To be clear though, even though we will
be talking about the body, mind and ego, these are actually
just labels for different aspects of the soul. In reality everything
is soul, these are just distinctive aspects of the soul we are
already familiar with.
The
soul is omnipresent in us, there is no part of us that is not
soul and realising this we might also come to realise that our
mind and body are also not limited they also, by implication,
have a presence in every aspect of us.
By this time we are all very familiar with the power of our words and in particular, our internal dialog. We know that we create our reality by the way we think and the thoughts we allow in our consciousness.
Our beliefs are simply repeated thoughts quite often not based in reality, whilst the construction of our ego is from repeated beliefs and intentions.
So I ask you for a moment to just reflect on the dialog you have with yourself most of the time, specifically with your body and mind. Consider even this morning, the conversation you had with yourself in the mirror. Was it a dialog of dissatisfaction with your hair, for example, or your face, or a freckle, your bottom, or tummy, or even legs or arms?
Take a moment to examine and audit the positive vs. negative discourse you had with your body. If you are in the red then it is easy to imagine the effect your words are having and what they are creating.
Perhaps for a moment think of your body as being like a 2 year old. If you notice a little toddler, they have no sense of worry about how they appear or if their body is the right age or whatever, and they sense that everyone is in love with them.
We would never say some of the things we say to our body to a 2 year old so let’s try and imagine ourselves being as innocent as a 2 year old and be nicer to ourselves.
In the meditation later we will work some
more on this, but to conclude, just for a moment right now,
pick out somewhere on your body and see if you can recall some
of the negative dialog you have been having with yourself about
this part of your body, and very simply let it go.
Feel yourself relaxing.
Feel the weight lifted.
Then let’s consider
your mind.
You’re probably going to find that you’re pretty hard on your
mind as well. Many times spiritual seekers find themselves fighting
with their mind, “struggling with the monkey mind”, “trying
to stop thinking negatively” or trying to stop thinking at all.
The mind itself is not evil or bad or working
against you, the mind is your friend. It is an extremely powerful
centre of your personality, creating your ego and more than
that creating your world. The Buddha said “What we think, we
are”. So it will serve you extremely well not to be fighting
it or being in conflict with your mind, considering it some
sort of alien working against your soul, but to love your mind,
love the gift of reason and intellect and wisdom and the power
your mind avails you to be happy, peaceful and loving.
We must realise that it is our mind
that uniquely affords us the opportunity to be happy or sad,
suffering or at peace, creative or stuck, in heaven or hell.
One of the best ways to treat your mind is again to feel as though it is a 2 year old child needing your love and attention but also your guidance and navigation. You do not get angry or upset or fight a child you just gently inspire and calmly instruct with love and reverence.
Your mind is not stupid, it will always come up to your level of wisdom.
If you feed it wisely it will become wise, if you show it anger and negativity, then it will become very accomplished at displaying those attributes.
Your mind is your instrument to be programmed and guided exactly as you choose.
It is offered to you with love, it is for you to receive it with gratitude and reverence. It is not a lesson or a trial or a test, it is a gift for you to utilise for the expansion of your loving experience in this life.
So, in summary, your mind and body are gifts. They are not to be fought or battled against, they are for you to utilise and enjoy and loved.
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Take a moment to reflect on your body.
Thank it for serving you selflessly and then consciously place your attention on your left foot.
See if you can recall ever having a dialog with yourself about your left foot, you might have had an injury, or perhaps it has been sore, or perhaps it is too fat or too thin or not strong enough. You’ll probably recall like most of us that we don’t usually have too much nice to say, it’s commonly a complaint.
Now think of your left foot for a moment as a 2 year old child and speak to it (inwardly) with love and reverence. Ask for it to forgive you for all the negative ways you have spoken to it and thank it for having carried you while walking, or running or playing for whatever you have been doing for so many years.
Take your time and consider how you might have taken it for granted and let yourself feel how happy your own foot is for being empowered and treated so nicely.
It might feel strange at first but just let yourself try it is an experiment if it feels silly and instead of that area of your body not being appreciated you will feel as you offer love to your left foot, it releasing tension and a weight being lifted.
Move from your left foot to your shin and calf and then knee of your left leg. Again just be conscious of some of the dialog you might have had, release it and then offer your love, appreciation and reverence instead. Continue with the whole left leg.
Then let's go through the same process with the right leg. Starting with the toes and foot of your right leg, releasing any negative dialog.
Imagine if you can that anything that you have ever said about your right leg is still present and needs to be loved to be transformed. This is a process of transforming negative tension to a more loving and reverential feeling about our body.
Move up through the hips, sexual organs, lower back and internal organs. Take some time to offer love and gratitude and transform any negative tension stored there.
Stomach, kidneys, pancreas, liver, heart lungs - how well they do their jobs. Working away selflessly no matter what we throw their way. Thank and love your internal organs.
Upper back, shoulders and neck - so much tension is stored up there. Lots of worries, fears and anxieties find themselves in our neck and shoulders. Try and relax - thank your body, release your worries.
Then move to your left arm, bicep, elbow, forearm, hand, fingers - offer love to every atom of your left arm. All the work it does for you every day, lifting, carrying, writing, typing and so on, thank your left arm. Then spend some time doing the same for your right arm.
Then to your face, your jaw - again lots of tension is stored in your jaw, relax, thank your body. Then to your ears, thank them for how wonderfully they have let you hear all the wonderful sounds and music of our lives.
To your mouth, teeth and tongue, how well you have been able to feed your body and enjoy the magnificent tastes and textures of wonderful food and drink. All the wonders you have kissed with your lips.
Your nose, all the fragrances and smells.
Your eyes, all the amazing sights you have seen and will see. Draw a figure 8 around your eyes, offering love and gratitude and really a sense of awe and reverence for your beautiful eyes, the windows to your soul.
Your forehead and hair, how much time we beat ourselves up over our hair, let it all go and thank your hair and your entire head and body.
Spend a moment or two seeing your whole body filled with the light of love and if there are any places that need more attention, go back and spend some time loving more and releasing.
Then to your mind.
This is the powerful creation centre of your being. Every thought creates a new reality. Take a moment to thank your mind for all it has done and is doing for you. Offer love.
For a moment consider all the thoughts you have ever thought and imagine they have a life inside you. That every thought ever amounts to billions of little children, some unruly and undisciplined, some without direction or hope, perhaps full of fear whilst others are inspired, loving and full of joy.
Imagine that all those thoughts need to be transformed for you to be transformed, that they need to be loved, for you to be loved and you are the source of that infinite love.
We dont need to argue with them or fight them or be mad at our little children, the fastest and most effective help we can be to all of our thought-children is to accept them and love them.
So offer them thanks, they have constructed your personality, your ego, offer them love and let your tension-filled thoughts to be transformed and lifted up into love.
1. Grounding In