day 22 .. Freedom to Love

a bonus mediation day ...  thank you to Deepak Chopra - Chopra Meditation Center for another 21-day mediation challenge... thanks to Louise, who told Shaun, who told Maria, who told me about it. xo

"Meditation is not a way of making your mind quiet. 

It is a way of entering into the quiet that is already there

—buried under the 50,000 thoughts 

the average person thinks every day."
—Deepak Chopra

Welcome to Day 22 - Free to Love

Today's meditation, led by Deepak Chopra, is offered as an extra special gift for your willingness to participate in a series of meditations that can change the world.

We have traveled through many aspects of love in these twenty-one days. We have learned that as we enter into the silence, we reconnect with our real essence, which is pure love—infinite compassion and total interconnectedness with everything that is. Through our journey within, we have reached deeper into our being than ever before. With this new found awareness, we realize that as we make the decision to share our love and joy with the world, these gifts are returned to us in innumerable ways. As more and more people around the world share this experience of interconnectedness, the world can become a place of harmony and love. Thank you for caring about yourself, your relationships, and your world.

Centering Thought for Today:
"Because I always have a choice, I choose love."

day 21 ... Loving the World

we did it .... 21 days and meditation is now becoming a habit
I chose to meditate down by the water
--- Loving the World as she changed and sang before me.

Welcome to Day 21 - Loving the World

Congratulations—you did it! Today is the final day of this Chopra Center 21-Day Meditation Challenge™. In today's meditation we will review the concepts we learned in the past three weeks that have brought us to our full transformation. You took the steps necessary to change your life and make a difference in the world. You registered, listened to the messages, joined your fellow meditators around the world in silence, and journeyed into the field of pure potentiality. 

"You have all the ingredients and the recipe to make a magnificent life now. Now is the time to mix them together and see what you can create. It's all about love. It's always been about love. Love is the only thing that's real."
—David Simon

During the first week we looked back in order to bring into the light memories that required healing and release. The second week we explored the properties of the heart, and how, when we pay attention to its messages, our lives flow easily and effortlessly. Building on the foundation of the first two weeks, we completed our Free to Love challenge by exploring how we can live from love and compassion every day of our lives, beginning with self-love, loving everyone else, and expanding to global love. We learned that peace and harmony in the world is possible, provided we, as individuals, live from heart-centered awareness. Congratulations on making and keeping your commitment to increase the level of love, joy, peace and harmony in your community, and in the world at large! Namasté.

Centering Thought for Today:
"I go forth in life with new resolve to live from my heart, 

living in love wherever I go."

day 20 ... Loving Your Beloved

day 20 ...  now we're getting somewhere -- loving your beloved

this meditation is a beautiful promise of the type of love I'm looking to create with the man who will become my beloved

In the meditation there is reference to Kahlil Jibran's words from the book Prophet (which I own because Cassandra is a prophetess in greek mythology) and this resonated with me

Love has no other desire but to fulfill itself.
But if you love and must needs have desires, let these be your desires:
To melt and be like a running brook that sings its melody to the night.
To know the pain of too much tenderness.
To be wounded by your own understanding of love;
And to bleed willingly and joyfully.
To wake at dawn with a winged heart and give thanks for another day of loving;
To rest at the noon hour and meditate love's ecstasy;
to return home at eventide with gratitude;
And then to sleep with a prayer for the beloved in your heart and a song of praise upon your lips.


This is one of his more famous work... his lyrical prose which has become a staple of secular weddings and one that I'm also quite fond of...

ON MARRIAGE
Kahlil Gibran

You were born together, and together you shall be forevermore.
You shall be together when the white wings of death scatter your days.
Ay, you shall be together even in the silent memory of God.
But let there be spaces in your togetherness,
And let the winds of the heavens dance between you.

Love one another, but make not a bond of love:
Let it rather be a moving sea between the shores of your souls.
Fill each other's cup but drink not from one cup.
Give one another of your bread but eat not from the same loaf
Sing and dance together and be joyous, but let each one of you be alone,
Even as the strings of a lute are alone though they quiver with the same music.

Give your hearts, but not into each other's keeping.
For only the hand of Life can contain your hearts.
And stand together yet not too near together:
For the pillars of the temple stand apart,
And the oak tree and the cypress grow not in each other's shadow.

