Theme/Mantra: “Power, my Power- is for the sake of becoming fully ME- (not for the sake of controlling others).”
Reading:
Dilemma by David Budbill
I want to be
famous
so I can be
humble
about being
famous.
What good is my
humility
when I am
stuck
in this
obscurity?
Meditation:
Breath of Fire
Sit comfortably, inhale and exhale completely.
When all the air is exhaled, sharply contract or snap your abdomen, causing a short, forceful expulsion of air through your nose.
Repeat these contractions.
Focus on steady, quick breaths that emphasize the exhalation.
Start with 20 consecutive breaths.
Increase to 3 sets of 20.
Breathe normally between sets.
Hold these words in your mind as you breathe, “My entire being is cleansed and purified”.
Physical Movement:
A practice in Humility.
Sit in Child Pose.
(Kneeling with your thighs on your calves, and with your legs slightly apart.)
Bend forward, placing the crown of your head on the floor.
Lift your buttocks and grasp your heels with your hands.
Feel the stretch along the shoulders and upper back.
Hold for as long as is comfortable.
Return to child pose.
Repeat as desired.
Reflection:
Be powerful. But don’t allow your power to be for your own self-aggrandizement alone. Speak your voice boldly- but let the voice be for the sake of the truth you tell, not to draw attention to yourself. Speak in Love.
There is nothing wrong with acknowledging and embracing our own beauty and power- but when we allow that beauty and power to be the things we seek, rather than the love and truth behind them, we have lost sight of what is important.
A good friend and I would remind each other to “Receive the blessing. Heed the Caution.”
If one rules the world, then one has power. And power always comes at the expense of others.
Power over others too often corrupts.
So receive the blessing of your own power- and allow it to move in you.
But heed the caution of how quickly that power become arrogance, that inevitably unnecessarily hurts others for the sake of maintaining that power.
Song: Viva la Vida by Coldplay
Lyrics:
I used to rule the world
Seas would rise when I gave the word
Now in the morning I sleep alone
Sweep the streets I used to own
I used to roll the dice
Feel the fear in my enemy's eyes
Listened as the crowd would sing,
"Now the old king is dead! Long live the king!"
One minute I held the key
Next the walls were closed on me
And I discovered that my castles stand
Upon pillars of salt and pillars of sand
I hear Jerusalem bells a-ringing
Roman cavalry choirs are singing
Be my mirror, my sword and shield
My missionaries in a foreign field
For some reason I can't explain
Once you'd gone there was never
Never an honest word
And that was when I ruled the world
It was a wicked and wild wind
Blew down the doors to let me in
Shattered windows and the sound of drums
People couldn't believe what I'd become
Revolutionaries wait
For my head on a silver plate
Just a puppet on a lonely string
Oh who would ever want to be king?
I hear Jerusalem bells a-ringing
Roman cavalry choirs are singing
Be my mirror, my sword and shield
My missionaries in a foreign field
For some reason I can't explain
I know St. Peter won't call my name
Never an honest word
But that was when I ruled the world
Oh, oh, oh, oh, oh, oh [5x]
Hear Jerusalem bells a-ringing
Roman cavalry choirs are singing
Be my mirror, my sword and shield
My missionaries in a foreign field
For some reason I can't explain
I know St. Peter won't call my name
Never an honest word
But that was when I ruled the world
Until Tomorrow- Peace.