We walk away from Sunday Service with a powerful lesson and often think back about the lesson and how we can apply it in our lives. Below you will fiind exercises that will help you contemplate and apply the lessons Rev. Judy has shared with us.
April 24, 2016
Excerise 7: Think of a Long Time - Excerpts from Essential Spirituality by Roger Walsh, M.D., Ph. D (pages 57 - 59)
"Find a quiet, comfortable place to sit where you won't be disturbed. Begin by taking a few minutes to breathe slowly and deeply. Allow yourself to relax more and more with each breath. Notice an interesting thing about breathing; there is no effort required to breathe out. You breathe in and then simply let go. As you do, the air falls out by itself, and the muscles around the chest and shoulders relax automatically.
Continue to breathe slowly and deeply throughout the exercise. When you are calm, read through the rest of the exercise carefully so you know what to do, then close your eyes.
Begin by thinking of a long time, perhaps a period of many years. Then think of a longer time. Then think of a still longer time. When you are ready, double the time. Then double it yet again. Now think of eternity.
From the all-encompassing, eternal perspective, look back at your life and ponder the following questions. You do not need to analyze or try to figure out answers. Rather, simply allow the intuitive wisdom within you to bring answers into awareness.
- What is really important to you?
- What really matters?
- What would you be better off doing more of?
- What would you be better off doing less of?
Then take a moment to see if there is any other vital information this eternal perspective can offer you.
When you feel complete, open your eyes and bring your attention back to your environment. As with so many exercises, it is helpful to write down your insights in a journal immediately and then to take a few minutes to reflect. As you reflect on your life, think of the advice from the eighteenth-century Jewish sage, Rabbi Nachman, who was famous for his widom and teaching stories: "Consider what you are doing and ponder whether it is worthy that you devote your life to it."
In the light of eternity, many of the things and much of the busyness in our lives seem rather insignificant. Though this discovery can be difficult at first, it can also be extremely freeing. It allows us to forgo the time-consuming trivia of worthless pastimes and possessions and to focus our lives on what really matters."
This exercise is from the book, "Essential Spirituality" and can be found on pages 57 - 59.