FEBRUARY MEDITATION, 2006

Recently I have been meditating on the qualities of enlightenment. What are these qualities? I think they are the ageless qualities that are mentioned in all spiritual traditions. They are love, wisdom, freedom, manifestation, joy, peace and unity. As a yoga teacher, the one that has been in my thoughts a lot is joy, which the yogis call bliss (ananda). It is the aim of yoga to reach unity with the Source of All That Is, the Creator, and this unity brings bliss or joy. It is that bliss that is beyond all that we might experience in every day life, but everyday enjoyment is part of it. I always like to split up the word enjoyment and look at it as “joy is meant”. We are meant to be happy and filled with joy, but life often seems to get in the way. This month’s meditation begins with the memory of any joyful times you remember. It is an ancient Taoist meditation called “The Inner Smile.” In the meditation we visualise each part of the body and smile into it. It is reputed to be a powerful healing practice when done regularly.

THE INNER SMILE MEDITATION.

Begin your meditation in the usual way, sitting comfortably on a chair or on the floor. Begin to observe your breathing for a few minutes until your mind becomes quiet and still. Then begin to remember some event that makes you smile and feel happy. Bring into your conscious mind the feelings that you remember and begin to smile.

Relax your forehead, the brow centre (chakra) and let your third eye open. Allow your smiling energy to fill your third eye and then your physical eyes. Then let this energy flow up your forehead and over your head, down the sides of your head into your ears and all the facial muscles. Feel your face relaxing. Follow the smiling energy down your neck and throat and into your shoulders and chest. Feel it flowing into your heart and lungs, and then follow it down into your stomach, abdominal area, pelvis and hips, down the front of your body into your legs and feet. Pause at any area where you feel tight or sore and give an extra smile.

Bring your attention back to your third eye and take the smiling energy over the back of the head and shoulders, your arms and hands, then follow it down your back, paying special attention to your spine. Give a smile to each vertebra as you follow it down. Then give some special attention to any parts of your body that might need it.

Complete your meditation in your usual way.

If you have any particular areas that need special healing, you can add this in to your meditation.

This meditation makes use of positive thinking and circulation of prana, the life force, to each part of the body. There are several variations of this meditation and a search of the Internet may provide some of them.

Happy (inner) smiling.

© Kathleen Pepper 2006

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