Meditations and Prayers

GUIDED MEDITATION FOR TAIZE SERVICE, FEB. 6, 2011

This  was initially written to send to Mandate, a magazine of the United Church.  Six weeks ago,  the Healing Touch team at Knox United was invited to prepare a service of worship for the May issue of Mandate.  The magazine is a resource to United Church congregations across Canada.  This was a privilege and opportunity, so three of us (Loy Bacon, Shirley Chandler, and myself) looked at previous healing services we have held at Knox, then developed one that contained original prayers and meditations.  The meditation that I wrote follows.

Guided Meditation (for Mandate Worship Service)

            Throughout Jesus’ ministry he used study, prayer and meditation to grow closer to God.  In the following meditation it is our intention to grow closer to God by acknowledging that part of ourselves which is like God.  As we are part of God’s mystery, so also is God a part of us.  God is like an inner star, which grows stronger as we pay attention to it.  We pay attention to love.  We pay attention to Jesus, and we align ourselves with holiness. 

            Sit with your feet flat on the floor, and your back resting comfortably against the chair.  Close your eyes and be still…  Relax your body, and go to your holy place within…  Breathe in through your nose and out through your mouth.  As you breathe out, let go of worries or thoughts…  As you breathe in, imagine the light and love of God expanding your holy place within, until it shines like an inner star .

            Be aware of white light entering your body at the top of your head.  Let it come down behind your eyes, in a line through your centre… in the back of your throat… down to your chest… Notice your holy place becoming brighter and stronger.

            Feel the floor beneath your feet. Be aware of where the floor came from: perhaps a tree, or from rock, from soil, from the earth…  Celebrate your connection with the earth and be grateful for having a body which allows us to be alive at this time and place…  Feel your connection with the earth’s energy…  Allow gratitude to flow up your legs, into your torso and up to meet the white light within you…  Let that light flow outward in your body…  Become aware of your whole body as it fills with energy and gratitude…  Relax …  If there is tightness or pain, acknowledge it and let it go. 

            When you are fully relaxed and comfortable, notice the air on your skin… Notice smells and sounds… thank God and Love for filling your body and being with you… Thank your body for being you … When you are ready, open your eyes and be present here.

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Meditation – for Knox United Church

(Theme of service: Food)

October 17, 2010

Sit with your feet flat on the floor, and your back resting comfortably against the pew.  Close your eyes and be still…  Relax your body…  Place your hands on your lap and breathe in slowly. … Imagine a white light coming in from the universe to a point at the top of your head…. Let it come down behind your eyes, in a line through your centre  … in the back of your throat… down to your chest.  Breathe in through your nose and breathe out through your mouth.  As you breathe out, let go of worries or thoughts. …As you breathe in, imagine the light getting bigger with each breath. … If there is tightness or pain, notice it and let it go. 

Through your feet feel earth energy flow into the soles of your feet … up your legs to your knees…, then to your hips and lower body.  Remember the last time you tasted a strawberry and feel its red sweetness fill the space at the bottom of your spine…   Imagine a mandarin orange, and feel its flavour burst into your lower  belly…  Recall the bright yellow of a banana and let that fill your solar plexus…  Then remember eating a kiwi and savour green tangy smoothness.  Let that energy fill your heart and spread out to your arms….  Breathe deeply again, and let the burst of blueberries live in your throat …  With the next breath,  imagine the refreshing crunch as you bite into pomegranate seeds.  Let this sensation settle inside your head.  Breathe, and be aware of your full body vibrating with the sweetness and vitality of God’s gift of fruit.   Imagine biting into a crispy apple, and let that white energy fill your face, your mind, your ears, your nostrils, your eyes, and mouth. .. We have allowed ourselves to be filled.  We have been made to be whole, fully alive in body, mind, heart, and soul. … Relax and feel how good it is to be in touch with your whole body, now vibrating at a higher frequency.

Now, notice the air on your skin.  Notice smells and sounds.  Thank God for providing food, of all forms, to nurture and sustain you.  Thank your body for being you.  When you are ready, open your eyes and be present  here.

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Inner Star Meditation

 

Sit with your feet flat on the floor, and your back resting comfortably against the chair.  Close your eyes and be still…  Relax your body…  Place your hands over your chest and breathe in slowly. … Imagine a light inside you and send air to that light, so it grows and shines like a star…  Feel it grow bigger and brighter with each breath…   Breathe in through your nose and breathe out through your mouth.  As you breathe out, let go of worries or thoughts. …As you breathe in, imagine your light getting bigger with each breath.

