Meditation Instructions for Sun., May 26, 2019

For this Sunday, May 26th, the focus for our meditation will be on Risk.  Life often involves having to take Risks.  We might want to deny its presence or go through life trying to minimize or avoid Risk altogether, but inevitably we come face-to-face with those moments when we are on the precipice of unfamiliar territory.  It may be a circumstance where we feel we are woefully unprepared or have had no prior training or experience to help guide us.  That is where the phrase, “making a leap of faith,” comes in, for when we encounter these situations, we must take the plunge and hope for the best.  It is faith in ourselves or in divine assistance or whatever gives us courage that allows us to take a deep breath and forge ahead into uncertainty.  What is often surprising is how well things turn out on the other side.  We look back with amazement and may feel a sense of relief or even pride at what we were able to accomplish.  It is in these moments that we achieve our greatest growth, for we pushed ourselves beyond our comfort zone and found we did better than expected.  We gain confidence in our abilities and can tackle other life challenges with greater enthusiasm.  This week in our prayer and meditation time let us consider how we deal with Risk in our life.  Do we run in the opposite direction and try to avoid Risk at all costs, or do we take a chance and give ourselves the opportunity for growth by giving it our best shot?  Let us ask to be given more faith in ourselves and an increased awareness of the spiritual assistance available to us so we may step forward confidently and face life’s inevitable Risks head on.

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 taken a Risk and come out a better person as a result?  How does it feel in my body when I do not fear Risk but am able to summon the courage to deal with it directly?  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., May 19, 2019

For this Sunday, May 19th, the focus for our meditation will be on Time.  There is a common adage that “Time heals all.”  In the midst of unbearable pain or grief that may be hard to accept, but there is some truth to it.  When we try to force situations to meet our deadlines and don’t allow them the proper Time to evolve in their own way that is often when things don’t go as smoothly as they could otherwise.  Blogger Oliver Burkeman wrote of an exercise he uses when dealing with anxiety and worry.  “Every morning, make a brief note of what feels like your biggest problem. As the list accumulates, you can start looking back at earlier entries. Guess how many months it took for my former worries to seem laughably overblown? Five days: that’s how many months. Most of what troubles us turns out to be tolerable, or even wonderful, or just never happens at all.”  It takes Time for us to gain needed perspective on a problem or to ease the heartache of loss and sorrow.  We are an impatient lot, and it can be frustrating to not have things go the way we would like.  As Burkeman demonstrated, however, the added angst of our impatience or anxiety doesn’t help fix a problem.  Instead, we need to find the resolve to have faith and confidence things will get better and allow Time to do its work.  This week in our prayer and meditation let us consider if there are issues we are dealing with that simply need more Time to work themselves out.  Let us ask to be shown how to be patient and learn to wait for the passage of Time to see things differently and realize our concerns may be overblown.

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 able to let Time help change my perspective on a problem?  How does it feel in my body when I allow some Time before making an important decision and can come to greater clarity?  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., May 12, 2019

For this Sunday, May 12th, the focus for our meditation will be on Kindness.  Numerous studies have demonstrated the power of our words on plants and even crystals of water.  Exposed to gentle, Kind words plants thrive and water crystals form intricate, beautiful patterns.  Subject them to bullying or hateful speech and plants wither and water crystals become more disorganized in appearance.  If our words can have such an impact on these objects imagine the effect on more complex organisms such as animals and human beings.  We communicate through multiple channels – through the words we choose to use, through the tone or inflection of our voice, and obviously through our facial expressions and body gestures.  Although dogs have been shown to be capable of recognizing a limited set of spoken words, they are much more attuned to the tone or energy of what someone is saying.  When pet owners use their “happy” voice, even when speaking gibberish, dogs will experience a brain response that signals pleasure.  I like to think we can have a similar effect on those around us.  Try taking the time to really focus on how you speak to others, even those you encounter only briefly.  If we all made more effort to express Kindness to others through the power of our speech it might have a greater impact than we realize.  That person we spoke with might have been having a terrible day, and the Kindness of our words helped boost their morale.  This week in our prayer and meditation time let us ask to be shown opportunities to display Kindness to others through our words.  May we all become more thoughtful and conscious of how we communicate, and may the spirit of Kindness spread across this land to ease our interactions with each other.

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 had someone speak to me with the energy of Kindness, especially when I needed it most?  How does it feel in my body when I can see the effect the Kindness of my words can have on 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., May 5, 2019

For this Sunday, May 5th, the focus for our meditation will be on Fallibility.  When I was in graduate school I was quite a bit older than my fellow classmates and was already employed in my full-time career.  In classes I never hesitated to ask questions when I didn’t understand something.  There was no need for me to worry what the professor thought by my failure to grasp a concept right away as I was never going to need them to write a letter of recommendation for me.  I was secure in my job and in knowing who I was, and I didn’t care if anyone thought I was asking a stupid question.  Inevitably, other graduate students would come up to me after class thanking me for asking the very same questions they had but were afraid to raise.  I had no fear of appearing Fallible as I knew I didn’t have to pretend to be perfect.  There are too many instances in our society when having to be right has taken on an inflated quality of importance.  The sense that “I am right, and you are wrong” is what sparks so much of the discord on social media and has on occasion led to acts of violence.  People will even cling to erroneous facts when confronted with the truth because it is too painful for them to admit they were mistaken.  Assuming we are right can create a sense of superiority, and for some that is the only way to avoid the discomfort of feeling inferior to others.  In my experience I have learned the most valuable lessons when I have been wrong or made an error in judgment.  My blunders have led me down paths I would never have otherwise found.  If we can only overcome our fear of appearing Fallible to others perhaps we would be more forgiving of ourselves and willing to explore the twists and turns life presents when we make mistakes.  This week in our prayer and meditation time let us ask to be gently reminded that it is acceptable to be wrong and to be able to acknowledge our errors more readily to others.  Let us ask that the spirit of acceptance of Fallibility spread across this nation so less animosity is generated by people who feel they must always be right, especially when it is to their detriment.

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 readily able to admit my Fallibility to myself and others?  How does it feel in my body when I am willing to concede my mistakes and accept that I can be Fallible?  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