.. leave e-mail .. (for Monty or Carolyn)The difference between theory and experience generally lies in practice, and this is certainly true of Attitudinal Healing. Try to do one of the following personal practice exercises each day (but not more than once per waking hour). Most are five-minute exercises, but you may extend them to 15 minutes if you are comforatble with them. Try not to judge yourself for failing, or for doing them imperfectly, or for being distracted while doing them. Nevertheless, be willing to make an effort, and give them enough priority in your day to make the practice effective. In fact, it is your own "little willingness" that sparks the changes we come to know as "healing".
Practice Exercises:
"The Essence of Our Being is Love"
The "heart" might be thought of as a conceptual place inside us, accessable by our own choosing, where all comfort and gentleness resides. For five minutes at the beginning and end of your day, sit quietly in a quiet place. Close your eyes, and imagine that there is a radiant light at the center of your chest. Imagine that this radiance represents the comfort and gentleness of the heart, and imagine that it grows to fill your whole body. Let this radiance be transmitted from your heart, through your body, to your hands. Then place your hands over your heart, to return all comfort and gentleness to yourself. Repeat slowly and silently to yourself, "In the Heart of Love, I find my home." If you have difficulty extendng comfort and gentleness to yourself, remember yourself as a young child, and allow the radiance of the heart to be extended to that child.
Throughout the day, stop for thirty seconds and repeat slowly and silently to yourself five times: "In the Heart of Love, I find my home." Do this once per hour if you are able, but at least once in the morning, once in the afternoon, and once in the evening.
The "heart" can be thought of as a conceptual space inside us, capable of expanding to hold any life experience in perfect peace. For five minutes at the end of your day, sit quietly. In a manner similar to yesterday's exercise, place your hands over your heart, and imagine that the radiance there begins to grow. Review the key highlights (and lowlights) of your day. As each situation occurs to you, imagine that the heart's radiance grows to include it, surrounding it in perfect peace. Reinforce your practice with the following thought, repeated slowly and silently, "My heart is beating in the Heart that Love created, and all of Life is welcome here."
The "heart" can be conceived as an endlessly available source of simple loving-kindness. With this in mind, for five minutes at the beginning of your day, sit quietly. In a manner similar to previous exercises, place your hands over your heart, and imagine that the radiance there begins to grow. One-by-one, think of the people you will encounter in your day today. As each one comes to mind, imagine them entering your heart as you offer them the thought, "May you be free of suffering; may you rest always in the Heart of peace." If you like, you may also include other people known to you, even if you will not encounter them today.
Throughout the day, as you encounter another, say quickly and silently to yourself, "May you be free of suffering; may you rest always in the Heart of peace."
When we turn our attention to the practice of simple lovingkindness, we begin to see our own connection with unconditional Love. Take a few moments to sit quietly and read the following quote:
"The power of lovingkindness is so great that when we concentratedly send it out to another, they can often feel it if they are in a quiet place. It is a tangible but subtle energy which can be consciously directed, much like that quality of care which is the principal element in healing."Let the people you love come to mind, one by one, and imagine that you bring them into your heart. Ask the Presence of Love within your heart to bless them through you. Imagine that the warmth and radiance of that Presence fills your heart and surrounds each of your loved ones in turn. Now imagine yourself in the midst of that group, surrounded by their love and that Greater Love. Remind yourself, "There is nothing to fear. We are surrounded by love."-- Stephen Levine, A Gradual Awakening
Whenever you can during the day, pause and remind yourself again, "There is nothing to fear. We are surrounded by love."
