Meditation Instructions for Sun., July 30, 2017

For this Sunday, July 30th, the focus for our meditation will be on Decorum.  Over the past few years what is considered polite public demeanor seems to be slowly eroding.  This was most certainly the case with a recent magazine article stating that a White House official gave an interview saturated not just with profanity but replete with coarse vulgarity most of which was directed against colleagues.  I’ve seen on many occasions reporters act with incredible insolence as they hurl volatile questions in public at celebrities and politicians just to capture a needed sound-bite for the news.  This past week a reporter shouted a question at the President during a gathering to honor White House interns.  The attention-grabbing ploy was not only disrespectful to the Office of the President but also took the focus away from the interns who were being acknowledged.  Several years ago a U.S. Representative brazenly interrupted a speech by President Obama to a joint session of Congress by yelling, “You lie,” earning him a formal rebuke by the House.  Such conduct would have been unthinkable decades ago.  It is not clear what has fostered this deterioration in public conduct, but we can work to counter this trend through not only our own behavior but also our prayers and meditation.  This week let us examine how we conduct ourselves publicly, even in circumstances when we may be irritated or impatient, and may we always seek to rise above rudeness.  Through the power of our prayers let us ask that the desire to restore civility spread across this nation, and may our public officials help model a sense of Decorum for us all.

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 retain a sense of Decorum even during trying situations?  How does it feel in my body when I recognize others are behaving with Decorum rather than meeting rudeness with discourtesy?  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., July 23, 2017

For this Sunday, July 23rd, the focus for our meditation will be on Adaptability.  Growing up I lived a life of regular routine.  I never found it boring or dull but instead enjoyed the comfort of feeling settled in a predictable pattern.  I could have very easily persisted in that comfortable predictability my entire life, and as a result may never have moved beyond a small geographic circumference of where I was raised.  Instead, a career choice led me to a series of positions that required a significant amount of travel, both domestic and international.  I grew to become comfortable in discomfort and the disorientation of foreign environments.  There is no doubt that these experiences helped me become much more Adaptable than I would have ever been otherwise.  The funny thing is that while some people consider themselves flexible, the real need for Adaptability is never thrust upon them as they pass through their fairly regular schedule of activities.  It is only when the jarring reality of change is forced on us that we must learn how to Adapt.  The same may be true for our nation.  If we think back to the original formation of our country those same set of laws and regulations could never have helped us manage our transformation into the modern age without some Adaptability.  The prescience of our forefathers to accommodate change through constitutional amendments built in the Adaptability we needed to evolve as a nation.  This week in our prayer and meditation time let us consider whether we might benefit as individuals by allowing greater Adaptability into our life routine.  Also, let us ask whether our nation could be assisted in its progression by Adapting to needed change that could move us forward rather than hold us back.

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 be Adaptable to change that brings a positive benefit?  How does it feel in my body when I am willing to accommodate disruptions in my routine and thus exercise my Adaptability?  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., July 16, 2017

For this Sunday, July 16th, the focus for our meditation will be on Unexpected.  Several times this week I was very fortunate to be able to walk a Chartres-patterned labyrinth that was placed on the floor of our community’s chapel.  The famous Chartres pattern has 11 circuits created by winding paths and simple yet beautiful petal embellishments.  Each time I walked the labyrinth I found myself surprised by the Unexpected turns and twists in its pattern.  Deep in contemplation I would on one level find myself thinking that this was where we moved to the next quadrant, only to find a turn that took me in an Unexpected direction.  Sometimes I would be caught by surprise to find I was finally being led out of the labyrinth, thinking I must surely have more time to spend walking its curving lanes.  The experience made me appreciate how we likewise can encounter the Unexpected in our life.  Most of us like to feel in control and plan things out, including our long-term life goals.  Every now and then, however, reality springs up and forces us to alter our plans with something Unexpected that occurs.  The Unexpected can bring a positive opportunity but often it initially feels like a blocked doorway that frustrates us in our inability to pass through.  Once we learn to give in to the Unexpected it helps us become more flexible.  We may even come to appreciate the serendipity of discovering an exciting prospect we could never have foreseen or manifested ourselves.  This week in our prayer and meditation time let us consider those periods in our life when something Unexpected has occurred and ultimately led to a positive benefit.  While we may not be able to actively seek out Unexpected events, let us ask to be helped to recognize the good that can come from the opportunities they 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 have experienced an Unexpected event that may have taken my life in a different direction?  How does it feel in my body when I can appreciate the wonder and benefit that the Unexpected 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., July 9, 2017

For this Sunday, July 9th, the focus for our meditation will be on Opening.  Lauren Artress is an author and spiritual leader who travels the world teaching people about the transformative power of labyrinths.  To her, the labyrinth “reduces stress, quiets the mind and Opens the heart.  It is a walking meditation, a path of prayer, and a blue-print where psyche meets Spirit.”  To use a labyrinth is to engage in a very special form of walking meditation.  With a labyrinth there is only one way in and one way out, and entering without expectation Opens you to a unique pathway of communing with the Divine.  It can help Open your mind, body and soul, making you more receptive to spiritual guidance.  Many of us try to avoid moving through our daily environment in too Open a state.  Add the quality of being empathic to the mix, and the experience can easily become overwhelming.  We spend years learning how to armor ourselves in defense of all the unpleasantness around us, but then when we want to connect with others or with Spirit we find it hard to let go of that protective barrier.  Walking a labyrinth can teach us how to restore feelings of peace and security that allow us to be more Open to the world.  If you don’t have access to a walking labyrinth you can print an image of one and trace the path with a finger to accomplish the same thing.  This week in our prayer and meditation time let us consider in what ways we may have closed ourselves off to others and to Spirit.  Let us ask to be gently guided to restore an Opening that allows us to be in closer communion with our guidance and those we love here on earth.

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 have experienced an Opening that puts me in closer relationships with others?  How does it feel in my body when I am able to shed my protective shell and Open myself up to the full beauty of the Divine around and inside me?  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., July 2, 2017

For this Sunday, July 2nd, the focus for our meditation will be on Dependence.  This week we celebrate the July 4^th holiday, also known as Independence Day.  The holiday commemorates our nation gaining its independence from the British.  As Americans, we can be fiercely proud of our independence, yet we need to recognize it comes with a caveat.  In today’s world no country is completely free of reliance on others.  National alliances are critical to maintaining global peace and require mutual agreements and Dependencies on the support each contributes.  These relationships can be delicate balances that require a great deal of communication, compromise and consideration to maintain.  Similarly in our personal life, none of us is totally independent of others.  We, too, require assistance in a variety of ways, and it can take much effort to foster those relationships on which we are Dependent.  This week in our prayer and meditation time let us consider those associations that are most important in our life and the people on whom we are gratefully Dependent.  Let us come to appreciate the importance of being able to Depend on others for support and find ways to better nurture those partnerships.  Additionally, let us ask that our nation always value the allegiance and backing of other like-minded countries.  Let us remember that we will always be stronger when allied with those on whom we Depend rather than stubbornly trying to go it alone.

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 appreciative of those on whom I am Dependent in my life?  How does it feel in my body when I recognize the importance of nurturing relationships I can Depend upon?  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