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Welcome!
When we are focused on balancing and integrating our
mental, emotional, physical, and spiritual lives, we often find
it helpful to hear from others on the journey. Our deepest questions
may be articulated by others. We may feel less alone, and more
connected to those around us in meaningful ways.
It
is my hope that the words of this occasional letter will touch
your life and heart- that you will see how a life of more awareness
leads to a life of healing the deepest hurts- a life of compassion
for self and others, and a life worth living! You are invited to share your insights, questions, and requests
for future articles.
| In this issue |
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| A Question
of Interest |
How can I feel
compassion for my father when I
am afraid of him?*
It is natural to want to stop
being afraid, and find a more loving
way of being with a fearful situation.
This is true whether the person
you fear is your mother, father,
co-worker, boss, cashier, or bank
teller. We have more history and
complicated feelings about our
parents, but they are, in the end,
people; sometimes confused, unhappy,
depressed, or angry, and still
flesh-and-blood people. Parents
want and need to be loved and embraced
with compassion, just as we do.
Just as everyone does.
Family members yell, co-workers
throw insults and criticism, and
strangers can be sarcastic and
threatening. The first thing to
do, especially if we are in physical
danger, is to make our self safe.
Once we have some distance from
the situation and can think clearly,
we can remember that we cannot
change another's behavior, we can
only change our response to their
behavior.
How can we be compassionate with
people who act out of confusion,
and behave in unpredictable ways
that can be emotionally, and possibly
physically scary?
There is no technique that will
work universally. We each feel
our way through challenging and
painful situations, moment-to-moment,
bringing our loving intention into
the moment; practicing being aware,
compassionate, and clear.
Having an awareness meditation
practice helps us train the mind
to focus in the moment, and to
be more easily present throughout
the day. Making time in our day
to practice guided visualization
practices on compassion helps us
be compassionate, aware, and find
clarity in the face of our fear.
After all, we are the perfect
person to practice being compassionate
with, right here, because we are
always right here, breathing, and
needing good lovin', even when
we are the only one around!
Practicing compassion meditations
in a quiet, comfortable place,
supports an honest, gentle exploration
of compassion. The following link
connects you to three guided visualization
meditations on compassion. Feel
free to record them in your own
voice, have a friend or family
member read them to you, or purchase
or download my Uncovering Compassion
CD through my website, for your
practice.
*Growing up with any kind of abuse
leaves a need for healing. I assume
from your question, there is good
reason to fear your father because
you have experienced or witnessed
abuse. It may be emotional or physical
abuse you are referring to. After
you read this, please consider
personal guidance. I would be
happy to meet with you or refer
you to a trusted professional.
Guided Meditations on Compassion
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| Fresh Perspectives |
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 A
Balanced Life
An excerpt from Nina Livingstone's forthcoming book
Let's Not Call it Meditation: Practical Information for
People who Think They Can't Sit Still and Quiet the Mind.
What comes to mind when you think about
balance in your life? It's a good idea to check out your
personal connection with the word, balance, because it
may be different than what is meant here. Ironically,
ideas about living a balanced life have become one
of the biggest stressors. If we managed to live up
to the advice of countless magazine articles and
life style experts, we'd be exhausted - always eating
healthy, getting five half- hour sessions of aerobic
exercise every week, 8-10 hours of sleep per night,
daily quality time for oneself, loved ones, our community,
and planet- with weight training, meditation, yoga,
fashionable clothes, meaningful hobbies, and excellent
sex too.
Trying for perfect balance, as defined by others, can
keep us running around, filling up our life from someone
else's perfect menu. We can get so caught up in living
by prescription, we forget about simply being. We end
up feeling stressed, and dissatisfied, wanting things
we can't change to be different.
Another type of balance is an inner state of balance.
It's an experience we can find within us. Wanting more
awareness in life, is the one arena where wanting something
to be different pays off. When we want to change, we
can change with awareness practice. Simply turning our
focus inward, meditating, and practicing with awareness,
we find the deep inner balance we have been looking for.
Finish reading this article about balance
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| Helping the
Body Heal |
 What
you can do for yourself when you feel physically out-of-balance
with pain and injury, or any physical dis-ease.
This section of The Open Letter provides helpful information
for those who are curious about how they can help the body
heal on a daily basis and in acute situations.
The Six Healing Sounds*
Healing the Internal Organs
This qi gong exercise is a powerful ancient method using
the sound that has a healing resonance for each main organ
in the body.This exercise helps bring healing energy to
the six main internal organs, and helps bring balance and
healthy energy to the whole body.
You can practice seated or lying down.
