Now invite this Council guide to step back… and stand with you and your Community member… Several paces away from the hurting part… And together call in one of your Animal Companions to offer whatever this hurting part is most in need of right now… Watch kindly as the Animal Guide comes forward towards your hurting part… How does it comfort?... What guidance does it offer?…
And you are simply watching with compassion… witnessing… allowing the guidance to be offered… and received…
You and your Council Guide and your Community member are all moving forward now to join this Animal Companion… and all of you are forming a small circle around your hurting part… You might be holding hands… or paws or wings… or you might simply be standing with hands or paws or wings over your hearts…
As you are standing in this circle of protection around your hurting part… you are becoming aware of Source… whatever you choose to call Source… becoming aware of The One who holds the many parts of your journey… becoming aware of The One from which you came… and from which all these beings came… Knowing that none of you are alone… that you are all connected…. and as you in this circle are connected to one another, so you are connected to all sentient beings… and all that comes from Source… Feeling that connection now… however it manifests to you… savoring it… immersing yourself in it… feeling yourself supported and surrounded and loved by it…
Very good… I invite you now… if it feels right… to ask the hurting part how it is feeling now… Giving it some space and time to share… Asking it if it has anything to
share with this Circle that has come to bring it comfort and solace today… and again… just listening… with kindness and compassion…
Finding a way to reassure this hurting part that it is not alone… and that it has a right to feel whatever it is feeling… Maybe inviting it to ask you for help if its feelings ever are overwhelming again… Reminding him or her that you are always available for comfort and reassurance… as are the others who have joined you in the circle today…
In some way that feels good… I invite you to express gratitude to your Community member… your Council Guide… and your Animal Companion… for helping you today with your hurting part… Then waving good-bye or maybe even blowing them kisses as they walk slowly away…
And now… if your hurting part seems willing… take his or her hand… and find your way slowly… slowly… back to this class… Following the sound of my voice away from this special sanctuary you’ve been in… Knowing that you can return here any time you like… simply by taking a breath…
Continuing to hold the hurting part in your heart… find a gentle way to land back here in your body… Noticing your feet grounding yourself to the earth… the sensation of your back and legs against the chair… Maybe moving your body in some gentle way… stretching…
Opening your eyes when you feel ready…. Taking your time... I will wait for you… Remembering that all is well…
Part 4
Community
Truth is a matter of the imagination.
~ Ursula K. LeGuin
Indra’s Net
Begin by making yourself as comfortable as you can… Please listen to your body and respect whatever it is asking for in this moment… Making any adjustments you need to make in order to allow yourself to relax a little bit more… and a little bit more… Shifting any parts of your body that will help you let go of any tension you are holding… so that you can relax… even a bit more…
I invite you to close your eyes whenever you feel ready to do so… or simply keep a soft downward gaze… And now try focusing on your breath for a moment… Feeling the air flowing in and out of your nose... in and out… in and out… Feeling your chest rising and falling with each breath… rising and falling…
rising and falling… rising and falling…
Now that you are feeling even more comfortable… and even a little more relaxed… I invite you to see in your imagination a very wide net… something like a fishing net… And imagine that we are all holding onto the edge of this net… You are slowly watching as the net grows larger and larger… It is expanding past the walls of this room we are in… past this building… It is slowly becoming bigger and wider…
It is stretching throughout all of this city now… and beyond this city to our entire continent… It is slowly unfolding to embrace the whole earth…
Seeing this net in your mind’s eye if you can… encircling the world…
Breathing in deeply… focusing on the feel of the net in your hands right now… knowing that you are connected to everyone here in some way…You are connected to everyone in this town… this state… this country… the world… You are a part of the net that weaves us all together… Just noticing how this feels… this knowing that you are so connected…
Now… imagine that each intersection of the net contains a brilliant jewel…
What kind of jewels do you see?... Are they all the same, or is each one different?...
It doesn’t matter… Just picture it how you would like it to be… You are looking closely at one of the jewels in the net now... It is brilliant and seems to be lit from within…
It is so brilliant that it is reflecting all of the other jewels in its bright surface… All of the jewels of this net are like this… and you are noticing how each one shimmers and reflects the light from all the other jewels…
As you are looking at the beautiful jewels that make up this infinite net…
I invite you to find the jewel that represents one of your beloved Community members… Find the jewel that belongs to that person… Even if they are no longer with us… they are still a part of this net… They are still connected to you… to us… because the net is what holds us all together in this life… and beyond this life…
So go ahead and find their jewel… and notice how it shines… Notice how their jewel is different from all the other jewels… What makes it special?... What makes it priceless to you?...
