I started an offering on Thursday evenings back in January.
I called this offering “People Knowing Love”.
The point was to offer weekly explorations of Life out to our community.
The intention was that each week we would come together and explore a different aspect of Love/Life/Grace and see what shined through.
Each night was unique.
What remained the same was that I was pointing to what’s “Here” and available and people seemed to have their own experience of That.
Who am I and why would I offer this?
I have been looking into different teachings, teachers, spiritual and energetic explorations since I was 12 (before, but consciously). More seriously since age 19, locally, around the country, and around the world. (More about that in another post.)
These evening offerings came about because I felt like it was time to start sharing some of this. So what I shared (and will share) is from a collection of teachings and experiments.
What feels more important to me right now, is to be a channel for Love/Life/Forever. So these evenings are a collection of things that have landed for me from my teachers, explorations, and wanderings, but also, what comes through as I focus my intention on pointing to what is now (Love). I am not a teacher, but teaching happens with our exploration (just showing up). My intention is to be a facilitator pointing to You. Love is the teacher.
I do feel like there is something special about actually physically coming together to look into these things. Love is always happening, but taking the time to notice is what I call an “extra bonus miracle”.
However, it has also occurred to me that it also may make sense to expand that original offering to a bigger audience to include those that could not make those dates and times, but would like to get a taste of what we touched in on. I’m also hoping to offer video and audio excerpts in the future.
So… below is a snapshot of parts of our “night one”. Enjoy.
What is Love?
When I talk about Love I am not talking about our human, emotional love.
Love, in the way I mean it here, can be used interchangeably with Life, Truth, Grace, God, Life Force, Energy…none of these words is adequate for what I am trying to point to.
Love is the Energy running through and encompassing all things and non-things.
What I am talking about is not necessarily joyful, pretty, or peaceful, but it includes these aspects. It also is not anger, grief, rage, hate, or selfishness, but it includes these aspects.
When I speak of Love I am using a word to try to point to something, the Life Force that runs through all of us. The Life Force in Mother Theresa, Barak Obama, Donald Trump, the stapler, the floor, and you.
An Invitation.
One way to begin to feel this is to feel into the Love that is your own body, the vessel that “you” are with the most.
A way to know Love experientially can be an awesome tool, or window into what’s here for you all the time.
This is an Invitation to recognize Grace within your own body. This is something that you can tap into at any time.
Up for it?
Let’s experiment, let’s see what we find.
Lay down or sit.
Begin with three nice full breaths, each time you exhale use that opportunity to let go, just for now, anything that your mind might be thinking about.
Return to a comfortable breathing pattern, and when you’re ready start actually inviting your attention into the cells of your body with each breath.
Use the inhale as a way to bring attention inward towards the body at the cellular level and the use the exhale to just notice what is there.
Bring your attention to your cells, the simplest unit of life in your body.
If this feels like too much of a stretch to actually feel for you, then just imagine into them.
Don’t try too hard, it’s just an invitation.
If you start to drift, just invite yourself back to noticing that you have cells inside of your body and paying attention to their aliveness.
See, feel, or know there is Life in each of your cells.
There is Life/Love radiating within each and every cell of your body right now.
In EVERY part of your body you have cells radiating Life/Love. Find them.
Get to know them.
These little Grace filled circles are in every nook and cranny, every part of your human being.
Notice also that your cells are supported.
Now notice that some of these cells have purpose.
They do particular jobs and come together to form and are parts of your tissue, organs, and body systems.
Now take this a step farther and move your attention to an organ, muscle, or bone right now. Go there with your attention and feel into the Life that is there just in that one part of you.
Stay- Feel into this for a few minutes, notice that that whole organ has a Life energy that runs through it, just feel that. (at least 2 min)
Now lets go another step further and open yourself up again to expand into feeling into the flow of Life/Love throughout your whole body.
Notice that Life energy/Love is flowing through your circulatory system, Love is firing through your CNS, your PNS.
If it was not you would not be alive.
It’s there, so go for it, FEEL IT.
Love/Grace is flowing in so many ways on so many levels ingesting, digesting, churning, firing, squuishing…. Love is moving.
Love is moving and can be experienced right here in your own body.
Just spend a few more minutes watching, feeling, experiencing the truth of this. (at least 2min)
Now bring that awareness into your heart.
I’m not talking esoteric right now, although if you feel something on that level by all means, explore that.
What I’m actually asking of you is to see if you can feel in to the physical organ of the heart. This beautiful organ that supports your physical body in such an essential way.
Feel your heart beat if you can (maybe bring a hand there).
Feel into the organ as a whole, feel the Life Energy/Grace inside of this powerful “yes” muscle. This muscle that is showing up for you right now.
Feel your heart’s “yes” as it does it’s job for your now no matter what else you are feeling or doing right now. (regardless of circumstance in this moment)
Spend a few minutes with this “yes” or whatever form of Life Energy you feel there. (at least 2min)
Now, from this place, slowly, as you feel ready, open your eyes again (if already open bring your attention back to something or someone within this room).
Only when you feel ready, open your eyes from THIS place.
If you start to lose the feeling/experience of your Life Energy then you might be shifting back too fast.
Just close your eyes again and go back for a moment to the sensations you could feel before.
Then try again to re-open your eyes back up as you feel grounded in the sensation of being able to feel the Love/Life energy of your body while your eyes are open and also paying attention to the external world.
Really take your time with this.
Don’t move on until you have the experience of, even if briefly, feeling both- internal Love and ability to also see what is in front of you externally.
(The point is not to have to keep this awareness all the time, although it can be a great perspective to revisit regularly. The reason I want you to see if you can still notice your own body’s Love while shifting your attention outside is just to have that experience. All of these experiences, if you allow yourself to really feel into them will be a part of your being’s cellular memory anyway. You don’t have to cling to it or always remember it for it to have an affect.)
Take this with you.
See you next week ;).