Lent Meditation Week 5 Passion
This is the fifth week of lent and this coming Sunday is Palm Sunday. Traditionally this week looks at the passion of Christ. The word passion here comes from the Latin word that means suffering. Jesus suffered physical, mental and spiritually before and during his crucifixion. The word passion today has a different meaning to that of Jesus day. Passion today usually means a drive or great liking for something or someone. The word passion here for Jesus is of unimaginable suffering. Jesus actively chose this path directed by God. Through Jesus passion we see the full passion of God's love for us through Jesus.
Start the meditation by practising the exercise from week one. When you are ready, bring to mind all the suffering that Jesus endured. Could we endure such suffering for God? We all live with constant sufferings. We should develop a sense of compassion for each other. At this point we are going to practise the meditation of taking and giving. Imagine you have the whole population of the world sitting in front of you. As you inhale you are going to take all their sufferings in the form of black smoke into your heart where it will be destroyed. As you exhale you are giving love and compassion to replace their sufferings in the form of white smoke. Do this several times to develop love and compassion toward all living beings.
This week meditate on Christ’s passion and what he went through for our sake. Think of the vast love and compassion he had for us which took his life on that cross.
Dedicate your meditation for the good of all living beings and offer it to God or the universe which ever you feel comfortable with.
Friday, March 30, 2012
Friday, March 23, 2012
Lent Meditation Week 4 Our lives
Lent meditation Week 4
This week we are going to be looking at a subject that focuses us to appreciate life and staying in the moment. We are going to meditate on life and others who support us.
Each and every living being is unique, life is precious and rare and we have this life to live for the good of all living beings that share this unique life's journey with us. We are all dependent on each other. As you sit there in your room think how it would not be possible to be there if it was not for the builder the plasterer the electrician the carpenter etc who build your house. When you eat your dinner that would not be possible if it were not for the farmer, pickers and shop staff that made it possible for the food to be on your plate. We all are supporting each other in an endless web of goods and services that are all connected together. This extends into every aspect of our lives. If we all stopped doing what we do the whole of society would collapse.
Having this in mind settle into your meditation place and calm your mind by practising the exercise from week one. When your mind is quiet think of how precious your life is, how important what you do is to others, how important others are for your life to exist. Think of how everything is connected and supporting each other. A house only exists because the land was cleared, the footings dug, concrete and bricks made by others in a factory, delivered and assembled by the builders. Carpenters, plumbers,bricklayers, electricians, plasterers, tilers, roofers, landscape gardeners etc all came together to make it possible for the house to be built for you to live in. You did not know any of these people but they all worked for your good. This extends into every aspect of our lives. We all support and make possible our lives. Be grateful for everyone that makes it possible for you to exist. Try and get a sense of how vastly interconnected we all are before ending your meditation.
Dedicate your meditation for the good of all living beings and offer it to God or the universe which ever you feel comfortable with.
This week we are going to be looking at a subject that focuses us to appreciate life and staying in the moment. We are going to meditate on life and others who support us.
Each and every living being is unique, life is precious and rare and we have this life to live for the good of all living beings that share this unique life's journey with us. We are all dependent on each other. As you sit there in your room think how it would not be possible to be there if it was not for the builder the plasterer the electrician the carpenter etc who build your house. When you eat your dinner that would not be possible if it were not for the farmer, pickers and shop staff that made it possible for the food to be on your plate. We all are supporting each other in an endless web of goods and services that are all connected together. This extends into every aspect of our lives. If we all stopped doing what we do the whole of society would collapse.
Having this in mind settle into your meditation place and calm your mind by practising the exercise from week one. When your mind is quiet think of how precious your life is, how important what you do is to others, how important others are for your life to exist. Think of how everything is connected and supporting each other. A house only exists because the land was cleared, the footings dug, concrete and bricks made by others in a factory, delivered and assembled by the builders. Carpenters, plumbers,bricklayers, electricians, plasterers, tilers, roofers, landscape gardeners etc all came together to make it possible for the house to be built for you to live in. You did not know any of these people but they all worked for your good. This extends into every aspect of our lives. We all support and make possible our lives. Be grateful for everyone that makes it possible for you to exist. Try and get a sense of how vastly interconnected we all are before ending your meditation.