Be aware of  white light coming in from the universe to a point at the top of your head…. Let it come down behind your eyes, in a line through your centre  … in the back of your throat… down to your chest.  Send this light to the golden light of your star … notice your star growing fuller and stronger.

Through your feet feel earth energy flow into the soles of your feet … up your legs to your knees…, then to your hips and lower body… Feel red energy fill your body, then rise to your belly… let it filll your solar plexus…  Breathe more deeply.  … feel the earth energy mingle with the white light in your heart.  … feel the two colours meet, dance, and mingle, each changing to become a fuller richer light of love… notice your star growing fuller and stronger.  

….  Let the light of your star flow outward in your body… down to your toes…. out your arms… into your hands and fingers. …  Let it fill your face, your mind, your ears, your nostrils, your eyes,  and voice… Become aware of your whole body as it fills with the energy and light of love… relax and feel how good it is to be in touch with your whole body… If there  is tightness or pain, notice it and let it go. 

When you are fully relaxed and comfortable, notice the air on your skin.  Notice smells and sounds.  Thank Goodness and Light for filling your body and being with you.  Thank your body for being you.  When you are ready, open your eyes and be present  here.

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OPENING PRAYER

(for Knox Study Group: Community of Friends, March 4, 2009)

Spirit, be with us this morning as we gather to embrace you. Thank you for your presence, which is within and without, below and above, past present and future.
Guide us with your words and insight. Help us to speak your truth and know your wisdom.
Help our mind, heart and soul to open to your presence and your love.
As we sit, with our feet firmly on the floor and our bodies supported, allow earth’s energy to enter and fill us.
As we breathe in, marry earth and spirit that we may be more fully alive. Let us celebrate goodness together.
Amen.

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Meditation for Church Service

Knox United Church, Sunday, Nov. 23, 2008 

With our feet firmly on the floor and our hands open to God’s healing energy, we welcome his presence.  From the earth, energy flows into our feet, up our legs and upward to our hearts.  From around us, energy flows into our head, hands, up our arms and into our hearts, where it is joined with earth energy to create a strong pulsing light.  From here it radiates to every fibre of our being and every part of our souls.  It continues to radiate until it forms a warm loving cocoon around us. 

 As we are embraced in the light, we experience God’s incredible healing love touching our souls.  We give all our worries and all our fears to the light.  In return we receive joy, peace, and love.  We, as cherished children, are one with Spirit.

 As one with Spirit, we open our ears to the sounds of Love : laughter from a cherished child, purr of a cat, warm greetings from friends, soaring music, rustle of leaves, silence of the first snowfall, and soft swish of skis on snow.

 We open our minds to sensations of love: a friend’s face lights up when we appear, the scent of a rose, the call of majestic mountains, the strength of a steadily  flowing river, a hand stretched in welcome, a freshly cooked meal set before us, a wooded path, a family gathering, a warm embrace.

 Spirit, thank you for the world, and the joy of being present in it.  Help us to live gently in present awareness throughout this service, throughout this day, and in the coming week. 

Amen.

 

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Meditation for Centering – seated

First used with Healing Touch group at Knox United Church, November, 2004

Sit with your feet flat on the floor.  Let your back rest against the back of the chair.  Breathe in and out slowly, and feel yourself sinking in your chair.  Let your energy drop so that you feel heavy in the chair…. Be conscious of the strength of the chair supporting you and the stability of the floor.  Breathe in and out slowly throughout this meditation.

Imagine a point between your eyebrows, then pull it inside a few inches until it is in the very centre of your head.  This is your mid-point.  Align yourself with that point as you proceed. Keep your body upright, balanced by that point.

Notice your legs and feet… feel your energy flowing from your feet and your root chakra, to enter the earth below you. Imagine reaching into the earth like a winding root tendril, sinking lower and lower into the rich earth.  Push aside rocks, experience dampness, feel the dark, and reach deeper and deeper into the earth, gathering speed as you go. 

Now feel the warmth of the earth as you go even deeper… continue to reach deeper as it grows hotter … travel through molten rock…. Touch the core of the earth and be with it…experience its heat and light.