Centering Thought for Today:
"I am ready to surrender to the sacred love within me and within you."

Welcome to Day 20 - Loving Your Beloved

For today's meditation, we will look at the concept of sacred love: the exquisite, blissful state that comes to us when we love from the pureness of our spirit. It is this purity of mind and heart that draws more and more love to us. In The Path to Love, Deepak Chopra reveals the qualities of sacred love. He writes, "You and your beloved are walking a path never walked in exactly the same way by anyone else who has ever lived. You do not take a breath, think a thought, have a wisp of feeling that existed before, and the intimacy you build together will never be known again."

Deepak Chopra teaches two powerful lessons: pure love is always inclusive, and other people, particularly those closest to us, are perfect mirrors of our Self. We will contemplate these concepts today. The essence of sacred love is described by the poet Rumi, "This is love: to fly toward a secret sky, to cause a hundred veils to fall each moment. First to let go of life, finally, to take a step without feet."

"The manifestations of love will multiply because my lover will become sacred to me; 

that is why love is called holy, because it expresses wholeness."
—Deepak Chopra

day 19 ... Loving Your Family

this post comes a day late... though I did my mediation at 11:11p last night

What a lovely one.  Loving Your Family and this extends beyond biological family - it's the family you create from a bond that is formed. I've always had an extended family beyond my own. If someone said "invite your family" my guest list would be diverse.

There are four I want to honour that are SO much like my family, family - like sisters and a brothers to me - Meghan Innes +family, Taya Hawes-Puiu +family, Shaun Lawless +Maria (my best BFF) and John aka JJK +my Will+Grace.  There are many more deeply routed amazing friends that I cherish, my history with these four is untouchable and unconditional - like family.  We have been through SO MUCH together, if you knew you'd understand the distinction in my heart.

I'm lucky and I love my biological family dearly and unconditionally.

This picture is my older sister and my younger brother - I'm the middle child. About 1 year apart in age.

Centering Thought for Today:
"Today I commit to loving my family unconditionally."

My family is a little larger than this now... my mom and two half-sisters and my dad and step-mom. My darling nephew's & niece. My sister's girlfriend. My loving grama's (on my dad's side living with me (german) - on my mom's side (italian/russian) passed away a few years ago) ... on my mom's side there are five cousins (two we've never met), two uncles & an aunt. Also intrigued by how there can be people you're related to and you've never met or rarely see.

Having becoming estranged for a few years from part my family in my late teens and then later just due to distance living in Toronto for six years -- I learnt to build family around me. I've been part of A LOT of different families christmas festivities and I've witness A LOT of what family is ... and really family is just that - family. The good, the bad, the ugly. And that's what I love about it.

My best friends that I consider family are because we've gotten to that place of true unconditional love and it was born ofter out of the bad and ugly times... getting us way past just the good times.  These loving individuals are my family too.  And I'm a better loving person for knowing them.

It reminds me now of the buddhist teachings that were brought into my life earlier this year ... the guidance always to go deeper into anger, resentment, suffering ... go deeper, to get to this pure place of love. To open your heart further is to go deeper. I believe we do this with family... perhaps a little unknowingly and if we could trust doing this more or honour when we find someone willing to "go there" with us. Then we have that unconditional bond of 'family.'

Yet nothing has my love more than my biological family. They are the souls that chose to come to this earth together. In today's meditation I honour them, my extended family and myself - this is a gift.

"The bond that links your true family is not one of blood, 

but of respect and joy in each other's life. 

Rarely do members of the same family grow up under the same roof."
—Richard Bach

Welcome to Day 19 - Loving Your Family

In today's meditation, we will explore the value of family relationships, and how someone can be considered family without being biologically related. Known as the Mother of Family Therapy, psychotherapist Virginia Satir wrote, "Feelings of worth flourish in an atmosphere where individual differences are appreciated, mistakes are tolerated, communication is open, and rules are flexible—the kind of atmosphere that is found in a nurturing family."

We can live our dharma, our true purpose in life, by practicing those attributes in all of our relationships: tolerance, clear and loving communication, and creating an atmosphere of love wherever we go. Here, in this family of meditation enthusiasts, that nourishing atmosphere exists. You have found the supportive, safe haven called family.

day 18 ... Loving Your Self

this day couldn't have come on a better day - haha.

