Suffering Loneliness or Loss? Try a Heart Meditation
The ache of loss is difficult to bear, and often the worst part is the fear that nothing exists behind the ache except a void. Know that emptiness is an illusion. No matter how much you have suffered, your soul sees you as whole.Affirm today that you share this vision and have the intention to allow the light of spirit to come in and fill any voids it may find. To aid in this repair, close your eyes and see white light surrounding you like a bubble or cocoon. Visualize the light filling the entire space within you, seeking out rifts, tears, holes, and gaps. Ask for these to be completely filled with light.One of the worst parts of suffering a great loss is the feeling of utter isolation. The problem of loneliness, which exists for countless people, requires deeper healing than simply seeking out company. Loneliness can happen in a crowd and may feel most intense when you find yourself alone on a packed city street.As a child it was easier to cure loneliness, because the presence of a parent was enough to offer reassurance. As an adult, loneliness becomes more existential it feels as if you have been abandoned, yet you cannot say by whom.Invite spirit in with a meditation on the heart. Sit quietly for a moment, placing your attention on your heart, at the center of your chest under the breastbone. When you are settled, repeat the word peace silently, and see its influence radiating out from your body in all directions. Do this three times, and then say the word happiness the same way. Repeat three times, then go on to harmony, laughter, and love.Sit quietly for a few minutes after each session with eyes closed and simply appreciate the simplicity of quiet awareness. End it by sitting quietly and asking to be allowed into the refuge of your heart. Feel your heart as a soft, warm enclosure; settle there with your attention, and rest as long as you wish. If you repeat this technique enough times, you will find that the presence of spirit is very real and accessible.Adapted from The Deep! er Wound : Recovering the Soul from Fear and Suffering, by Deepak Chopra (Harmony Books, 2001).