The words to the meditation:

Take a deep breath now, and as you feel the air entering and filling your lungs, imagine that it is the shimmering white light of blessing. Mentally affirm, "I am so blessed." Hold the breath in your lungs for as long as you can, and as it releases, imagine this light spreading foward to touch and bless others. Mentally affirm, "I am a blessing."

Now imagine that you are stepping forward to join a growing circle of like-minded others who have gathered for the purpose of blessing our planet and all it's inhabitants. Imagine now that you feel each of your hands being gently clasped by the person standing on either side of you. As you join hands with those around you, realize that the circle is becoming an unbroken ring of blessing surrounding the entire world.

As you stand in this ring of blessing and look inside the circle, you see the entire planet there before you. imagine that a little golden bits of light, like snowflakes, are now gently falling to earth to softly blanket the entire planet and all it inhabitants in peace and love. Imagine people everywhere looking up to see these bits of light falling upon them. People the world over are smiling, laughing and joyous as these tiny bits of light float gently down from the heavens. Watch as some catch flakes of light in their hands and gleefully laugh, eager to share this light with those around them. Watch others grow blissfully quiet and reverent as the light falls upon them. This is a magical moment as you watch this light blanket the world. Feel the peace and love and healing it brings, as all over the world people begin to extend mutual love and affinity to one another. People of every society, of every race, of every religion, all reaching out to one another in genuine love and respect. This is the beginning of peace on earth.

Peace has come. Love has come. Joy has come. Feel it in your heart now. Breathe it in. Breathe it out.

Now gently let go of the hands holding yours. The Circle of Blessing has been established. It is done. All is well. And so it is.

©2007 by Live More Abundantly Productions, kate nowak

WORDS OF WISDOM

Words Of A Feather

"There was once a man who loved to gossip. He loved the attention it brought him, and could not stop himself from speaking about others, sometimes sharing the good they did, but most often sharing the mistakes they made.

"In time, however, he realized the harm his speech was causing and he sought to make amends. He went to his rabbi and explained the situation, and asked how he could make amends.

"The rabbi thought for a moment and instructed the man to go to the marketplace and purchase two of the finest feather pillows he could find. He should then take the pillows to the top of the mountain overlooking the village, tear them open, and spill the feathers into the wind.

"The man was surprised and pleased at the rabbi's advice. He thought repentance would be much harder than this. So he ran to the marketplace, purchased his pillows, and within an hour had scatter their feathers to the wind.

"He returned to the rabbi all aglow. He was ready to be forgiven for his gossiping. Not just yet, the rabbi told him. There was one more thing to do. He had to return to the mountain and repack the pillows with the feathers that he had scattered.

"'But that's impossible,' the man said. 'Those feathers have gone everywhere, there is no way I can take them back now.'"

"The rabbi nodded solemnly and said, 'What is true of the feathers is true of the words. Once spoke they can never be retrieved. The harm caused by gossip cannot be undone.'"

—Rabbi Rami Shapiro
from The Sacred Art of Lovingkindness