Dedicate your meditation for the good of all living beings and offer it to God or the universe which ever you feel comfortable with.
Wednesday, March 14, 2012
Lent Meditation Week 3 Daily activities
Lent Meditation Week 3 Daily activities
This week we are looking at being focused and taking our quiet times into our daily lives.
So many of us live very busy and complex lives in which it is usually very difficult to stay focused to that calm centre we find during meditation. There are some practises you can do during your daily activities that will help to keep you in that still place and view your actions objectively. This will only work if you regularly meditate or have quiet time or prayer time during the day. So the first thing to do is find time for yourself to be quiet for at least 10 minutes two to three times a day. This can be a walk, or toilet break, tea break etc. Even better is a specific regular time, free from interruptions. During these times practise the meditation from week one.
Now to take the meditation into our daily activities. As you go about your normal day and encounter stress. Then bring yourself back to the point in the meditation where you are observing thoughts that take you away from concentrating on your fingers. Observe the thoughts you are having in this stress moment and let the them float away. Your inner calm self is observing the reactive thoughts. In time this calm self that is observing will take over and you will find your reactions to the world around you will change. This takes practise. Take it slowly and in time you will find you are doing it naturally. There will still be triggers that will take you away from this calm centre and take you into a reactive state. You will recognise these more and more and will observe them, just let them float away.
Dedicate your meditation for the good of all living beings and offer it to God or the universe which ever you feel comfortable with.
This week we are looking at being focused and taking our quiet times into our daily lives.
So many of us live very busy and complex lives in which it is usually very difficult to stay focused to that calm centre we find during meditation. There are some practises you can do during your daily activities that will help to keep you in that still place and view your actions objectively. This will only work if you regularly meditate or have quiet time or prayer time during the day. So the first thing to do is find time for yourself to be quiet for at least 10 minutes two to three times a day. This can be a walk, or toilet break, tea break etc. Even better is a specific regular time, free from interruptions. During these times practise the meditation from week one.
Now to take the meditation into our daily activities. As you go about your normal day and encounter stress. Then bring yourself back to the point in the meditation where you are observing thoughts that take you away from concentrating on your fingers. Observe the thoughts you are having in this stress moment and let the them float away. Your inner calm self is observing the reactive thoughts. In time this calm self that is observing will take over and you will find your reactions to the world around you will change. This takes practise. Take it slowly and in time you will find you are doing it naturally. There will still be triggers that will take you away from this calm centre and take you into a reactive state. You will recognise these more and more and will observe them, just let them float away.
Dedicate your meditation for the good of all living beings and offer it to God or the universe which ever you feel comfortable with.
Monday, March 5, 2012
Lent Meditation Week 2 Be Still
Lent Meditation Week 2 Be Still
Settle into your quiet place and rest a while concentrating on your breath. Breath from your stomach and on every exhalation imagine all negativity's leaving in the form of black smoke and on inhalation imagine pure white light entering you purifying the negativity's. Do this for as long as you feel comfortable. Any thoughts that arise notice them and let them go.
For the second part of the meditation you are going to clear your mind and “be still”. Put your hands together, thumb to thumb finger to finger in the classic prayer position. Spend sometime concentrating on each finger and as thoughts arise just observe them, be aware of them and imagine them floating away, all the time going back to concentrating on your fingers. The purpose of this exercise is to train your mind and to quieten the random thoughts that fill our minds. It also trains you to become objective and able to observe your thoughts as if you are now in control.
For the third part of the meditation you are going to just be in the moment. Open your eyes and take in your surroundings, know that you are sat there doing this. Be aware of the smells, light levels, the colours you see in the room, how warm or cold it is. If any thoughts take you away bring your mind back to the room. Now feel how amazing it is to be sat in that room, alive, breathing, happy, sad etc. How amazing it is to have this life and how rare and precious it is. Continue to develop a sense of “in the moment awareness” for as long as you feel comfortable.
