I want to live from center…from that space deep within where I am face to face with the Father, who is Love, Jesus my Savior, Friend, Love, Holy Spirit…Power, Sanctifier, Mother, Teacher, Strength, Stillness…in the innermost chambers….expanding into cells, tissue, marrow, mind, relationships, community consciousness, social justice, healing of the nations…
Living in center grows from seeds planted in stillness with God’s fingertip on my heart- His breath in my nostrils. This gathering into God in the heart space looks like an embryo of spirit. I am curled around Him, connected by cords of kindness….enclosed, safe, cocooned…
As the breath brings an expansiveness to the body, so the life giving breath of God widens awareness, filling my body with healing, my mind with His thoughts, my spirit with love….love for God, myself, family, neighbors, my community, the world, the planet, the universe. All becomes sacred.
That deepest place in the spirit is the core and anchor for an outward spiral… we can’t stay wrapped up in ourselves and the face of Christ.He is our center and from that connection we become “like Him in the world”. 1 John 4:17 Throughout the day, that living anchor remains connected and “cords of kindness” feed and nourish our living of the gospel.
How to begin the journey? Practicing stillness…noticing, listening to the Voice within…here is a guide to step into that space. Be patient, go there often.
Finding Center, One step at a Time…
Follow each step mindfully, with awareness…without judgement. Flow from one step to the next as easily as possible.
1) Sit quietly with both feet on the floor, spine erect, quiet your hands…soften your gaze.
2) For about a minute, notice your surroundings …. in your thoughts, name objects, shapes, colors.
3) Now begin to notice sounds around you…louder sounds and quieter sounds…layers of sound…close your eyes and just listen until you have noticed all the sounds in the room and outside.
4) Notice the space you occupy…the air around you…we call this personal space…sacred space…where you are loved, supported, held…close your eyes and notice.
5) Notice your body, sitting here…take your thoughts to your feet resting securely on the floor…feel the floor meeting the soles of your feet…close your eyes and notice.
6) Become aware of your legs…notice the backs of your thighs resting into the support of the chair… close your eyes and notice.
7) Notice your hips…settling heavily into your seat… close your eyes and notice.
8) Become aware of the bowl of your pelvis grounding, settled into your seat, supporting your body like a heavy wooden bowl of fruit…full of ripe apples, pears, oranges… close your eyes and notice…
9 ) Allow the spine to grow tall out of the bowl of your pelvis…stacking one vertebra on top of the other like building blocks…taking a journey up the back…lower back, mid back, upper back, neck …taller, lighter…the skull rests perfectly on the spine…crown of your head lifts to the sky, creating space between your vertebrae for light, close your eyes and notice.
10) Without changing it, notice your breath…just feel it moving in and out… close your eyes and notice.
11)Place your hands on your belly….Slowly lengthen your inhale and exhale, expanding the entire belly gently on the in breath, and allowing the entire belly to soften on the exhale…relax your shoulders…soften your face, your jaw…ride the gentle wave of the breath …close your eyes and notice.
12) Turn your gaze inward and look around…notice any place of tension…let it go… Imagine the core of your being…a place of stillness, a place of peace…allow the breath to rest there…Holy Spirit meets you here….listen…..breathe…..as long as you need to…close your eyes and notice.