Our own patterns of judgment often block us from awareness that we are loving beings. There is another view of Justice, based in Love's truth instead of our own habitual judging. Sit quietly at the beginning of your day and read the following quotation:
"We think in terms of some kind of justice in which love is withdrawn when we're bad and given when we're good. The ultimate justice is that Love is there for all. This is divine justice. No bargains can be made with that Love. It is there for everyone at once no matter what. When you come to the earnest prayer of the heart to know your innocence, a Love will move through you which will blind you with gratitude. As we become familiar with the dawning of warmth in the heart, we think perhaps it comes from outside of us, but soon we sense that it resides forever within. 'I thought something could take this Love away. I thought something I did which was bad or wrong, would lead to its disappearance. I now discover it has come to stay...It is mine. In this awareness of the eternity of inner warmth, I continue to awaken. I continue to become strong. I begin to know how to embody Love.' All it took was a devotion to what lay beyond this aching dream of emptiness and fear. Love has come and we can kneel at Its waters to drink."Close your eyes and allow yourself to recognize ways in which you judge yourself, belittle yourself, or convince yourself you are not worthy. Acknowledge each thought specifically, by saying something like "I judge myself for _____", or "I think I am not worthy of _____ because _____." After each thought, imagine bringing it into the center or your heart and remind yourself, "Love created me like Itself. I belong to Love, and it is mine forever." End by repeating this thought several times, slowly and silently.-- Stephen Schwartz, The Compassionate Presence
Try to be aware during the day of any time you act, feel, or think in a way that seems to make this idea untrue. Instead of judging, justifying or defending yourself, just remember your heart and repeat to yourself, "Love created me like Itself. I belong to Love and it is mine forever."
If the essence of our being is Love, as the first principle suggests, then that essence is provided for us unconditionally when we come into being. It is an inherent and permanent attribute of our creation. If we suffer from an unkind "dream", it seems that Love is absent. Still, we are surrounded by It, imbued with It, instilled with It: It is our essence. Read the following quotation:
"My heart is beating in the peace created by the Heart of Love. Surrounding me is all the life created by this Love. It calls to me in every heartbeat and in every breath; in every action and in every thought. Peace fills my heart, and floods my body with forgiveness. Each heartbeat brings me peace; each breath infuses me with strength. I am sustained by Love and held forever quiet and at peace within Its gentle arms. It is here I am at home."For five minutes at the beginning of your day, sit quietly and repeat, slowly and thoughtfully, a phrase which inspires you from that quotation. For example, "I am sustained by Love and held forever quiet and at peace within Its gentle arms."-- paraphrased from A Course in Miracles
If you find yourself anxious or unhappy during the day, remind yourself, "I am sustained by Love and held forever quiet and at peace within Its gentle arms."
We do not wish to pretend that we are having a different experience than we are having. To do so is "denial". We acknowledge our feelings and experiences as honestly as we are able, just as they are. Then we open up to new possibilities for experience. When we open up to Love's presence, we discover that It has been waiting to show Itself to us all along. Sit quietly at the beginning of your day, and say silently to yourself, "I feel _____" and list mentally the feelings that you notice. From time to time, remind yourself, "Still, the essence of my being is Love," and end with that phrase. Then say silently, "I think of myself as _____" and let any and all definitions come to mind (good or bad), reminding yourself from time to time, "Still, the essence of my being is Love."
Throughout the day, whenever you feel your peace of mind is threatened, say silently to yourself, "Still, the essence of my being is Love."
Read the following quotation:
"Love from the center allows us to identify with another person without being overwhelmed or manipulated. Because it does not depend on responses from the environment or hang on the recognition or gratitude of others, it is self-generating and without fear. It frees the people it touches instead of binding them with guilt or expectation. This type of love is bountiful; it extends itself courageously to the unknown. It is impregnated with intelligent comprehension, leading to adequate action. Love becomes a synthesis of feeling, knowing, and will."Sit quietly, eyes closed, and let the people you love come to mind, one by one. As each one comes to mind, say silently, "I love you because...(fill in the blank)..." and list the reasons and ways you love them. Then say silently to them and to yourself, "I release you from all roles and expectations. Let me be open to a new perception of you now." Then do your best to let go of the old ways of experiencing this one you care about and allow a new and deeper appreciation of them to arise.-- Piero Ferrucci, What We May Be
As you encounter people throughout your day, say silently "I am willing to release you from all roles and expectations. Let me be open to a new perception of you now."
