The Contemplation for Christmas

Do you find Christmas to be a joyful time? Personally, I do as the day symbolises the birth of unconditional love. But for others – and no shame in this - it is a time of loneliness, anxiety, grief, even conflict as family groups do, or do not gather; as another year comes to a conclusion and the uncertainty of the coming year sets in.

However it is for you, contemplation can amplify the joy, while at the same time it can be hugely beneficial for stress management and for finding meaning. So this week we explore a simple contemplation on unconditional love and the joy of Christmas, but first

   Thought for the week

       Love is the only reality

       And it is not mere sentiment.

        Love is the ultimate truth 

         That lies at the heart of creation.

              Rabindranath Tagore

 

Contemplation on unconditional love

1. Take up your meditation posture.

2. Relax into that posture.

3. Remind yourself of your motivation – to invoke unconditional love and to be more loving.

4. Best close your eyes, and then imagine the person in life who has loved you most; the person from whom you came closest to feeling unconditionally loved. If you have trouble bringing a person to mind, maybe a pet; some have even used a favoured tree.

5. Imagine if you were back in the actual presence of the one from whom you felt this unconditional love – and go into the feeling of that as much as possible. If tears do flow, you are in the right territory. Be prepared to be moved by making this heartfelt connection.

6. Aim to feel the love all through your body; and then allow it to flow into your mind. It is like you lose yourself in the feeling. Let go into the feeling. Abandon yourself into the feeling. Unconditional Love.

7. Stay with the feeling. If you become distracted – as is likely – go back to the one who loved you the most and re-connect with the feeling. Repeat as needed.

8. When you feel ready, you might like to imagine someone you care for who you simply like or love, someone who may be going through an easy or a difficult time; someone with whom you would like to share this sense of unconditional love. Imagine this person as if they are in front of you and then direct the feeling of unconditional love from your heart to theirs. More than imagine, feel the love flowing into their heart and then flowing out through their entire body, filling them with the feeling of unconditional love.

9. If adventurous, you may like to repeat step 8 with someone you have difficulty with – someone you dislike, someone who has aggrieved you, someone who has deeply hurt you. If you do this, aim to let go of any expectations and simply repeat the exercise as best you can with the same sense as you would offer a gift to someone – a free offering.

10. Now let go of the sense of needing to do anything; let go of the exercise and simply rest in the feeling
of unconditional love. If it helps, go back to the feeling around the one who loved you most. Rest in the feeling.

11. When you are ready, give thanks for the exercise, maybe stretch a little, a deeper breath or 2 and the quietly move on with your day.

Happy Christmas and may 2022 be a year of good health and full fillment for you and all of those you love and care for…