Welcome to this meditation on cultivating radical love.
Thank you for joining me.
The game plan is to lovingly connect to the fire of love in our hearts,
To fan the flames of that fire from a candle to a mighty bonfire and then offer to that fire all within us that blocks the expression of the love we hold inside.
As Rumi said,
Your task is not to seek for love but merely to seek and find all the barriers within yourself that you have built against it.
So grab a hold of your courage and let's get to it.
Let's seek out those barriers within us and melt them down for the moment is here and the time is now.
Find for yourself a comfortable seated position,
Making sure to keep your spine straight and strap in.
We're going to start with a breath hold.
So take the biggest breath you've taken all day and then take an extra gulp for good measure and hold at the top for as long as you can.
We'll do this once more so again please take a huge breath and then an extra sip of air and hold for as long as you can.
Awesome,
Great stuff.
Allow yourself to breathe normally and focus your attention on your heart space.
Close your eyes if you haven't already and just feel the space around your heart.
While keeping your attention on your heart space,
Visualize a small flickering flame in your mind's eye.
This is the flame of the love that you hold inside.
This flame is the life force,
This flame is Eros.
Now come conscious of your breath.
Don't try to control the breath,
Just be aware of the breath as you continue to be aware of your heart space and the flame in your mind's eye.
Heart space,
Flame,
Breath.
See if you can hold them all together in your awareness.
On the in-breath,
Focus more on the heart space.
On the out-breath,
Focus more on the flame.
Heart space,
Flame,
In,
Out.
In,
Heart space,
Out,
Flame.
In,
Heart,
Out,
Flame.
Now understand that you're using your breath much like a bellows.
It is your breath itself that fans the flame of love in your heart.
See if you can notice any sensation of warmth in your heart on the in and see the flame growing steadily larger on each exhale.
Don't worry if you're finding this difficult,
It can take practice to get the hang of it.
So we'll have a couple minutes to practice it now.
Breathe in,
Warm heart,
And breathe out to grow that fire.
Amazing.
You can take your awareness off the breath now but continue to be aware of this fire element now blazing away in your heart space.
Ask yourself now,
What barriers did I build within me which impede the force of love?
What did I do,
Perhaps when I was afraid,
When I did not feel safe,
To put distance between myself and the true feelings of my own heart?
Perhaps I became detached.
Perhaps I became judgmental and cold.
Perhaps I became cynical.
Maybe I hid my true self away from the world.
Maybe I disguised my hurt as anger.
Maybe I just lost sight of my own splendid nature.
There are many barriers that may have been built and it's okay if you can't put them into words.
But if you would invite the force of love fully back into your life,
Offer those barriers you built into the fire of your heart.
The root of these barriers is generally fear.
So see if you can direct any fearful energy in your body toward that blazing heart space.
Feel the fire,
Burn it away.
Your fear is just fuel for the fire of love within.
Your resentment is fuel for the fire of love.
Now send any guilt in your body to the fire to be cleansed and transmuted.
Release also any anger in your system.
Offer it up to the heart fire.
Let it burn itself all up,
Melt away.
This fire can burn falsehoods as well as negative emotions.
Send the idea that you are in any way not enough,
In any way unworthy or undeserving of love,
Straight into the fire.
See it burn.
And now whatever else you've been holding on to,
Which no longer serves you,
Send it to into the heart space fire.
Feel it burn.
All the barriers to love within you now become only fuel for this beacon of love in your heart.
And you can return to this practice whenever you feel that flame burning low.
And now like a phoenix it is time to rise from the ashes of all that we have cleansed today with the sacred heart fire.
See if you can connect with the tenderness,
A tenderness for yourself,
For all that you are and all which you have been through.
Feel the immense gratitude for the majesty of your own soul that strives through life and yet retains the courage to seek to live with an open heart.
Just gently bask now in the warm tender love you've connected to.
Give yourself permission to fully let go and relax into simply being.
Now gently bring your awareness back to your breath.
Feel the steady rise and fall of your chest,
The life force flowing through you.
Notice the warmth radiating from your heart space,
The flame of love that continues to glow brightly within.
Take a deep nourishing breath in and as you exhale feel yourself grounded and present in this moment.
Know that this flame is always within you,
Ready to be ignited whenever you need it.
Carry this warmth,
This love and this openness with you as you move through your day.
Let it guide your thoughts,
Your actions and your interactions with others.
By nurturing the fire within,
You illuminate not only your own path but also the paths of those around you.
When you're ready,
Begin to gently wiggle your fingers and toes,
Gradually awakening the body.
Maybe roll your shoulders or softly move your neck from side to side.
Feel the surface beneath you and in your own time,
Softly open your eyes,
Bringing your awareness fully back to the room.
Take a moment to notice how you feel,
Perhaps lighter,
Warmer,
More connected.
Thank you for joining me in this practice of cultivating radical love.
May the fire in your heart continue to burn brightly,
Melting away any barrier and may you carry love with you,
Always.
