I could recall the author so I could provide attribution, for I found their thoughts clear and well-reasoned.  One of the points made in the article was when people protest out of fear or anger or hatred their efforts fail to make a positive contribution.  Instead of railing against something, the organized gathering of people’s energy is better served when it is a public display for a cause or position.  This is a subtle but important difference.  The historic march at Selma, Alabama was an effort to rally support for the right to vote by racial minorities.  Even as the marchers came under assault by authorities and those who opposed their views, they remained peaceful.  They did not react in anger but instead continued to hold Compassion even for those who objected to who they were and what they represented.  In these turbulent times it is easy to react to events with anger, hatred, disgust, and a whole host of negative emotions, none of which energetically serves us well.  This sort of base reaction only drains us and leaves us less effective in the end.  As difficult as it may seem, we want to ask for the ability to carry Compassion for all, even for those with whom we may vehemently disagree on a number of issues.  This week in our prayer and meditation time let us ask for gentle guidance on how to replace the desire for anger or hatred in our hearts with genuine concern and Compassion, even for those we perceive to be our enemies.  May the spirit of Compassion rise up across this entire land and help heal the divisions that are tearing us apart.

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 what do I feel in my body when I find sincere Compassion for even the difficult people in my life?  How does it feel in my body when I make the effort to replace hatred or anger with a sense of Compassion for others?  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., February 12, 2017

For this Sunday, February 12th, the focus for our meditation will be on Perspective.  Most of us have at least once in our lifetime been blindsided by a totally unexpected and seemingly devastating change in events.  Perhaps it came as the sudden end to a relationship, the loss of a job, or a health crisis.  At the time it can seem to turn our world upside down.  But then over time we see that event from a different Perspective that helps us appreciate some previously unrecognized benefit.  For instance, we may have been stuck in a dead-end job and couldn’t summon the initiative to look for something more fulfilling until forced into action.  Maybe we tried to make the best of a relationship that was far from ideal until some watershed event forced us to finally call an end to the charade.  It isn’t until much later that we realize had that turn of events not occurred we wouldn’t have been able to make a change that ultimately served us better in the long run.  The problem with Perspective is it can require time and distance to see more clearly.  Until then, it is easy to overreact and spin ourselves up into an emotional state that only leaves us drained.  To acquire Perspective means we may need to be patient.  Rather than leap to false assumptions and react in a knee-jerk fashion we want to hold back and wait until time allows the dust to settle so we can see the event more clearly from all sides.  It doesn’t necessarily mean we sit back passively and wait for fate to play out.  Instead, it suggests we want to proceed conservatively and with caution, realizing we may not yet have all the information we need to fully understand what is happening.  It also means we want to continually seek to keep an objective and open mind so that we remain receptive to new information that may prove helpful.  This week in our prayer and meditation time let us ask to be guided in appreciating the importance of Perspective when we seem to be surrounded by a maelstrom of upsetting events.  May we be assisted in finding the patience and objectivity that help us to eventually come to a clearer Perspective that only time and distance can bring.

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 what do I feel in my body when I finally am able to gain a clear Perspective on an event that had a momentous impact on my life?  How does it feel in my body when I am willing to consider new information over time that helps me see things from a different Perspective?  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., February 5, 2017

For this Sunday, February 5th, the focus for our meditation will be on Balance.  Nothing in nature is static.  We are surrounded by an ocean of minute perturbations and changes that continually occur around and within us.  Externally, there are energy fluctuations that emanate from the omnipresent movement of the planets.  Internally, the physiological mechanism of homeostasis is making constant adjustments to heart rate, respiration, blood pressure, and the myriad electrical and chemical events that keep our body alive.  It is only in death that we experience a physical state of stillness.  Life, therefore, requires us to keep up with a host of variations to maintain a state of health.  Our nation and its history mirror this natural phenomenon.  The pendulum is always in flux as society and the policies it relies on for order change.  Those changes necessitate that how things were before will not remain the same.  Eventually, over time, the system finds a Balancing point, but at least initially it may seem that those vacillations are too far to one extreme or the other.  And they may be, but inevitably they return to a more moderate state that allows for greater stability.  As we watch the changes taking place in our nation let us find reassurance in the knowledge that history shows extremes are seldom tolerated for long.  Inevitably the system self-corrects and Balance is restored.  The key is in recognizing that Balance does not mean the cessation of these changes; we simply become more adept at adjusting to them.  This week in our prayer and meditation time let us ask for divine assistance in finding greater Balance in our life and for our nation.  May we come to appreciate the healthy evolution that occurs with adaptation and have confidence that Balance will certainly be restored.

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 what do I feel in my body when I am able to adapt to changes around me in order to maintain a sense of Balance?  How does it feel in my body when I recognize change represents the natural order and that Balance requires constant evolution?  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