This is a meditation on some very old writings of Jack Kornfield.
In these writings,
Jack talks about the body as being a temple of healing.
Sit comfortably.
Let your eyes close.
Bring your attention to your breath.
Feel your breath and your body as you sit without having to change them.
Notice what's comfortable and what's uncomfortable.
Notice if you are sleepy or wide awake.
Notice if there is a lot of clutter in your mind or if it is quiet.
Just be aware of what is.
Notice the state of your heart.
Does it feel contracted?
Does it feel soft and open?
Or is it somewhere in the middle?
Is it tired?
Is it joyful?
Notice and receive what is present.
Then imagine you are magically transported to a beautiful healing place.
A place of great wisdom and love.
Take as much time as you need to sense it,
Feel it,
Picture it.
In any way that feels good to you.
Sense yourself sitting there restfully and attentively meditating in this place.
As you sit in this healing place,
This place of great power and wisdom,
Begin to reflect on your own spiritual journey more deeply.
Gradually let yourself be aware of the wounds you carry that will require healing in the course of your journey.
Breathe softly and gently,
Feel whatever arises.
As you sit,
A wonderful and wise being will gently approach you.
When this being comes quite near,
You can picture or imagine or sense who or what they are.
They will come over to you and gently touch the part of your body where you are deeply wounded.
With their most loving care,
Let them touch the part of your body that holds one of your sorrows.
Let them teach you in their healing touch.
If you can't feel their touch,
Then take your own hand and imagine that you bring it to the place of your deepest wound.
The place of sorrow or difficulty.
Touching it with your hand as if you yourself were that beautiful being.
Know that no matter how many times you have buried or resisted your sorrow,
No matter how many times you have greeted it with hatred,
You can finally be open to it.
Let your own attention become like the hand of this wonderful,
Wise being.
Touch this place of sorrow with softness and tenderness.
As you touch it,
Explore what is there.
Is it warm or cool there?
Is it hard,
Tight,
Or is it soft?
Is it vibrating or moving or is it still?
Let your awareness be like the loving touch of the goddess of compassion.
What is the temperature and texture of this sorrow?
What color is there to be felt?
Let yourself become aware of all your feelings with a very loving and receptive heart.
Let your feelings be anything they need to be.
Then,
Very gently and softly,
As if you were the goddess of compassion herself,
Touch it with pure sweetness.
Open yourself to the pain.
What is the core of this place that has been wrapped up and held inside you for so long?
As you look at it,
Let yourself see how much you've closed off to it,
How much you've suppressed or rejected it,
Wished that it would go away,
Wished that you didn't have to feel it,
And treated it with fear and aversion.
Let yourself sit peacefully,
Opening your heart to this pain at last.
Now,
Rest in this healing place,
Allowing your healing and compassionate attention to suffuse every part of it.
Stay as long as you wish.
When you are ready to leave,
Imagine yourself filled with gratitude.
As you leave this healing place,
Remember that it is inside of you.
You can always go there.