If you’d like to say something to that person or pet… do so now in your imagination… and know that they can hear you… Listen for a few moments… Notice if they respond to you in any way…
It’s time to start thinking about coming back to this room now… But before you do… Take a moment to thank all the jewels of the net… and particularly the Community member whose jewel you connected with today… Knowing that you can come back to this net any time you need to… just by closing your eyes and taking a breath…
Take one last look at the infinite, shimmering net… and remember that you are
a part of it… that you will always be a part of it.. that we are all connected and held by it… And now… making the journey back to this time and place… Taking your time… Feeling your feet solidly on the floor beneath you… Noticing how your body feels against your chair… Breathing in and out at your own pace… as you return
to the sound of my voice… as you return to this moment in time…
And when you feel yourself fully present here again…
Gently open your eyes… Take your time… I will wait for you… Remembering that all is well…
Blessed Community Circle
Begin by making yourself as comfortable as you can… Listen to your body… Respect what it is asking you for right now… Adjusting or shifting your body in any way that gives you that feeling of ahhhh… Now giving your body permission to relax a little bit… and maybe even a little bit more…
Focusing on your breath... Feeling the air flowing in and out of your nose…
in and out… in and out… Feeling your chest rising and falling with each breath… Rising and falling… Rising and falling… Rising and falling…
Breathing in light… and goodness… and love… Breathing out any tension or worry or thoughts that are getting in the way of your being present right here… right now… in this moment with yourself… Breathing in light… Breathing out tension…
Breathing in
light… Breathing out tension…
Now you are even more relaxed… and in your imagination I invite you to find yourself walking outdoors… somewhere safe and precious to you… You are walking towards a building that has sweet memories for you… Maybe it’s the house where you grew up… It might be the house you live in now… or another building or home or place… where you felt or feel absolutely safe and loved…
See yourself now walking into this place of love and goodness… There is a very large space in this building… Find yourself in this space now… You are standing
in the center of it… Noticing the colors on the walls… the floors… … the furniture…
Are you hearing any sounds?... And also… noticing how you are feeling…
Now… standing in the center of this very large room or space… you notice that other people are entering the room… Slowly they are coming in to join you… They are forming a large circle all around you… This is your Blessed Community Circle… Here in this circle are all of the sentient beings who form your true Community…
Take a look around you now… as they continue to enter and form a large circle all around you… Who is here with you today?... See their faces… Notice how wonderful it is to have them all in this same space with you… all of them… Noticing that there may be people here from your past…
People who have died and passed on to the other side… People who are a part of your life now…
Pets who have loved you unconditionally…both past and present…
Noticing too that there are people here whom you’ve never met… people you are drawn to… people who have touched your life through their art… or words… religion… politics… or teaching…
Each of these beings is part of your own Blessed Community Circle… And all have come here together today to celebrate you!...
You are still standing in the center of this Circle… and I invite you to just imagine
that each person and animal who is here… is shining its precious light onto you in the center… all at once… And now you are turning… turning slowly around… so you can look into the eyes of each and every one… Just savoring the feeling of love and light that washes over you as you do this… And also… if you choose… imagine a greater, Divine Love… shining down on all of you from above… and filling you with a feeling of safety and of being loved…
Now if it feels right… you might want to ask your Circle if someone has a message for you right now… in your life… Inviting one of them to join you in the center… and then just listening to the message that this being has to give you today…
It’s time now to start to think about coming back to our workshop… but first… find a way to say good-bye to your Blessed Community Circle… reminding yourself that you will be back soon… knowing that you can be here in this loving space… connected with your Community… anytime… in just a matter of seconds… simply by closing your eyes and taking a breath…
And when you are ready… slowly and mindfully leave the Circle… finding your way back through the building the same way you came in… walking slowly and easily…
back down the sacred path…
Becoming aware of the breath flowing in and out of your nose… becoming mindful of the love that you are bringing back with you… love… and a new sense of connection to
your own blessed community…
And then in your own time and your own way… bringing yourself back to this room… to this time and place… Feeling your feet resting on the floor… Sensing your legs and your back against the chair... Becoming aware of your body now… and gently shifting or stretching or moving your body in a way that feels really good…
