Hi,
I'm Susanna.
Whatever experience has brought you to this prayer,
Welcome.
Sometimes in the midst of grief,
It's as much as we can do to just take the next breath.
So this is where we begin.
With a willingness to offer ourselves the greatest compassion,
And with an understanding of what it is to be oh so human and to feel so uncomfortably vulnerable,
We take a smooth gentle breath in together and release it.
Settling in and making yourself as comfortable as you can,
And letting your breath come into its own easy,
Natural rhythm.
Just giving thanks for this moment of taking time out,
Allowing yourself not to try to push through or be brave or appear pulled together.
Just letting what is be,
And allowing the feeling of grief a place in your heart to express in whatever way is kindest to you.
Recognizing that right in the midst of this experience is the presence of pure spirit,
Actively radiating love and kindness,
Tenderness and support.
And knowing that even as our minds may argue with the circumstances of loss and wish things were different,
A mysterious order of nature continues to evolve through and as our lives.
Even here in the midst of the loss,
The uncertainty,
The doubt or anxiety,
The fear.
And despite the rupture that has generated this grief,
We entertain the possibility that life knows what it is doing and attempt as best we can to surrender to the unfolding.
Knowing that we are not separate from the perfection of divine order.
Moment by moment,
Breath by breath,
There is an awakening to greater wholeness,
Freedom and truth.
Moment by moment,
New blessings are being revealed,
Even here,
Even now.
And so we allow ourselves to be held and comforted,
Rocked and soothed by the presence of the divine.
We honor the depth of love that allows us to feel its opposite in loss,
Holding the object of our loss in our hearts.
And simply remembering the feeling of connection and wholeness,
That perfect outpicturing of our oneness with source,
Which lives on always.
And whether tears flow or whether tears are locked up,
There is a call to just be with what is,
Resisting nothing,
Honoring life and honoring death,
Blessing attachment and blessing surrender.
And we choose to breathe new life from the sweet river of presence that flows without ceasing beneath our everyday circumstances,
Whispering as it flows,
You are loved,
You are safe,
All is well.
And in those moments when the grief feels too much to bear,
We cast the burden of it into the arms of spirit,
Breathing it out,
Letting it go and allowing our grief to be transmuted into yet more love.
Feeling grief as we breathe out,
Taking in love as we breathe in,
Letting go of heartbreak on the out-breath,
Breathing in presence,
Breathing out overwhelm,
And taking in peace,
Remembering what needs to be surrendered,
And calling in whatever qualities can best support us at this time.
We give thanks for the blessings that surround us and the grace that indwells us,
Releasing this prayer into the law of love,
Which only knows its own return,
Saying and so it is,
Amen.
