Today was a small gathering, we missed you Melissa, Melanie and Carla!
In our pre-class casual chit-chat (about very real life stuff) a theme emerged about trusting our selves, which was a natural lead in to the reading I had chosen for our group today...
LOVING KINDNESS AND MEDITIATION:
“When we start to meditate or to work with any kind of spiritual discipline, we often think that somehow we’re going to improve, which is a subtle aggression against who we really are. It’s a bit like saying, “If i jog, I’ll be a much better person.” “If I had a nicer house, I’d be a much better person. “ Or the scenario may be that we find fault with others. We might say, “If it weren’t for my husband, I’d have a perfect marriage.” “If it weren’t for the fact that my boss and I can’t get on, my job would be just great.” And, “If it weren’t for my mind, my meditation would be excellent.”
But loving kindness - maitri - towards ourselves doesn’t mean getting rid of anything. Maitri means that we can still be crazy, we can still be angry. We can still be timid or jealous or full of feelings of unworthiness. Meditation practice isn’t about trying to throw ourselves away and become something better. It’s about befriending who we are already. The ground of practice is you or me or whoever we are right now, just as we are. That’s what we come to know with tremendous curiosity and interest.
Curiosity involves being gentle, precise and open - actually being able to let go and open. Gentleness is a sense of good heartedness toward ourselves. Precision is being able to see clearly, not being afraid to see what’s really there. Openness is being able to let go and to open. When you come to have this kind of honesty, gentleness, and good-heartedness, combined with clarity about yourself, there’s no obstacle to feeling loving-kindness for others as well. ”
During our meditation I invited everyone to join in on the following healing invocation, as inspired by Kuan Yin, the Goddess of Compassion and Mercy:
A HEALING TO REVEAL THE PEACOCK BEAUTY:
Sit quietly and breathe in and out, closing your eyes and focusing your awareness on your sacral chakra, which is below the navel, located at your pelvis. Imagine that there is a warm glow of inner light there, radiating golden and bright. Slowly as you are aware of that warm light and the breath, it begins to rise up to the throat chakra, the energy centre situated at the centre of your throat. Just intend that this happen gently and naturally as you are aware of the warmth in your lower belly. Once you feel some warmth in your body, gathering at your throat charka, or simply when you feel ready, say clearly, "I now ask for divine blessing that my higher creativity be activated - may my plans, projects and words be sublime, full of healing and unique beauty. May my creative flow be blessed with divine love, through the grace of Kuan Yin and my own free will, I allow my inner beauty to be revealed now. So be it!"
Imagine that the energy and light between your navel and throat begin to join in the centre of your body where they start to fan out, like two peacock tails in full open display, forming a stunning circular fan of magnificent golden, iridescent blue, green and purple plumes. Imagine this fan spinning in the centre of your body until it becomes a blur of gorgeous light shining out in all directions.
Say, "I choose to reveal the peacock beuaty, the gloriousness of my own higher creativity in its full splendour - so be it!"
- Kuan Yin Oracles by Alana Fairchild
Afterwards during our circle of presence I invited everyone to express something they love about themselves or find beautiful about themselves. This proved to be a difficult yet incredibly powerful exercise! We all noticed that it is much easier to say what we love and admire about others than what we love and admire about ourselves. I loved how we all held loving kindness and presence with one another while each of us courageously shared our beauty with one another! I sincerely hope that you took away a renewed sense of loving kindness towards your self and that it grows throughout your day, week and life!
PRAYER TO THE PEACOCK BEAUTY:
Beloved Kuan Yin, bless me with the grace to surrender into the beauty of my own Soul, to recognize my higher creativity in flow now, to make the creations of my Soul my highest priority, that I may life with abundance, peace and happiness. Help me beloved beauty to recognize my own beauty, as magnificent and colourful as the stunning peacock. May my creations be as lovely. Om Mani Padme Hum.
- Kuan Yin Oracle Cards by Alana Fairchild. #24 Reveal The Peacock Beauty
We followed with beautiful practice of Shibashi Qigong and closed with three chants of Om.
Next week is our last class in this session. What an amazing journey we have had together! I sincerely hope to see many of you this fall.
xo
Patti