What I’ve been learning about ‘ritual’ as I follow my own patterns:
- The ‘sacred habits’ make our everyday acts intentional, mindful, delicate, precise.
- No part of the routine is ‘incidental’ – eg. ‘If I’m going to carefully put on my pyjamas every day, in a ritualesque fashion, I’d suddenly like them to be clean, and without holes..!’ Thus the pjs become a sacred garment rather than a utilitarian ‘throw on’. How beautiful is that?!
- Remember concepts of planetary ascension? Shifting consciousness from 3D to 5D? Well, that’s a rollercoaster – and rituals reduce the symptoms of that transition.
- An attitude of ritual requires – and facilitates – bright attention.
- Ritual slows us right down… no act is just a means to the next act… it all counts.
Beautiful. Something to add to point 3:
- Remember concepts of planetary ascension? Shifting consciousness from 3D to 5D? Well, that’s a rollercoaster – and rituals reduce the symptoms of that transition and help us tolerate the higher frequencies without dissociating or escaping or self-medicating…
Aha… Wow. Ok. That’s interesting to know. I’d like to understand more…
Shall we go in?
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Tara Brach on cultivating a kind attention (18mins): https://insighttimer.com/undefined/guided-meditations/cultivating-a-kind-attention
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So may it be that I bring kind attention and a heart-centred smile to the sea of my experience today. May my state be also a conduit of ease and wellbeing for others. Please tell me more of the idea of ‘tolerating the higher frequencies’…
Welcome to this New Day, dear soul. It is good to see you approaching the altar of your own consciousness time and again, unflinchingly. We say unflinchingly because it is not without some testing and – dare we say- trauma for you on occasion, to come to see your internal workings and invite them to rest in ease.
You are right. When I started my meditation today I felt ‘pain and strain’ and a desire for ‘release and rest’.
We wonder why you put yourself through such heart-strain each evening with your television programme. [We’re watching Homeland – intense drama about the CIA – now on Season 3]
Because I care about the characters now! Very much! And also, because I’m learning, a lot. I had a mediation meeting recently and a person whistle-blew to a senior colleague… Through Homeland I was aware of how much that person would now need protection, and that doing nothing for a while would be a better step for the senior colleague than taking action… Anyway, that’s my hot take on why I’m watching the programme. Yours?
Did you see the word ‘heart-strain’?
Hm… yes…. It’s true. And my work gives me heart-strain too… And my beloved Dad’s condition gives me heart-strain. (Yesterday he learnt they are starting him on chemo next week. My darling Dad…) As an empath there’s only so much heart-strain I can take, and yet… I seem to crave the stimulation of heart-strain. Don’t I?
Indeed, dear soul! That is why you do the work you do! You LOVE to feel your heart engaged. And because you feel you need external stimulus to engage your heart fully, you seek out the Most Poignant arenas of life: psychological suffering and interpersonal conflict.
Ha. That’s so true. I do… And, so?
And so, sweet soul, we recognise that you are doing your best! And it is warmly received and valued. Next, how would it look like to exist and thrive not via the currency of heart-strain, but of compassion and kindness?
Well it sounds great, but isn’t my taking action in the field of ‘psychological suffering and interpersonal conflict’ precisely about compassion and kindness?
Nearly… You have to learn not to add to the ‘resistance’ with your own disturbed heart frequencies.
Oh man, this is advanced level ninja arts!
Indeed! To be amidst the suffering without either a) bringing/experiencing ones own suffering or b) zoning out of the suffering with numbness requires real Presence. And Presence is experienced in the cool, life-giving airs of the Higher Frequencies, were psychic noise is not found, and equanimity reigns.
Oofy…. Ok. Yes. Go on… How do I work with this today?
Play with that word ‘equanimity’.
Equanimity (Latin: æquanimitas, having an even mind; aequus even; animus mind/soul) is a state of psychological stability and composure which is undisturbed by experience of or exposure to emotions, pain, or other phenomena that may cause others to lose the balance of their mind.
An even, balanced, undisturbed mind… Interesting. I will play with this.
Cultivate, develop, welcome equanimity – like a new-old friend arriving to you across the desert from a long journey. Greet your friend Equanimity with a smile, with kindness, with relief, with fellowship.
Beautiful. Thank you.
I am greeting my friend, Equanimity, with a smile
NB: Alix’s email address – ‘equanimousmind@…’ – I’ve always loved that… <3 Ty Alix.