Meditations on the Self (p.200)

Week Twelve – Weekend

Meditations on Self: Excerpt From Universal Meditations

Mini-Meditation
What we call feeling is really the waves on the surface of the sea. In the depth of the sea, true feeling waits.

Meditation

(20 to 40 minutes)

  1. Find a quiet space where you can spend twenty to forty minutes uninterrupted. Repeat this week’s cycle of meditations, beginning as follows:
  2. Gently dropping your head, speak softly into your heart, “I forgive you.” Slowly raising your head, say, “You forgive me.” Continuing the head motions, repeat “I forgive you,” “You forgive me” eleven times.
  3. As above, speak softly into your heart, “I forgive” and silently think the word “you.” Raising the head, say, “You forgive” and silently think the word “me.” Continuing the head motions, repeat “I forgive [you],” “You forgive [me]” eleven times.
  4. As above, silently think the word “I,” speak softly into your heart “forgive,” and silently think the word “you.” Raising the head, silently think the word “You,” say “for- give” aloud, and silently think the word “me.” Continu- ing the head motions, repeat “[I] forgive [you],” “[You] forgive [me]” eleven times.
  5. Be aware of your pulse and your breath simultaneously for
    one minute.
  6. Continuing the head motions, think silently on the out- breath, “I forgive you.” On the in-breath, think, “You for- give me.” Silently repeat on the breath, “I forgive you,” “You forgive me” eleven times.
  7. Sit in silence for one minute.
  8. Now repeat the cycle, using the words “adore,” “breathe,”
    “spirit,” and “love.” Pause after each cycle to quietly take notice of your feeling state.

Commentary
It can be very helpful when practicing a long meditation with different attributes to keep paper and pen by your side. As you have different feelings or experiences, jot down a note or two as reminders. After the meditation, you might want to write a longer description of each section. Reading the descriptions later can almost immediately bring you back into the meditative state.