Dedicate your meditation for the good of all living beings and offer it to God or the universe which ever you feel comfortable with.
Settle into your quiet place and rest a while concentrating on your breath. Breath from your stomach and on every exhalation imagine all negativity's leaving in the form of black smoke and on inhalation imagine pure white light entering you purifying the negativity's. Do this for as long as you feel comfortable. Any thoughts that arise notice them and let them go.
For the second part of the meditation you are going to clear your mind and “be still”. Put your hands together, thumb to thumb finger to finger in the classic prayer position. Spend sometime concentrating on each finger and as thoughts arise just observe them, be aware of them and imagine them floating away, all the time going back to concentrating on your fingers. The purpose of this exercise is to train your mind and to quieten the random thoughts that fill our minds. It also trains you to become objective and able to observe your thoughts as if you are now in control.
For the third part of the meditation you are going to just be in the moment. Open your eyes and take in your surroundings, know that you are sat there doing this. Be aware of the smells, light levels, the colours you see in the room, how warm or cold it is. If any thoughts take you away bring your mind back to the room. Now feel how amazing it is to be sat in that room, alive, breathing, happy, sad etc. How amazing it is to have this life and how rare and precious it is. Continue to develop a sense of “in the moment awareness” for as long as you feel comfortable.
Dedicate your meditation for the good of all living beings and offer it to God or the universe which ever you feel comfortable with.
Wednesday, February 29, 2012
Lent Meditation Week 1 Finding myself
Lent Meditation Week 1 Finding myself
Find a quiet place you can call your own away from distractions where you feel comfortable and safe. You can sit in a chair or sit cross legged on a cushion. Make sure your back is straight, head upright and you are comfortable. Hands together thumb to thumb, finger to finger in the classic prayer position. Close you eyes and breath in feeling your breath filling your lungs to your stomach and slowly exhale. Do this several times slowly. Imagining as you exhale all you negative thoughts flow out with ever breath. Do this for as long as you need to “wind down”.
For the second part of the meditation you are going to concentrate on your fingers. Starting with each one in turn concentrating on your thumbs then your index fingers and so on. As thoughts arise in your mind just observe the thoughts and bring your mind back to your fingers. Keep concentrating on your fingers each in turn. This will be hard for some as thoughts will take you away but after some practise you will find you will be able to control your mind and will discover an inner strength and peace. You may notice a heat in your hands, do not worry about this as this is quite normal. Continue to concentrate on your fingers for 10 - 15 minutes.
At the end of your meditation open your eyes, be aware of where you are and any thoughts that arise observe the thoughts and let them go, imagine them floating away. Dedicate your meditation for the good of all living beings and offer it to God or the universe which ever you feel comfortable with.
Make this a daily practice once, twice or more times a day. Any questions then message me.
Find a quiet place you can call your own away from distractions where you feel comfortable and safe. You can sit in a chair or sit cross legged on a cushion. Make sure your back is straight, head upright and you are comfortable. Hands together thumb to thumb, finger to finger in the classic prayer position. Close you eyes and breath in feeling your breath filling your lungs to your stomach and slowly exhale. Do this several times slowly. Imagining as you exhale all you negative thoughts flow out with ever breath. Do this for as long as you need to “wind down”.
For the second part of the meditation you are going to concentrate on your fingers. Starting with each one in turn concentrating on your thumbs then your index fingers and so on. As thoughts arise in your mind just observe the thoughts and bring your mind back to your fingers. Keep concentrating on your fingers each in turn. This will be hard for some as thoughts will take you away but after some practise you will find you will be able to control your mind and will discover an inner strength and peace. You may notice a heat in your hands, do not worry about this as this is quite normal. Continue to concentrate on your fingers for 10 - 15 minutes.
At the end of your meditation open your eyes, be aware of where you are and any thoughts that arise observe the thoughts and let them go, imagine them floating away. Dedicate your meditation for the good of all living beings and offer it to God or the universe which ever you feel comfortable with.
Make this a daily practice once, twice or more times a day. Any questions then message me.
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