Please create a space for yourself in which you will not be disturbed for the duration of this exercise.
Light a candle and incense if you feel.
You will need space to walk and dance.
This exercise can also be done with others.
We're going to go on a journey into our imaginations,
To our inner temple.
That place which houses the most high,
The transcendent,
Your higher power.
In that temple,
We're going to meet the most high and step into it.
From this place of recognising the most high within us,
We will send love and light to our friends,
Family,
Strangers,
Ourselves and those who we're struggling with.
We will be combining the use of our imaginations with movement and song.
This is the song we'll be using,
It's a Sufi chant that can help us to remember to recognise the divine in all.
Please have a go at singing along with it now.
I invite you to stand and move around to the music.
Feel the music and light inside of you.
Allow your body to move in any way it feels to.
Now walk around your space.
Lower your eyes,
Go inward and imagine you are walking on a beautiful path.
What can you see around you?
What can you smell?
This is the path to your inner temple.
In the distance you can see it.
Stop and take a look at it.
What can you see?
How does it feel to be in its presence?
Bow to the temple and let it know that you're here to reconnect with the divine.
Now walk towards the entrance.
Enter your temple.
What can you see?
How does it feel to be inside?
How does it smell?
Take a good look around.
Somewhere in the temple is an altar,
Which is where a representation of your higher power resides.
Walk again and find the altar.
When you've found it,
Stop and look at it.
What can you see?
How does it feel to be in the presence of a higher power?
Bow to the image being and make offerings to it.
Candles,
Incense,
Water,
Food,
Flowers,
Whatever you feel to.
And sing.
And dance if you feel to.
See that your image being receives what you have offered and is pleased.
In gratitude it blesses you with its light.
Feel those blessings showering you with light,
Clearing away all that is not you.
How do you feel now that you've been blessed?
Now physically swap places with them and become them.
Climb on the altar and become them.
What's it like to be the guide,
The master,
The divine,
The most high?
How does your body feel?
How do you hold yourself?
Move around as this divine presence.
You are the infinite.
Feel yourself to be infinite.
And dance.
There's another altar in the temple.
An altar to all those you love,
To all your friends.
Find that altar.
When you've found it stand in front of that altar.
On it are the representations of all your friends and those you love.
See them as the divine.
See the light in them and as the master sing to them.
Thy light is in all form.
Now one of your friends,
Your best friend,
Appears in front of you.
How do they look to you?
How do you feel in their presence?
Look to them and send them love and light.
Wish them well.
Wish them happiness.
You are the divine.
Now bow once more and carry on walking.
Or dancing if you feel.
This time you're looking for the altar which has all the strangers in your life on.
All the people you pass on the street.
The people who serve you in the shops.
You know them but you don't know their names.
See them on the altar and send them love with this song.
Thy light is in all form.
Wish them well.
Wish them happiness.
Thy light is in all form.
Give them a big hug.
Bow once more and carry on walking.
This time you're looking for the altar of self.
When you find it,
Stop and look at all your parts.
The happy ones,
The sad ones,
The angry parts,
The jealous parts,
The insecure parts,
The afraid parts.
All of them are there.
Send them light and sing to them.
Thy light is in all form.
Give yourself a big hug.
Bow once more and carry on walking.
This time you're looking for the altar of those people you struggle with.
People who challenge you.
People you've argued with.
Find the altar with the representations of those people.
Stand in front of it and look at them all.
And with love in your heart send them light with this song.
Thy light is in all form.
And one of them appears in front of you.
One who you are currently struggling with.
How does it feel to be in their presence?
Remember,
You are the master.
Can you send them love?
Can you bow to them and honour the light within them?
Knowing that they are part of you.
And that those that we find most difficult are our greatest teachers.
And feel the light of forgiveness washing through you.
Cleansing your relationship.
Now walk to the centre of your temple.
Surrounding you are all the people in your life.
Your friends.
Strangers.
Send light out to all of them.
Filling the temple with light.
And to expand out beyond the boundaries of your temple.
To the countless beings in existence.
To all those who need some love right now.
To all the animals.
To those living in conflict situations.
To those who are hungry.
To those who are sick.
Send that light out to all of them.
And let it touch them all.
And as it does,
They are filled with light and relieved of their suffering.
Now return to the altar of your higher power.
You see yourself in front of it.
Take your place on the altar again.
Look at yourself.
How do you appear to you as the master?
Do you have anything you'd like to whisper to yourself to help them on their way?
Now swap places.
And become yourself again.
Receive what your higher power gave you.
Bow to your image being again.
And thank it for what you have been given.
May the merit of this practice go for the benefit of all sentient beings.
It's time to leave now.
So walk to the entrance of your temple and leave.
Walk along the path a little.
And turn to face the temple.
Bow in gratitude.
And know you can always return.
Continue walking along the path.
The beautiful path.
And with every step you take,
You begin to return to your physical reality.
And to the space in which you are practicing.
Allow your eyes to gently open and take in your surroundings.
Look around you.
Look at your things.
And see the light in all of them.
And now feeling this unconditional love for all sentient beings.
Go out into your day.
And bless everyone with your presence.
With your kindness.
With your love.
And be the change you want to see in the world.
