Theme/Mantra: “Today I refuse to condemn myself- I will celebrate the beauty in me.”
Reading:
Prayer by Macrina Wiederkehr
Oh God, help me to believe the truth about myself, no matter how beautiful it is.
Meditation:
Find a comfortable position standing or sitting, and pose this prayer to your God or the universe, or to your own mind and heart- “help me to believe the truth about myself, no matter how beautiful it is.” And listen. See and feel that beauty. Embrace it. When thoughts of “but I also…” in negativity, force your mind back to the beauty. We spend a lot of time in the negative- for today, let’s just sit with the beauty.
Physical Movement:
Child Pose-
Kneel, resting your thighs on your calves, and with your legs slightly apart underneath your body.
Bend from the hips, forward and down, folding your body over onto your knees.
You can either place your arms beside your legs, (behind you) with your palms up,
Or you can reach forward and out, extending your arms on the floor beyond your head, palms down.
Place your forehead on the floor in front of your knees (or turn your head to the side if that is more comfortable).
Remain in this position and breathe deeply until you are ready to
Raise your upper body and return to the seated position.
Reflection:
Too often we remember and focus on the negative about ourselves. As Tori states in this song- we crucify ourselves. She has such a unique sound and way with words- that as you listen to the song, you can feel the frustration in the self sacrificing. That inner voice that criticizes all that is wrong with us can become our own voice, and we allow it to damage our confidence as well as our reality. My hope for you (and for myself) is to see the beauty as well. We needn’t ignore the growing edges; however, we needn’t allow those edges to unfairly dominate our sense of who we are. I encourage you to take some time today to reflect on a balance in you- even the utter beauty. How can you break free from those chains that bind your heart? Your mind? Be free in and embrace your beauty!
Song: Crucify by Tori Amos
Lyrics:
Every finger in the room
Is pointing at me
I wanna spit in their faces
Then I get afraid of what that could bring
I got a bowling ball in my stomach
I got a desert in my mouth
Figures that my courage would choose to sell out now
I've been looking for a savior in these dirty streets
Looking for a savior beneath these dirty sheets
I've been raising up my hands
Drive another nail in
Just what God needs
One more victim
Why do we
Crucify ourselves
Every day
I crucify myself
Nothing I do is good enough for you
Crucify myself
Every day
I crucify myself
My heart is sick of being, I said, my heart is sick of being in chains, oh, oh, chains
Got a kick for a dog
Beggin' for love
I gotta have my suffering
So that I can have my cross
I know a cat named Easter
He says, "Will you ever learn?
You're just an empty cage, girl,
If you kill the bird."
I've been looking for a savior in these dirty streets
Looking for a savior beneath these dirty sheets
I've been raising up my hands
Drive another nail in
Got enough guilt to start my own religion
Why do we
Crucify ourselves
Every day
I crucify myself
Nothing I do is good enough for you
Crucify myself
Every day
I crucify myself
My heart is sick of being, I said, my heart is sick of being in chains, oh, oh, chains
Please believe
Save me
I cry
I've been looking for a savior in these dirty streets
Looking for a savior beneath these dirty sheets
I've been raising up my hands
Drive another nail in
Where are those angels when you need them?
Why do we crucify ourselves
Every day
I crucify myself
Nothing I do is good enough for you
Crucify myself
Every day
I crucify myself
My heart is sick of being, I said, my heart is sick of being in chains, oh, oh, chains
[Repeat:]
Why do we
Chains
Crucify myself
Never going back again to crucify myself again
You know never going back again to crucify myself everyday
Until Tomorrow- Peace
.