I'm a bit sad that I won't have any friends visit me on the beautiful sunshine coast this august long weekend...  understandably my friends had to cancel coming and so did my plans for kayaking, hiking, swimming, laughing, eating, drinking and all the usual merriment too. I love where I live - and people love where they live - so it's balancing the two. I could go in the city or somewhere else however that's always my compromise and I want to be home. 

and that sadness let's other thoughts creep in ... so I took time to meditate by the water yesterday and first thing this morning.  Grounded back in my heart, with trust and love.  

I will have an awesome weekend -- it will be what it is and that will be great. 

"Find the love you seek, by first finding the love within yourself. 

Learn to rest in that place within you that is your true home."
—Sri Sri Ravi Shankar

Welcome to Day 18 - Loving Your Self

In today's meditation we will discover that loving one's Self is the prerequisite for giving and receiving love from everyone else. When you love that which you are, including any part of you that you would like to change, you will release any expectations of others, have compassion for whatever they may be experiencing, and accept them just the way they are.

In The Path to Love, Deepak Chopra provides the guidelines for building and living from self-love. He writes,

"Self-love grows when you trust that the universe is on your side, form your desires from the heart and watch the higher Self carry them out, believe that you are enough in and of yourself, heed the tenderness and sweetness of your love for others, put your attention on positive energies in every situation, honor your own needs without having to seek outside approval, and cultivate the peace of inner silence." 

We will explore many of these concepts as we begin our journey into the spiritual realm of silence and peace today.

Centering Thought for Today:
"I love and honor my Self, just the way I am."

day 17 ... Loving Change

this is perfect for today - it's been the theme especially last month or so and I am LOVING CHANGE

Centering Thought for Today:
"The more I love and embrace change, the more my life unfolds easily and effortlessly."

Welcome to Day 17 - Loving Change

In today's meditation we will discover that loving change is important to your happiness and well-being. How we react to a change may depend on the results we think it will bring. We may feel excited about change that involves a gain, such as a new baby or a promotion. But we may worry about a change that involves a loss, such as a divorce or a move to a new place. We love changes and look forward to them when we make the decisions. We don't often like changes imposed upon us. We view them as challenges we would rather not handle, instead of the opportunities they truly are. 

"Change is the only constant of life—
the sole, steadfast friend we can trust. 
Yet we often resist it, 
holding on to memories and situations 
that long ago ceased to serve us.

Learn to love all changes, whether they come from you or from someone else. Their value will eventually be revealed. In his book, Free to Love, Free to Heal, David Simon wrote, "Change is the only constant of life—the sole, steadfast friend we can trust. Yet we often resist it, holding on to memories and situations that long ago ceased to serve us." Move on to new, exciting experiences with ease and grace. When, in the future, you look back, you'll find the changes were to propel you further along the evolutionary path to enlightenment.

"In rivers, that which you touch is the last of what has passed 

and the first of that which comes. 

So it is with present time."
—Leonardo da Vinci

day 16 ... Loving What Is

I like today's mediation - I did it mid-evening and it was great to get centered back into Loving What Is

Opening new doors, exploring new possibilities, listening and paying attention to the universe ... and sometimes take time out to get grounded in the universe has the game plan and just go with the flow and Love What Is - well, is just what I needed today. My heart was speaking to me today and take time out to mediate was healing. And now wrapping my day up at 1:00a which seems to be the trend lately has me embracing that in this moment ...

Better indeed is knowledge than mechanical practice. 

Better than knowledge is meditation. 

But better still is surrender of attachment to results, 

because there follows immediate peace."
—Bhagavad Gita

In today's meditation we will discover that there is a divine plan working for us—all the time. The cosmic computer of the universe has created us to be, do and have everything we want, need and desire. Once we let go of the ego, which craves security in the form of physical needs and outside approval, we can surrender to the most powerful spirit within.

Open yourself to the exquisite power that can summon up the field of all possibilities, where it is effortless for you to manifest your desires, provided they are desires of the heart.

David Simon said, "Your attachment to people, things, 

and beliefs makes you feel vulnerable when they fail to meet your expectations."

Learn to love what is, let go, and surrender to the mind of the universe.

Centering Thought for Today:
"As I surrender the need to influence, and love what is, my life gets better and better."