Love is always with us, but it is most often our own choice to see it, or to see something else. Early in your day, read the following quoation:
"Let us be still and allow ourselves to come into the Presence of Love. In our hearts, the very heart of God is laid. There is nothing in this world as important as the release of this love in our hearts. To allow a gradual & ever-increasing flow of that love into the world is our only real function. In this moment let us choose joy, letting go of fear, guilt, bitterness, embarrassment, and pain -- releasing ourselves into the safety of the Peace of God.Sit quietly for 5 - 15 minutes and and say slowly and silently to yourself: "For this moment, I choose love." When thoughts come to mind about the day ahead, or thoughts that seem to challenge this idea, or distractions from the world around you, simply repeat the phrase, letting each word drop from your mind into your heart and come to rest there. "For this moment, I choose love."
"May the unimportant be unimportant forevermore, and may the ancient memory of who and what and where we are rise in our hearts like music till all this world's pain be gone. Peace be to us all."-- Gerry Jampolsky, Teach Only Love
Throughout the day, whenever you find yourself troubled or challenged, pause and repeat the phrase silently to yourself, "For this moment, I choose love."
Read the following quotation:
"Love dwells always within you and surrounds you. It has not ceased to exist just because you have closed your eyes. Love is one. It has no separate parts and no degrees, no kinds nor levels, no divergencies and no distinctions. It is like Itself, unchanged throughout. It never alters with a person or a circumstance. It is the Heart of God."Take a few moments at the beginning of your day to acknowledge thoughts about the world we live in, which tend to challenge the first principle ("The Essence of Our Being is Love"). As each thought comes to mind, say silently to yourself, "Let come to light, the Love which underlies the happenings of our time." Then pause a moment and let your judgments about the situation fall away. Do your best to open to the Presence of Love, which is always present, although not always visible to our normal way of seeing and thinking. Let your heart open, and allow the radiance of that Presence to shine upon whatever challenging situation has come to mind. Do this with at least 4 or 5 things you find unsettling and troubling in the world, as a way of bringing love to that which seems unlovable; as a way of bringing love more clearly into a place where it seems to be absent.-- A Course in Miracles
Throughout the day, whenever you are able, offer peace to the world around you by saying silently to yourself, "Let come to light, the Love which underlies the happenings of our time."
We are so visual, we sometimes confuse what we see with what is real. Visual images come and go, as do the material objects they represent. Love remains: real, present, and true. Today we look beyond appearances and ask that we may have an experience of Love's true and continuing Presence. For five minutes at the beginning of your day, sit quietly in a quiet place. Begin with your eyes closed, then open them and let them fall randomly on any object in the room. Say silently and slowly three times while looking at the object: "This image and this object will not last, and so I look beyond to Love." Then close your eyes briefly, and repeat the exercise with another randomly selected object. After repeating this pattern several times, close your eyes and spend a moment of quiet silence, repeating the phrase silently: "Love is true, and Love is here."
From time to time throughout the day, pause briefly, and look around at the images and objects around you. Then remind yourself: "These images and objects will not last, and so I look beyond to Love."
As with the images and objects we see around us, our thoughts are temporary. We frequently confuse our shifting thoughts with reality. Thoughts come and go, but Love remains with us, ever-present. For five minutes at the beginning or end of your day, sit quietly in a quiet place. With eyes closed, watch your thoughts come and go. Anytime you recognize the arrival of a new thought, acknowledge it dispassionately, saying silently: "This is a thought, and will not last; I release it now, that Love may reveal Itself to me." Then let go as best you can, and wait in silence for the experience of Love. When thoughts arise again, repeat the exercise gently and without judgment.
Three other times today, take one minute of silence to close your eyes and watch your thoughts, saying: "This is a thought, and will not last; I release it now, that Love may reveal Itself to me."
