Meditation Instructions for Sun., November 26, 2017

For this Sunday, November 26th, the focus for our meditation will be on Sadness.  At this time of year when songs and greeting cards exhort us to be filled with good cheer and joy Sadness may seem a contradictory focus for our meditation.  However, for many this time of year is particularly challenging.  Those who battle depression or who have suffered loss can find the joyful spirit of those around them distressful at best or abrasive and hurtful at worst.  A friend recently returned from an out-of-town trip where she attended the funeral for her niece, a young woman who died after a lengthy fight with cancer.  This woman left behind two daughters in their early teens, and I can’t help but think of them, realizing this will be the first Christmas without their mother.  For those who suffered the loss of homes and businesses in the floods and wildfires that occurred over the summer the holiday season does not bring an end to the struggle to rebuild their lives.  They instead must navigate through this time while the enormity of their loss is magnified by the seasonal emphasis on material things or the warmth of a home that no longer exists.  While these sobering situations do not mean we must abandon our desire for joyful celebration we do want to be sensitive to those who choose not to participate.  Rather than making a friend who is struggling with Sadness feel guilty or shamed for not wanting to join a large gathering perhaps consider inviting them for a smaller, quiet social activity where they may better appreciate the gestures of support and understanding without feeling so overwhelmed.  Let us recognize the importance of being empathetic with those who choose not to join in the merriment and find ways to let them know they are still valued and loved.  Through the light and energy of our prayer and meditation may they feel supported and accepted rather than judged and ostracized. 

If you, or someone you love, may be struggling with depression and considering suicide please reach out by calling the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline toll-free, 24/7 at 1-800-273-8255.  You are never 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 appreciate how feelings of Sadness do not need to be denied or ignored in order to please others?  How does it feel in my body when I accept that Sadness can be a normal cycle in 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 19, 2017

For this Sunday, November 19th, the focus for our meditation will be on Receptivity.  Looking at news headlines often leaves the impression our world is so filled with anger and resentment from disparate groups of people who feel they are not being heard.  Some say the predominant constituency of voters who elected our current president is such a group.  They are often characterized as white males who are mostly not well-educated and too frequently unemployed, but I believe that is a gross over-simplification as are most such assumptions.  Nevertheless, they do represent a segment of our population whose frustration rises with the sense of being ignored.  Add them to the growing list of other groups who share concerns about being people of color, or having different sexual orientation, or having served in the military, and you create quite a mix.  The common base is they do not feel others want to understand or listen to their complaints.  One of the simplest ways to help de-escalate tension in a situation is to simply be willing to be Receptive and listen in a non-judgmental way to what the other person has to say.  Too often our society is choosing not to listen to others or allow them to have a voice, and as a result of shutting each other out the underlying anger simmers.  It can create an unhealthy state of tension that undermines our ability to truly connect with other people.  This week in our prayer and meditation time let us ask to be shown how to be more Receptive to what others around us need to communicate.  May we all find more effective ways to stop and listen to others so they feel they are truly being heard.  Through a greater willingness to be Receptive to the message of others may we allow them to feel recognized and take the first step toward being understood.

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 Receptive to what others around me are trying to say?  How does it feel in my body when I am willing to stop and truly listen in a fully Receptive way to the messages of those who seem different from 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., November 12, 2017

For this Sunday, November 12th, the focus for our meditation will be on Witness.  I was recently reading an account by an emergency room physician of his experiences in that very difficult profession.  One of the challenges he wrote about was the constant struggle to not allow what he had to deal with in the emergency room make him callous and uncaring.  Sometimes the pain of a circumstance is so great that as a human being it becomes intolerable to fully take in the horror of certain tragedies.  This is often accompanied by feelings of helplessness.  In those instances it is not unusual for someone to allow themselves to harden so as to appear immune to what they are observing.  One way he learned to overcome the sense of powerlessness was to simply be present and bear Witness to the pain and suffering of another human being.  He may not have been able to save every patient he encountered, but he was able to honor their life by remaining present and being a compassionate Witness for their family’s pain and loss.  Years ago our nation used to honor returning veterans by holding a parade.  The streets would be lined with citizens wanting to offer Witness to the bravery and sacrifice of those in the military.  The custom seems to have gone by the wayside in most places, and so our veterans return to their hometowns in quiet anonymity to try and pick up the pieces of their life.  On this occasion of our nation’s commemoration of our military let us ask how we may better serve as Witness for all they have done for their nation.  Let us not only offer the energy and comfort of our prayers and meditation on their behalf, but let us also be guided how we might bear Witness to express our gratitude for their sacrifices.

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 fully present and bear Witness for another individual?  How does it feel in my body when I have been a supportive Witness to acknowledge the sacrifice others have made?  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 5, 2017

For this Sunday, November 5th, the focus for our meditation will be on Story.  In many cities Storytelling is a local art form that is revered and flourishes thanks to the support of those who appreciate the importance of retaining our culture’s oral history.  Through the telling of Stories we educate, we entertain, we motivate, and we model for others a way of being based on how others before us lived their lives.  In this area there are several annual gatherings devoted to Storytelling that bring out local legends as well as talented performers from afar.  The events are for young and old alike, and they help carry on a tradition of passing on the wisdom of a culture through oral renderings that sometimes blend myth and reality.  If you were to attend such an event today, what would your Story be about?  What would you like to pass on to others in your Story that captures who you have become or what you have experienced along the way?  Seldom do we take the opportunity to sit down and write our real Story.  We might succinctly capture in a few disparate words how we want to be characterized in a social media profile, but is that really our Story?  Does the Story we find ourselves telling others really represent who we are?  This week in our prayer and meditation time let us ponder how we would like to write our Story and what it would say about the progress we have made on our life journey thus far.  If we find the initial draft of our Story isn’t what we had hoped, let us ask for support and direction to be shown how to rewrite that Story in a way that helps us get back on track.  Through the ability to tell our Story may we appreciate how far we have come and look eagerly to the next chapter waiting to be created.

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 tell a Story that helps me better understand my history of how far I have come?  How does it feel in my body when I allow myself to tell my Story in a way that is honest and sincere?  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