Meditation Matters

We often think of miracles as events that break the laws of nature. But this is a narrow view, both of the laws of nature and the nature of miracles. Rather, miracles occur when we increase our awareness of beauty, of love, of compassion. None of these things--beauty, love, compassion--can be measured in a laboratory. And yet, not one of us would deny their existence and their ability to change the world. 

Albert Einstein once said, "There are two ways to live your life. One is as though nothing is a miracle. The other is as though everything is a miracle."

In this meditation, we work on increasing our aware of miracles great and small, with the help of this poem by Walt Whitman:

Miracles

a poem by Walt Whitman

Why, who makes much of a miracle?As to me I know of nothing else but miracles,Whether I walk the streets of Manhattan,Or dart my sight over the roofs of houses toward the sky,Or wade with naked feet along the beach just in the edge of the water,Or stand under trees in the woods,Or talk by day with any one I love, or sleep in the bed at night with any one I love,Or sit at table at dinner with the rest,Or look at strangers opposite me riding in the car,Or watch honey-bees busy around the hive of a summer forenoon,Or animals feeding in the fields,Or birds, or the wonderfulness of insects in the air,Or the wonderfulness of the sundown, or of stars shining so quiet and bright,Or the exquisite delicate thin curve of the new moon in spring;These with the rest, one and all, are to me miracles,The whole referring, yet each distinct and in its place.

To me every hour of the light and dark is a miracle,Every cubic inch of space is a miracle,Every square yard of the surface of the earth is spread with the same,Every foot of the interior swarms with the same.

To me the sea is a continual miracle,The fishes that swim—the rocks—the motion of the waves—the        ships with men in them,What stranger miracles are there?

Fear is natural. Because of the habits of our minds, fear, anxiety, and worry are sometimes easy. And calm and confidence are difficult. But fear doesn't exist anywhere in the world--it only exists in our minds. 

Join us for today's meditation, focusing on Releasing Fear Itself.

Michelle Obama says in her new book "When we are able to recognize our own light, we become empowered to use it."

In celebration of the Festival of Lights, today’s meditation will focus on Radiating Our Internal Light.

In celebration of the Bill of Rights Day, today's meditation will focus on expanding our freedom within.

It's been said that freedom is the oxygen of the soul. And while there are so many dimensions to freedom, in this meditation we'll focus on our spiritual freedom.

In memory of John Lennon, who died 42 years ago yesterday, today we will enjoy some of his most moving words.

In celebration of National Time Travel Day, today’s meditation will include a Journey to the Infinite Now. 

We often worry about the future and dwell in the past. But when we learn to reside fully in the here and now, we live in a time and place of infinite possibilities.

True humility is not viewing yourself as something small, but viewing yourself as something larger.

In this meditation, we will expand our sense of true, positive humility.

True happiness is not dependent on what is happening. It is always possible and available, even in times of pain and sadness.

In this meditation, we will train ourselves embrace happiness more fully and to welcome happiness more easily into our lives.

On December 1st, 1955, on her way home from work, Rosa Parks took a seat on a bus and quietly set off a social revolution. After refusing to move to the back of the bus because she was black, Parks was arrested. Eleven months later, the US Supreme Court ruled that racial segregation of public buses was unconstitutional.

In honor of this important date, let's explore how we can through meditation recognize the injustice around us, see the humanity of those who are suffering, and expand our awareness of the connection between ourselves and others.

It's in our nature to judge others, including people close to us. And while judging is often useful as we make our way in the world, it also can become toxic and isolating. 

In this meditation, we will focus on practicing non-judgement towards ourselves and others.