By Lucia Amsden
STARDUST
When I am feeling isolated or vulnerable, I often turn inward to where my deepest intimacy resides. Even when I look to others to ease my discomfort, I keep my inner relationship in mind. And for my inner self to be a clear place of sanctuary, I need to release negative experiences and thoughts that block my energy and well-being.
The cleansing meditation contained in Part 3 of the mini-series reminds me to let go of the burdens of old memories and unwanted thoughts about myself and others. Memories that are laced with regret, guilt, anger, and frustration, are continuous sources of discontent. Even though I put them out of my mind when I focus on other things, they lurk unseen in corners of my mind.
Most of us have old stories and memories from our past that are based in anger and hurt, ones that we automatically repeat to ourselves and others. They are not part of our current lives, but we hold on to them because they help us define ourselves. But when we release them, we become much lighter mentally and emotionally. And we can almost hear the collective sigh of relief from our friends and family who are tired of hearing them.
I use this mental exercise to release negative memories, thoughts borne of troublesome relationships, and other parts of my history I no longer want in my life story. I begin by settling my focus on my solar plexus. I may be surprised and feel regretful about some of the people and stories that appear, but I know that the process of forgiving and moving forward is worth the effort.
I want always to remind myself that I contribute in some way to the difficulties and remember that we are all a reflection of each other. The person or experience brought out some part of me to be examined and reconciled if I am to become Whole. As I recognize and take responsibility for my part in what was created, I will be less likely to keep repeating the same actions, but with different people and situations.
Now in this process of letting go, I select a relationship or experience that seems especially unfitting for my present self, bless it, thank it for its service, and sever the emotional chord that feeds it…and gently move it out of my memory library. It takes self-reflection and patience, but I often remind myself that is what growing spiritually is all about.
The three parts of this mini-series contain messages and meditations have laid out a pathway toward living more in our higher minds.
As humans, we share the ability to become more kind, accepting, and loving to ourselves and others. Moving in that direction takes time and commitment to overcome the doubts and resistance that inevitably come forward, but it’s well worth it. I keep practicing, and “act as if,” and slowly these attributes are becoming real to me.
Envisioning my life widely, to broaden my perspective of who I am is so important. In an episode of “Cosmos,” Carl Sagan’s television show about the universe, he reminded us that we all originated in the stars:
“We are a way for the universe to know itself. Some part of our being
knows this is where we come from. We long to return. And we can because the cosmos is also within us.”
I believe this to be our heart’s journey.