Then in your own time… gently opening your eyes… Taking your time… I will wait for you… All is well…
Loving-Kindness (Metta)
When you are ready, allow your eyes to gently close… or simply keep a soft downward gaze… bringing your body and your mind to a deliberate centered stillness… Giving yourself permission to relax… paying attention to your breath… Breathing in the stillness that is always inside of you… breathing out any inner chaos… Breathing in peace… and breathe out any thoughts that might be getting in the way of that peace… Giving yourself permission to just breathe in… to just breathe out… and to simply relax a little bit more…
This Metta Meditation is very simple… In the first part, we direct the energy of lovingkindness towards ourselves… Try saying these words to yourself… and as you say the words… imagine the warmth of your heart radiating towards all parts of your own being… May I be safe… May I be happy… May I be healthy… May I be free… And again… May I be safe… May I be happy… May I be healthy… May I be free…
In the second part, we direct the energy of lovingkindness towards someone we love… So just imagine this loved one sitting across from you now… I am going to use the pronoun “she” as I lead us through this part… but feel free to substitute your loved one’s first name if you like… May she be safe… May she be happy… May she be healthy… May she be free… And again… May she be safe… May she be happy… May she be healthy… May she be free…
In the third part, we direct the energy of lovingkindness towards someone we don’t know… someone we feel neutral towards… Perhaps it’s someone ahead of us in line at the grocery store… or our mail carrier… or the cashier at the coffee shop… Picture someone like this in your mind’s eye now… and begin… May he be safe… May he be happy… May he be healthy… May he be free… And again… May he be safe… May he be happy… May he be healthy… May he be free…
In the next part, we direct this powerful energy of lovingkindness towards someone who causes us difficulty… or someone with whom we experience conflict… So imagine this person sitting across from you… and don’t worry… you are not going to engage in conversation or argument with them… I am going to use the pronoun
“she” as I lead us through this part… but you might find it more powerful to use his or her first name instead… May she be safe… May she be happy… May she be healthy… May she be free… This might be difficult… Just remind yourself that it’s all okay…
and remember to breathe… Let’s try it one more time now… May she be safe… May she be happy… May she be healthy… May she be free…
In the last part of Metta practice, we direct the energy of lovingkindness towards all sentient beings… Breathing in and out… slowly… May all beings be safe… May all beings be happy… May all beings be healthy… May all beings be free… And again… May all beings be safe… May all beings be happy… May all beings be healthy…
May all beings be free…
Before we come back… take a moment to bow to yourself… and to your loved one… and to the neutral person… to the person with whom you are in conflict… to all sentient beings… and finally, once again… to yourself…
Now I invite you to come back to your body… Feeling all the parts of your body against your chair or your bed… Following the sound of my voice back to this present moment… Moving or stretching your body in any way that feels good to you…
Very good…
Opening your eyes when you are ready… Taking your time… I will wait for you… All is well…
Part 5
Archetypes
Without this playing with fantasy, no creative work has ever come to birth.
The debt we owe to the play of imagination is incalculable.
~ Carl Jung
Meeting a Council Guide
Begin by taking a deep breath through your nose and hold it for a few seconds… and then let it out through your mouth with a sigh or another sound… Again, inhale though your nose… and let go of the breath with a relaxing sigh or sound… Do this a few times… and each time… let the relaxation that you are beginning to feel… grow a little deeper… Closing your eyes if it feels comfortable t
o do so… or keeping a soft downward gaze…
and slowly working down to the soles of your feet… Noticing wherever your muscles are holding on… If you are feeling tightness anywhere… you might want to invite in looseness and softness…
There is nowhere to go and nothing to do for the next several minutes… Relaxing just a little bit more… as much as you can for now...
Your body is settling into a more comfortable position… with no holding on… no grasping… Your breath is becoming a little bit calmer… a bit more relaxed… a little bit calmer…
a bit more relaxed…
I invite you now to imagine that you are in a beautiful place… This is a special place that you can go to in your imagination to find peace and solitude... See yourself in this place… this sanctuary that is yours and yours alone…
Imagining now that it is a beautiful day here… wherever you are in your imagination… What does the sky look like?... How does the air feel on your skin?... Take a moment to listen all around you... What can you hear?... Are there any fragrances wafting their way to you?...
When you are ready… in your imagination… I invite you to look for a path that leads away from the spot where you have been exploring… If you choose to, begin walking on this path… You are sensing that this path will take you to another place… also a peaceful place… but this will be a place where you will meet a being of great wisdom and love… Following this path now… until it comes to a large open space…
Magical Inner Journeys Page 9