Meditation Instructions for Sun., January 27, 2019

For this Sunday, January 27th, the focus for our meditation will be on Depth.  I tend to be somewhat oblivious when it comes to our modern society’s culture especially with regards to knowing who so-called celebrities are or why they are considered to be famous.  Therefore it was with some curiosity that I recently read a social media post having to do with someone named Patton Oswalt (whose background and basis for fame I still don’t entirely understand).  I gather that Oswalt is known for his prolific use of online media and particularly his caustic wit.  A reader took exception with something Oswalt posted and criticized him online.  Rather than respond in like tone, Oswalt took the time to look Deeper and discovered the individual was a military veteran going through a difficult period with health and financial issues.  He noticed a fund drive had been created to help the person and made a generous donation while unabashedly noting the person had disagreed with something he had said.  Oswalt’s readers followed suit, and the person received more than enough funding to help pay his medical bills.  He subsequently posted an emotional public thank you to Oswalt for rising above the pettiness of their online spat and was paying forward the extra money people had donated to help someone else.  Because someone took the time to pause before making a superficial judgment and tried to probe Deeper into the situation it resulted in a ripple effect of continuous goodness.  We all can be prone to snap judgments based on incomplete or inaccurate information.  This week in our prayer and meditation time let us learn from this incident to examine where we may need to gain a Deeper understanding of the people and situations we encounter in our life.  Let us ask to be guided how to look beyond superficial appearances and desire a Deeper knowledge that will better serve us. May all across this nation be motivated to abandon false notions and seek instead to find Deeper insights that help us see more clearly.

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 changed my thinking about a person or situation after probing an issue more Deeply?  How does it feel in my body when I am able to look beyond an initial superficial impression to gain a Deeper understanding?  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 email to kmiritello@gmail.com 

Meditation Instructions for Sun., January 20, 2019

For this Sunday, January 20th, the focus for our meditation will be on Anticipation.  Both dread and Anticipation have to do with looking to the future.  The difference between the two is one is accompanied by fear and worry, and the other may be filled with eager excitement instead.  We all contemplate our future, and none of us has as much control as we might feel we need to be able to direct the outcome of events that have yet to play out.  What prevents some people from being pushed into worry is they have a level of trust and faith that carries them through.  They still have no greater visibility into what will occur but have the confidence that whatever happens they will be able to deal with it.  There is so much uncertainty ahead for our nation’s future, and I see more and more signs of people falling into fear and worry.  However, those emotions will not make us resilient enough to adapt to whatever the future brings.  This week in our prayer and meditation time let us ask that people be shown how to replace dread about the future with eager Anticipation.  Let us recognize the rich potential that lies ahead and confidently Anticipate that by coming together we will be able to successfully navigate the challenges that may come.

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 been filled with eager Anticipation about a future event?  How does it feel in my body when I am able to let go of worry and Anticipate that with faith the future will be filled with possibility?  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., January 13, 2019

For this Sunday, January 13th, the focus for our meditation will be on Awe.  I recently read about a research study that examined the physiological response of people when watching an entertaining performance that completely captivated them and filled them with a sense of Awe.  The activity in their brain changed as they were drawn into the performance and resulted in reduced activity in the prefrontal cortex.  That’s the area of the brain most involved in planning.  When we are trying to organize how our day will play out, for instance, we are using the prefrontal cortex.  The researchers characterized the results as the participants were simply “taking it all in” which seemed to be key to their level of enjoyment.  They weren’t thinking critically and reliving the past nor were they impatiently leaping ahead and thinking about what they would do next.  They were fully present in the moment and therefore found themselves in a state of Awe that filled them with emotion.  There is so much about life and our world that deserves our full attention, but we are often in too much of a hurry or are distracted by tasks and our technology devices to take notice.  If you have ever had a moment of Awe that comes from watching a truly remarkable and moving performance, the sort of thing that stays in your memory for a long time, you know how satisfying and fulfilling those experiences can be.  There is a sense of delight or even pleasant surprise that makes those moments so special.  With the problems and stress in our world right now perhaps we would all feel a bit better if we allowed ourselves to be more in the moment, so we can appreciate those experiences of Awe that may be all around us.  In our prayer and meditation time let us ask to be shown how to let go of worrying about the future or regretting the past and simply savor life in all its grandeur.  May we find opportunities to appreciate the sense of Awe that life can bring if we allow ourselves to be fully present and in the moment.

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 been completely moved by an experience that has filled me with Awe?  How does it feel in my body when I am able to be completely in the moment and content to feel a sense of Awe?  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., January 6, 2019

For this Sunday, January 6th, the focus for our meditation will be on Reinvention.  Have you ever had the experience of looking back at an earlier phase in your life and feeling as though the person you were then was someone completely different from you?  Not a younger you, not a less mature you, but almost as though you are viewing an entirely different person?  Sometimes life can bring about so much change that we end up Reinventing ourselves.  These changes aren’t necessarily forced on us; sometimes they take place willingly because of the growth we have undergone.  We find ourselves desiring a change because we want to better ourselves or eliminate bad habits.  In some painful instances, however, these changes can be thrust upon us less eagerly.  Michael Gates Gill (author of “How Starbucks Saved My Life”) was a successful senior executive with a large New York City advertising firm who suddenly found his life upended when he was fired.  He floundered for a couple of years and then at age 64 grabbed what felt to him like a lifeline when a Starbucks store manager offered him a job.  His new job was not as an executive but a basic employee whose responsibilities initially entailed cleaning floors and bathrooms and stocking shelves.  He was at such a rock-bottom point in his life that an opportunity that might have previously felt humiliating caused him to completely change his outlook on life.  By necessity, he Reinvented himself, shedding the calloused, driven-to-succeed-at-all-costs persona and along the way discovered life was better when filled with more humor, kindness, understanding and respect for others.  In our prayer and meditation time let us consider whether there is a need to Reinvent ourselves in some way.  May we use this contemplative practice to gain inspiration in identifying who we would like to become.  With a new year awaiting us, let us ask to be gently guided in ways we might Reinvent ourselves so we, too, may embrace more joy, kindness, patience and understanding in our life.  Let us also ask that our nation and especially our elected leaders find creative, cooperative ways to help Reinvent our country so we may move beyond the mistakes of our past and make progress toward a better future.

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 life circumstances have helped me to Reinvent myself and produce a better me?  How does it feel in my body when I look back at my past in amazement at how far I have progressed and been able to successfully Reinvent 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