Meditation II

I learned this technique a couple of years ago. I would give credit where credit is due, but I haven't been naming names in my blog. :-)

Find a nice quiet room. Make sure there are no distractions, turn the cell phone off, unplug your house phone. There's no fixed time for this, and you don't want to hurry it.

When you're settled in, turn out the lights and close your eyes. Start to breathe deeply - in, then out. Keep doing it. Take notice of the darkness. Your eyes are closed, and you can't see anything. But you are aware of yourself - you are controlling your breathing. Feel the air enter and leave your lungs. Feel your heart beating in your chest.

Now, without opening your eyes, start to visualize yourself. Leave the rest of the picture black - don't conjure in the room. When you breathe, see your self breathing in. See something everywhere you feel yourself existing, as though your eyes were open. Don't rush it - just work on the image of yourself in the dark until you have it.

When you have it, start to feel yourself falling. If you need to rationalize it, understand that you already are - gravity is tugging the Earth around the sun, a kind of falling that is taking you at breakneck speeds.

As I said, feel yourself falling. As you fall, your image is joined in the darkness by blue - picture blue around your image, and not just the dark.

The blue is sky and water. Take control of your fall - you aren't falling now, you are gliding under the sky, over the water. Let the water take form. On the water, now, there are waves and foam - you are out over the ocean. You are gliding over it, like a Petrel or an Albatross - you don't have to invest any effort. Instead, you skilfully ride the wind, using your imagination as wings.

Out ahead of you, there is a ship. You are headed towards it. It is a tall ship, with rigging and billowing sails, riding the wind just like you. Slowly, you are overtaking the ship.

On the side of the ship, you see large letters. They spell J... E... S... U... S.

Now you are on the ship, not flying, but the wind is still carrying you. And He is in front of you. Let yourself fall. But this time, he picks you up. Jesus grabs you in his arms, and he does not let go.

Instead he keeps repeating, "I love you" as he holds you up. He is love. He said so. And he keeps telling you.

All the moments of your life you thought you were alone.

"I love you."

All the times luck has saved you from somewhere or something you'd rather not endure.

"I love you."

All the times you've fallen down, not knowing how you're ever going to get through your turmoil.

"I love you."

All the times you were sure God fled you, all the times you assumed were barren and that you were alone.

"I love you."

All the times that you thought you saw only a single set of footprints behind you.

"I love you."

All the times a stranger intervened to help you.

"I love you."

All the times grief seemed to overwhelm you, but never quite did it.

"I love you."

He touches your forehead, giving himself freely to you without reserve. You realize he has always been there, even when you didn't feel it. Stay with him as long as you need to. The meditation ends when you want it to.