Krista's Book of the Month:

“Power of Myth” by Bill Moyers and Joseph Campbell

Right now, I am reading, “The Power of Myth” with Bill Moyers and Joseph Campbell. This book is a collection of the wonderfully insightful interviews with scholar, teacher and writer Joseph Campbell, (who was in my opinion one of the greatest thinkers of our time), and Journalist Bill Moyers, on the importance that myth plays in shaping our individual and collective realities. What I’ve found to be the most intriguing about this book are the discussions that Campbell and Moyers have on the universality of myths among the various religious traditions. Some of Campbell’s insights about myth and religion have been a revelation to me. I enjoyed also the discussions about the implications for our culture that has to a large degree lost touch with its own myths and myth making. I feel that those of you who enjoyed deciphering mythological symbols in “The Davinci Code,” will also enjoy learning more about myth and symbol with Joseph Campbell and Bill Moyers

Krista's Meditation Lesson:

Creating Compassion

(October 2005 )

This month’s meditation lesson is on opening yourself to the energy of compassion, sharing and love by focusing on the heart chakra. The heart chakra is an energy center or small wheel (chakra means wheel in Sanskrit), located in the center of your chest at the level of your heart. It is four inches in diameter and is the center of compassion, forgiveness, love and discernment. When the heart chakra is balanced you are able to give and receive love freely, it becomes easy to balance your needs with the needs of others (discernment), and you feel a connectedness and a reverence for life.

There’s a saying that kindness begins at home, and it is likewise with the energy of compassion, it too begins at home with the self. When we are able to move into a place where we can show loving kindness to ourselves, what we are in truth “loving” is the All Pervasive Universal Self. The path of the heart is in an enlightened road that is available for all to travel…you only have to step onto it.

The following is a simple meditation practice that will open you up to the power of compassion by balancing your heart center.

• Assume your meditative posture and begin to breathe. Just begin by following the natural breath.



• When you are ready, deepen the breath and allow the belly to expand and the chest to rise without creating discomfort or tension in the body, then exhale deeply by taking the belly button all the way to the spine, (the image is of a baby when she's lying on her back asleep her tummy rises and falls with her breath).
  
  
• After a minute or two of deep breathing, imagine that you are inhaling a clear light into the body (allow your intuition to choose the color), and breathe in this light all the way down into the heart center, inhaling and exhaling any heaviness or tightness you may be feeling. Do this for at least 5 breaths.
  
  
• The next step is while inhaling the clear light, silently say to yourself "I".
  
  
• On the exhale silently repeat "Forgive."
  
  
• Continue to say this affirmation silently to yourself and note how you feel. It's okay if there is resistance in the body. Continue to do this practice until you literally begin to feel light hearted or you've lost concentration.
  
  
• Do this practice daily for the entire month.