Love II, NYC
It's hard to talk about love and not sound corny or clichéd. But it's a critically important subject right now. What's the antidote to hate? Love. What's the antidote to fear? Again, love. A particularly useful practice for stress is compassion meditation, also called loving-kindness meditation. The point of this meditation is to find, open and renew channels of love through meditation. Once located, the feelings of loving-kindness are directed toward loved ones, self, people you are neutral to, AND enemies. I've been recommending this particular kind of meditation to people who are particularly anxious right now. Here are downloads to try from my first teacher, Christopher Germer, PhD. A week after I received the love magnet (see my previous post, Agency of Kind), I got a follow-up love letter from the universe (or so it seemed). On a brutally cold winter day, I passed this lit "LOVE" sign in the window of an antiques shop. As I stopped to take its photo, a joyous child skipped by with raised arms. The interior and exterior reflection with blue sky beyond made a spontaneous collage of hope. Suddenly, I felt warmer.