Sunrise Pages February

Well, Good Morning, Universe!

Yesterday’s Pages were inspiring for me, Eagle Spirit! Tapping into my creativity brings a boost of energy that is enlivening. I am grateful for the message and the Future you are helping me see.

It snowed for quite a while yesterday, without much accumulation, and then the sun came out in the afternoon. When I arrived home late last night, it was just beginning to flurry again, and it was quite fun to walk in it for a bit.

This weekend will get bitterly cold, and I am again reminded how fortunate I am to have a warm home and clothes to keep me healthy and well.

There is a meditation practice focused on developing compassion for all things. In the traditional practice, you start by opening up and offering compassion for yourself. You hold yourself in appreciation; seeking understanding, and wishing gentle peace and soothing healing for any suffering. You are encouraged to take the time necessary to truly connect with the love in your heart.

You then move to one person in your life with whom you are already connected and readily feel compassion. You repeat the practice with this person, until again you feel your heart open and connect with compassion to this person.

And so on, you repeat this, moving outward in your circle of people to whom you are connected.

Next, you focus your consciousness on people with whom you feel no connection. You repeat the practice of focusing on these people, and holding them in appreciation. Once again, practice holding open your heart to find understanding with these people, and wishing them, too, gentle peace and soothing healing for any suffering they may be experiencing.

Finally, the practice directs us to focus on those people with whom we struggle. Once again, we focus on opening our heart to find understanding with these people who challenge us, and to wish them peace and healing from their suffering. Our goal is to hold them, as well, in appreciation and with compassion.

Well, that last step may not seem so easy, right? When you read that, did anyone immediately come to mind? Like – “No way can I ever appreciate _______________!”

So, here’s the thing – once you start practicing this, and you feel what it is to hold your heart open with compassion, you realize that excluding anyone from that means closing your heart. It does nothing to them; it shuts you down, and hurts you. You won’t want to feel that.

And, it’s not about being better; about being right, or morally superior. It’s simply about you caring for yourself to feel whole.

But, another place people struggle with this, actually, is the first step. How easy was it for you to offer yourself kindness and appreciation, to seek understanding, and wish yourself peace and healing? Sometimes, it’s easier to start with someone else that we love, to understand the process and feeling meant with the practice.

But don’t be fooled. To be whole and healthy, you have to find compassion for yourself. That’s a lot of what my coaching is about!

Namasté and Peace, Dear Creator!