It's good to meditate for a few minutes first and notice,
as Ken Cohen, a qi gong master, teaches, "the quality
of the breath, and your general sense of bodily ease
or discomfort. In each exercise below fresh qi (energy)
is inhaled through the nose and old qi is exhaled through
the mouth while quietly chanting a sound."
It is best to do all six organ sound each time, in the
same order, and do more repetitions, with any organs that
require more help. The sounds are spelled phonetically
and are simple to pronounce.
1. Lungs: focus the mind on the lungs. Locate the lungs
with your mind. Inhale, imagine healing qi filling the
lungs, reaching all of the air sacs, all of the tissues
and lobes of the lungs. As you exhale through the mouth,
make a barely audible prolonged sound, See-ahh. Repeat
two more times.
2. Kidneys: Become aware of the kidneys. Feel them with
your mind. Inhale fresh qi into the kidneys, exhale unneeded
qi with the low sound Chrooo- eee. Repeat two more times.
* Most of the instructions are taken directly from The
Way of Qi Gong, by Ken Cohen, pages 165-166, with a few
words and phrases changed for clarity.
Learn all six sounds |
| Suggestion
Box |
|
 Useful
Tools When You Need Them
These
practices are useful when we are stuck in confusion and
pain. They help us experience an alternative way of being
with our pain, and help us directly encounter what is
in the way of finding more honesty, joy, balance and
freedom.
As with all tools, please remember to let go of them when
they no longer serve a purpose.
Being Present with the Stuff You Don't Like to Do
Let's be practical and honest! Housework is essential
and most of the time we resist, even dislike, doing the
dishes, dusting, sweeping the floor, or cleaning the toilet.
Our meditation group was discussing
different ways to help bring our focus back into the
present. One practice is naming what you are doing. If
you are driving a car, and you notice getting caught
up in thoughts of the past or future, you say, "Driving, driving" to
yourself. The discussion turned to things we often don't
like to do, like washing dishes or dusting.
A participant, Paula, said as she
pretended to dust, "Oh,
you mean I should say, Hate dusting, hate dusting." We
all laughed, as I added, "Actually, you drop the "hate" and
just say "dusting, dusting. How do you think that
would feel?" Paula sat quietly reflecting. A moment
later she looked up with a quiet smile and said, "There
would be a sense of freedom." Ahh!
Refresh your meditation practice
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| An Invitation |
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Exciting News!
Are you thinking about new experiences
for your group that promote happiness
and a sense of well- being?
Awareness at Work
This
three hour workshop
gives
your group
new
skills
for productivity, happiness,
and wellness.
Awareness
at Work workshop can:
- Reduce stress
- Improve overall effectiveness
in workplace
- Improve quality of work and
communication skills
- Increase concentration, clarity,
creativity, and wellness.
- Increase stability in the midst
of complex or highly charged
situations.
This workshop is being offered
to small business owners and
group leaders who are interested
in the happiness of their group.
If you know of someone who would
appreciate knowing about it,
please send them to www.healingwithawareness.com.
Thank you.
New Talks
I am also looking for opportunities
to give talks to any group interested
in promoting well-being and happiness
to its members or employees.
These one hour talks will be
available to organizations in
the local Rochester area and
will include the following topics:
Meditation for Anyone
The Flowering of Inner Growth
Angry at Work? Heal the Heart
of It!
Opening to Change at Work (at
Home, or in the World)
What is Awareness?
A Forgiveness Meditation
A Meditation on Compassion
And more!
10% of all proceeds
of all workshops and talks will
be donated to a local charity.
A list of charities is available
on request.
Please keep me in mind for a
talk or workshop when your group
discusses schedules. More information
about fees, referances, and workshop
on link below.
Clifton Springs Meditation Series
Tuesday, April 5 will begin
a three week series of group
exploration of the material on
my three CDs. Come share three
spring evenings at The Springs
with a group of people interested
in being more loving! Read more
about these classes. Click on
the link below and then, in the
top left corner, click on Clifton
Springs. Pre-register before
Tuesday,March 29, and please
join us!
Please Spread These Words
Offering others the opportunity
to connect expands our community!
Please consider forwarding this
issue, with a personal note,
to anyone on your email list
you feel would be interested
in it.
Meditation CDs
If you haven't yet explored
Nina's meditation CDs, you can
read about them, listen to audio
samples, and buy them at www.healingwithawareness.com/cds.htm.
Group Awareness Meditation
Monday evening meditation and
discussion sessions continue
at Nina's home in Penfield. The
group is small. Donations only.
Beginners are always welcome.
Call or email for more info.
New Awareness at Work workshop,
talks, meditation |
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