The Greater Work Within Community

picture by Joseph Easterbrook

Foundations of Practice

   

These foundations will be the cornerstones of the work you do each month. As with any endeavor discipline, structure and practice will produce the greatest results. As the months progress, other foundational practices may be added to these. As you progress through the work, not only will you be able to be more inclusive in your approach to the work, but what started as the foundations of growth will evolve and change in accord with your newly developed skill set and level of understanding. Whenever something new is added it will be noted within the study for that month.  

The initial foundational work includes:

*         Journaling

*         Breath Work

*         Observation

 

Journaling

 

As you move through this month’s lessons think about how you would like to offer up some of your time towards a charity, volunteer service or simply keeping the area around your home/apartment litter free. As you finish each activity, record your feelings. Record who you may have met that you would not have had you not moved outside of your immediate routine.

 

Exercises

The exercises this month are those to make you more observant of opportunities that present themselves daily to be of service. As you take a walk, bring along a bag to pick trash as you go along the way.  If you are work, look for an opportunity for a random act of kindness. Load the copy machine, even if you have not emptied it. Refill the water bottle in the cooler or tidy up the lunchroom. Sometimes something as simple as a smile for a stranger as you walk down a busy city street can brighten someone's day and costs you nothing.

 

Meditation

To begin:

  • Ready yourself by taking some restorative calming breaths and open to what is to be received. As you sit quietly feel yourself surrounded by a brilliant calming light. Allow your breath to establish a comfortable rhythm and take in the peace of the space surrounding you. Sit in this Light for several minutes.

  • Now imagine the white Light turning to a beautiful shade of emerald green. This is the color of the earth upon which we live. This is the color of the heart chakra. The place of unconditional love and compassion. The color of the plant life that offers oxygen. Feel it surrounding every inch of you.

  • Feel the energy of this green light filling you. You feel its warmth and your heart chakra responds to the gentle embrace of like meeting like. You imagine in your mind's eye the opening of your heart chakra like a beautiful flower, ready to receive the outpour of loving energy and calm.

  • As you sit in this calm space of Love you see the faces of those who love you and those whom you love. They are radiant and your heart felt love responds to the flow from them.  Sit in this space for some time.

  • When you have received all that you need at this time, take a few deep breaths and visualize breathing in this green energy that still surrounds you. Imagine that as you exhale you are breathing our the return of loving energy. Continue to see this imagery for several minutes.

  • See yourself interacting as you would on a daily basis; walking down a street, on a bus, at work, with your loved ones. Imagine that any who are in your immediate space will receive this heartfelt love and compassion. That they in turn will breathe in this loving energy and with each of their exhales, again those in their space will receive. A chain of unconditional love and care created and sustained, shared in perfect trust one to the other. Continue with this focus for several minutes.

  • Take a deep breath and gently open your eyes. Remain sitting quietly for a few additional minutes and then move slowly back into the rest of your routine. There is no need to release any of the meditative experience. You want to allow the energy of the heat chakra to remain with you. It will slowly disperse on its own.

  • The next time you are in a setting of interaction call up the green energy and in the physical world, breath out this loving energy as you did in your vision state. After you have done this practice for some time, you will need very little preparation to place your self in this place of compassion. It will become your natural state of being.

 

Be sure to record your experiences in your Book of Shadows.  

 
 

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