It's mid-December and we find ourselves still struggling through pandemic times. The nature of our casual encounters like those we might have at the grocery store have changed. To me, they feel less connective. We are not only distanced from one another physically, but emotionally as well. I wonder if this is how we truly want to experience one another going forth for as long as the pandemic lasts.
A few years ago, I shared a practice I call "Grocery Store Smile." This was something I always tried to do while in the grocery story. I'd put a little smile on my face and make eye contact with a perfect stranger, or with someone who worked in the store. With a slight smile I could convey, "I see you," and send them a simple blessing. With someone who looked stressed, I might smile and silently say, "May you be at ease in your life today." Sometimes people would smile back, or at least offer a little twinkle through their eyes, as if they had received my subtle kindness. Today, with masks on, with tension running high, many of us move in and out of stores as quickly as we can, and smiles are hidden. Eyes, however, are still the windows to the soul, as Shakespeare said, and even in pandemic times, we can convey goodwill with our eyes. Our eyes can smile, twinkle, shine a little brighter when we see someone. Our eyes can convey what's in our hearts—fear or friendliness, anxiety or appreciation. The choice is ours. This holiday season, I invite you to try my Grocery Store Smile practice now and then. It's one easy way to convey Presence to people—and lovingkindness, too. During these times, we can all use a little more kindness. Tis' is the season of giving. May we never forget how sweet it can be to offer someone the simple gift of a blessing.
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Another post based on "these times" in which we are living. With ongoing tension around political views and concern about the state of the world, our ability to hold presence and listen well to others may be seriously stretched, even non-existent. Today, I present a few thoughts about this with a tiny practice that can help.
Sometimes it's difficult to listen. As we engage with someone, intending to receive and honor their sharing, our listening may falter. We may grow weary or impatient; our attention may wander, or we outright lose interest. Depending on the situation, there are a number of ways to respond to this dilemma. Today, let's explore two of the solutions together. 1. Take an energizing breath to heighten your senses: a deep inhale (to the count of 8) and a shorter exhale (to the count of 6.) This can enliven you. It can help you re-focus. 2. Practice prayerful listening. Ask for assistance for what you need to be more present in the moment; to listen more purely, unconditionally. Sometimes, when I am sitting with someone, listening to them in a deeper way, I need help. Instead of continuing to struggle with being attentive, I turn my heart toward the Sacred and open it to receive assistance with this matter. Sometimes it's a very simple bequest, "Open me." Or, "Help me to listen." Or, "Help me not want to talk so much!" Prayer is our reaching down and in, or out and beyond ourselves for courage and guidance when we need it the most. Let us make good use of this in our listening as well. Ask for what you need and trust it will be given. Adapted from Pure Presence: A Workbook and Journal ©2017, Janice L. Lundy We continue to live in uncertain times. There is not a single community in the world that is untouched by the choices being made by human beings today. In the U. S. where I live, we are faced with decisions about direct governance. As I listen to the rhetoric of politicians and views offered by various organizations, one potent question keeps coming up for me, "How shall we live?" I've asked this question of myself ever since a radical awakening in 1994, "How shall I live?" What are my deepest values? What are the truths I hold dear? What choices do I need to make to ensure that I am living these values? Perhaps it all comes down to self-governance. Knowing that, even though we live in a society that dictates much about how we live, ultimately, the final decision about how is up to each of us. Governing ourselves, in my view anyway, has to do with the thoughts that occupy my mind and the feelings that rule my heart. I can't control everything I think or feel, but I can govern wisely and make healthy and sustainable choices that foster my well-being—physical, mental, emotional and spiritual. No one can tell me what to think or feel. I get to choose these for myself. Holding presence for oneself has everything to do with self-governance. Being present for oneself you bear witness to what is stirring inside you; you acknowledge and tend to it well. You take care of yourself from the inside out, being non-judgmentally and compassionately present to everything that's there. Welcoming. Open-hearted and curious. Warm and kind. Wise self-governance helps us be someone who can participate in the world with a heart that bears witness to it all—the pain and suffering, the blessings and joys. Presence for self leads to an increased ability to be purely present for others just as they are—just as the world is—because we have done so for ourselves first. A Little GiftEnjoy this 90-Second Blessing I created for
self-governance through self-care. http://www.awakenedliving.com/podcasts/90SecondBlessingSelfCare6.mp3 Life being what it is these days, these thoughts live in my heart. I hope you are continuing to make good and wise choices for yourself because, ultimately, they inform your capacity to be present to yourself, as well as to patiently and kindly hold presence for others.