Feelings-that is, emotions-can be extremely seductive. It is very easy to confuse our feelings with reality. But feelings, like thoughts, come and go. And still, Love is here. For five minutes at the beginning of your day, sit quietly in a quiet place. With eyes closed, watch your feelings/emotions come and go. Give them their time, but do not cling to them. Anytime you recognize the experience of emotion (anger, silliness, frustration, contentment, fear, pride, guilt, worry, joy, wanting, dissatisfaction, etc.), acknowledge it, saying silently: "This is a feeling, and will not last; I feel it now, and then I look for Love." Let the feeling have its time, and when it has, release it and look for the experience of Love. When emotions arise again, repeat the exercise gently and without judgment.
From time to time throughout the day, when you notice your emotions, say silently: "This is a feeling, and will not last; I feel it now, and then I look for Love."
Most of the time, nothing seems more real or more permanent to us than the experience of the body. But the body, too, is temporary, and our experience of it is constantly in flux. Yet through it all, Love is here, never changing, always present. For five minutes at the beginning and five minutes at the end of your day, sit quietly in a quiet place. With eyes closed, watch the sensations in your body. As each sensation arises, give it a few seconds of acknowledgment and gentle awareness, saying silently: "This is the experience of body, and will not last: Love is my constant companion." Let the sensation have its time, but look beyond for the continued experience of Love. When sensation comes to the forefront again, gently repeat the exercise.
Throughout the day, whenever you become aware of the experience of "body", remind yourself silently: "This is the experience of body, and will not last: Love is my constant companion."
Love is true: it is changeless, ever-present, and unaffected by perception. Our awareness varies, but Love is constant. It is always here, now. The concept of the Heart helps us to become more aware of Love's continued Presence, here and now. For ten minutes at the beginning of your day, sit quietly in a quiet place. Close your eyes, and imagine that there is a radiant light at the center of your chest. Imagine that this radiance represents the comfort and gentleness of the heart, and imagine that it grows to fill your whole body. Let this radiance be transmitted from your heart, through your body, to your hands. Then place your hands over your heart, to return all comfort and gentleness to yourself. Repeat slowly and silently to yourself, "In the Heart of Love, I find my home." If you have difficulty extending comfort and gentleness to yourself, remember yourself as a young child, and allow the radiance of the heart to be extended to that child.
Throughout the day, stop for thirty seconds and repeat slowly and silently to yourself five times: "In the Heart of Love, I find my home." Do this once per hour if you are able, but at least once in the morning, once in the afternoon, and once in the evening.
The concept of the Heart as our home is very useful. We envision the Heart as a space in which every experience in life may be gently placed, to be surrounded by Love. We do not create the Heart. Rather, we conceive of it as created and sustained by Love Itself. In this way, we release our mind from the circular task of "healing" ourselves, and free it to become aware of Love's Presence, now. Aware of Love's Presence, we are indeed at home, and we begin to see that we belong to Love in truth. For ten minutes at the beginning of your day, sit quietly in a quiet place. Close your eyes, and imagine that there is a loving radiant light at the center of your chest. Let this radiance be transmitted from your heart, through your body, to your hands. Then place your hands over your heart, to complete the radiant circuit. After a moment or two, remember what it was like to be a child. Imagine that you have been outside playing, and are just returning home. Whatever your home was like as a child, your Heart is the home of safety now, the home of Love, the home of peace. Welcome yourself home, into the Heart, using the phrase: "Into Love's Presence would I enter now." Repeat the phrase for several minutes, then use the remainder of the time to sit silently in the presence of Love.
Throughout the day, once per hour if you can, take 30 seconds to remind yourself quietly: "Into Love's Presence would I enter now."
If the essence of our being is Love, as the principle suggests, then our Identity rests with Love, and not with anything else. We can imagine that we identify with something else, and to do so is perfectly harmless. But our true Identity is not ours to change, for it is sustained by That which brings us into being. Today we allow for the possibility that we are identified with, by, and in Love Itself. For five minutes at the beginning of your day, sit quietly in a quiet place. Place your hands over your heart, and offer this thought, repeated slowly and silently: "I am created by Love, like Itself. Let me remember this now."
Throughout the day, whenever you are able, quickly and silently remind yourself: "I am created by Love, like Itself. Let me remember this now."
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