Allow that heat to flow up your root tendrils… up through lava pools …. Through cracks in the bedrock … through streams …. Feel it growing higher up the roots, gathering speed to bring red earth energy to your feet, root chakra, and body… Let it fill your feet, legs, and body so that it fills your being …. Your root chakra spins stronger and faster with this red energy.  It starts your sacral chakra to spin in harmony.  …. Notice the energy flowing now to your solar plexus, setting it spinning.  Feel the renewed energy in all three charkas…. Now notice how that energy has spun your heart chakra also, causing it to turn, widen, glow, and vibrate.  Let that energy flow up to your shoulders and arms, then down to your hands.  When you place your hands for healing, that energy will be present in your hands, usually tingling, sometimes shaking.

Now, return to your resting mid-point.  Be mindful of the lower half of your body, filled with earth energy.  Breathe in, and as you breathe, imagine red earth energy filling yourself.  … Be aware of the air around you … sense the universal life energy in the air, around you and above you.  Let your seventh chakra open, and as you breathe out, imagine white light pouring through your seventh chakra.  Let it spiral down within your body  … Let the light fill your head, expanding your mid-point  and giving you clear vision, better hearing, and greater perception of all senses….  Allow the white light to expand in your mind as it sets the brow chakra spinning, then nudges the throat into a matching rhythm. You express healing love through word, idea and action.

Let the white light  descend further down towards the heart, where it merges with earth’s red energy to form a vibrant cone of healing energy.  Let that energy flow to the shoulders, down the arms, and into your hands.  … Your hands are now a clear channel for healing energy, ready to receive information when necessary….  With these hands you channel both universal and earth energy, both yin and yang, male and female. … Feel that energy within your body as you breathe slowly in and out, earth and spirit,  red and white, bringing balance and wholeness within your body and  your energy fields…You have become a  focussed point of healing energy within the universe.

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Meditation (theme: Being Part of Something Bigger Than Yourself)
May 25, 2008,  Knox United Church

Sit as comfortably as possible, placing both feet on the floor with your back supported. Let your hands rest in your lap. … Breathe in deeply, feeling the air past your nostrils, down the back of your throat … and into your lungs. Find a rhythm of breathing that feels natural to you but deeper than usual… Feel the breath spread throughout your body, from your lungs to your chest … arms… lower trunk…. and into your legs: thighs, knees, feet.

Imagine your breath reaching past your feet and through the base of your spine. Feel the breath and your own line of energy pass through the floor, the foundations of the building, into the earth. Sense your own breath energy moving through the earth, through soil, sand, clay, water, and rock. Experience the solid support of our diverse earth as you reach lower. Reach down further, into the deepest part of the earth, and feel the heat at her core.

Now, from the earth’s hot center, allow her to breathe back and receive her energy in a flow that travels upward, through rock, water, clay, sand and soil. Let her warm energy move into your feet … your legs… into the base of your spine. Feel this energy spread up your spine and into your body to fill and strengthen you… Let this energy spread into your lower belly … your solar plexus … your heart … chest… and into your arms. Let it flow down your arms to your hands.

 

Let this energy flow upward into your throat, and open your mouth to breathe more deeply. Feel this energy spin along a central line between the base of your spine to the top of your head. That central line holds your being and is tuned to your own personal vibration, which is YOU…. Be the central channel and open behind your eyes and go through the top of your head. Reach beyond your body and travel above… above the sitting people around you… to the ceiling…through the roof … into the sky … towards the light.

Allow this light to breathe back, and receive his energy as a clear illumination as it travels down your breathway. Hold your awareness of your central channel, your Self, vibrating like a perfectly tuned musical instrument. Let the light energy flow down through the top of your head, behind your eyes, through your throat, into your upper chest, arms and hands.

Feel the light energy wed the earth energy in the region of your heart. Relax and know the fullness of this tremendous resource which has been present since the earth was formed. Within your Self, you are one small but vital part of this energy, this sea of potential. Breathe, and feel the fullness of life, of life-giving energy, of love, of recognition and acceptance. Because you are here, because you exist, because you are a human being, you are part of this mystery. From this place of a centered inner channel, you will participate in the rest of this day. Relax and enjoy the fullness.

When you are ready, open your eyes and be present to the moment.

 

 

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