Vast amounts of negative media, television, video games and unsavory language weaken the mind's resilience. They tire and desensitize us. Make a lovingly kind choice for yourself today by reducing the noise level in your life. Turn off the television and radio. Allow yourself more quiet time. Grant yourself “peaceful pauses” throughout the day: periods of stopping to access your peaceful center. There is comfort and security to be found there. Periods of stillness and solitude rebuild inner strength and can revitalize you. Our center is our Source, and our Source is peace. ©2020, JLL, This Sacred Moment Time moves quickly. Life is short. When all is said and done and we look back upon our lives, what we'll remember most are the people with whom we spent our days and nights. We will recall the warm words and hugs of friends, children, and grandchildren; hearty conversation at the dinner table; the late nights we spent comforting one another through the ups and downs of life. Today, consider what of yourself do you bring into relationship? How are you be-ing with others? The gift of your presence is the greatest present you can ever give to anyone. ©2020, Janice L. Lundy
This Sacred Moment Friends, I am excited to share a video interview I recorded just yesterday with my friend, Lisa Erickson. Lisa is the author of the ground-breaking new book, Chakra Empowerment for Women: Self-Guided Techniques for Healing Trauma, Owning Your Power & Finding Overall Wellness (Llewellyn, 2019). In this intimate conversation, we talk about the ways we can care for our energy body (which is intricately interwoven with our whole health—body, mind and spirit). I love the 3 practices she shared with us that are so vital for staying grounded, open, loving and healthy in these times. Enjoy! About: Lisa Erickson is an energy worker, writer, teacher and mom to three. Lisa’s primary modality is chakra-based energy work, although she is also a certified mindfulness meditation instructor, and a certified Feeding Your Demons facilitator. Her specialty is Women’s Energetics – women’s subtle anatomy, and practices and tools that women can employ to heal, empower, and awaken themselves. She specializes in life transits, kundalini, and sexual trauma healing. Visit her websites: https://enlightenedenergetics.com/about-lisa-erickson/ and https://chakraempowermentforwomen.com In today's blog I share some thoughts about we can ensure our hearts do not become armored in stressful times. If you're feeling impatient and irritated, or frustrated, it may be a sign that your heart is closing off due to low level trauma. (Many of us these days are experiencing low level trauma due to the pandemic.) This is the perfect time and opportunity to hold presence for yourself! The video includes one of my favorites practices for this. From My Heart to YoursToday, I have a gift for you, a guided meditation (MP3) that I call "Resting Into Love." During trauma-filled times, it's a potent practice for letting go into ease and rest, into Love! To receive this practice, SUBSCRIBE to this blog. The link to download will be sent to you in the subscription confirmation email. SUBSCRIBE by entering your info in the green box on the right side of this page. That's it! Thank you for joining me in the practice of Presence. If you are viewing this post on your phone, scroll down until you locate the green subscription box. A few thoughts on the relationship between healthy self-love and presence, and our ability to hold and offer presence to others. From My Heart to YoursToday, I have a gift for you, a short, guided meditation (MP3) that I call "A Blessing for Self-Care." To receive this practice, SUBSCRIBE to this blog. The link to download will be sent to you in the subscription confirmation email. SUBSCRIBE by entering your info in the green box on the right side of this page. That's it! Thank you for joining me in the practice of Presence. If you are viewing this post on your phone, scroll down until you locate the green subscription box. This week I received this affirmation card from Unity. I'm on their mailing list and they send me lovely inspirational prayers, poems and booklets upon request. This card came unexpectedly. I didn't request it, but I sure did need it! When I read the words of the affirmation I thought to myself, "Well, I'm not feeling this right now, that's for sure," which in itself is a cautionary tale. "So, where are you?" my wiser self asks. Honestly? In the middle of pandemic like everyone else. A little bit lost in boredom and feelings of isolation. A note of worry or fear creeps in now and then. But mostly I feel agitated, ill-at-ease within myself. Not sleeping well, distracted, disoriented. The questions beg to be asked: So what can you do in this moment to hold yourself kindly, with loving presence? What might you need to move away from so you can move toward the freedom that is expressed in the affirmation card—to feel unworried and free from tension? For me, I need to experience less noise and more quiet. Have fewer items on my To-Do list and more rest. Less focusing on day-to-day drama and more attention paid to breath and being at ease in the moment. One of the best ways for me to cultivate presence for myself in this time of pandemic and begin to "move easily in the flow of life" is to engage in Listening Meditation. Years ago, I made this short video offering instruction for Listening Meditation. I hope you find it helpful. I still find it remarkable how letting go of doing anything in particular other than listening can return us to ease—even in difficult times. Today, in the early hours of the morning, I sit listening to a cacophony of birds doing their daily rounds: calling to one another, rustling in the underbrush locating twigs to build nests, and singing gentle songs of new life to come. In just a few minutes, I feel myself back in the flow of life ... May it be so for you with the help of Listening Meditation. |
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Dr. Janice Lynne Lundy (PsyD, DMin, MPC)
is The Gerald May Professor of Spiritual Direction & Counseling at the Graduate Theological Foundation. She is an interspiritual director/mentor, educator and counselor who has been pointing people back toward the Sacred for nearly thirty years. Connect |