Diadem Day 7: Spiritual connection

Today, like every other day, we wake up empty
and frightened. Don't open the door to the study
and begin reading. Take down a musical instrument.
Let the beauty we love be what we do.
There are hundreds of ways to kneel and kiss the ground.
— Rumi

At the beginning of this week, I said that the diadem, a circular crown, would symbolize treating ourselves royally this week. And the 7th chakra, at the very top of the head, is called the crown chakra, for it symbolizes the highest state—regal and glorified, ruling everything within it. The key themes of the 7th chakra are enlightenment, bliss, conscious thought and intelligence, belief systems and worship, spirituality and the sacred, “divine” wisdom, nirvana.

Take some time to be at peace today. If you already meditate, devote some time to your practice. If you have not tried meditation, a short exercise is outlined in this post. Then stretch in child’s pose (and kiss the ground).

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For today:

1. Watch this video. If you have time (it’s Saturday but this runs 28 minutes), here’s a video about the chakra system. This is what one might call “trippy.” All week I’ve been using a book by Anodea Judith, Chakra Balancing, and I want to give credit to her for much of the information I’ve shared with you. But I also want to make a disclaimer: I learned about chakras from studying yoga, and even though I believe that energy travels through the body in ways we still have much to learn about (nervous system, metabolism, acupuncture channels, etc.), I use the chakras as metaphors. It’s my hope that no one has felt I was advocating a particular religious point of view; I value the wisdom from all faith traditions. But if anyone is interested in reading about the chakras from a Judeo-Christian interpretation, you might find the book Anatomy of the Spirit by Caroline Myss worth your time.


2. Meditate. Not that long ago, meditators were thought to be a little kooky; now Tibetan Buddhist monks with more than 40,000 hours of meditation under their belts are invited to laboratories to have their brains scanned; their shaved heads bloom with electrodes while university researchers study the influence of meditation on stress and health. And the findings prove that meditation actually changes the brain in measurable ways and can make us more resilient, more compassionate, and happier people.
   
   The purpose of meditation is to still the normal chatter of the mind and concentrate the attention on only the present moment. There are many techniques for meditation. You can regulate your breathe, visualize images, chant mantra, sit quietly and watch your thoughts go by, dance ecstatically, stare at the wall, watch a candle flame, walk a labyrinth…plus dozens more methods. And with meditation's wider acceptance, you'll find countless sources for learning; check the Internet and the public library for books and audio lessons and your community for classes. The book Full Catastrophe Living by Jon Kabat-Zinn is an excellent source of information about “mindfulness meditation," also called insight meditation or Vipassana. In this kind of meditation, one could say that you practice “non-doing.”
   
   To experience a little insight meditation technique, find a place where you can sit comfortably and not be disturbed, and set a kitchen timer for ten minutes. Draw your attention to your breath. Then just sit. Practice being completely open and receptive to whatever comes into the field of your awareness, letting it all come and go, watching, witnessing in silence. I've heard it described as watching clouds move across a vast blue sky. When your mind wanders (it will), just bring it back to the breath, without judging, with no attachment to an outcome or evaluation of whether you’re doing this “right.” Sink into just being.


3. Carry a token. To remind yourself how important self-nurturing is, find a small token that is meaningful to you alone, something that will remind you to care for yourself when things get crazy. It could be a smooth pebble you picked up at the beach, a feather, a special bead or button, an acorn, a ring or pendant, or a small toy. Carry it in your pocket, wear it on a chain or key ring, hang it from your rearview mirror, but somehow carry your token with you as a reminder. Change your token every once in a while, perhaps seasonally.


4. Connect with the truly awesome. Find the darkest place in your neighborhood and gaze up at the night sky. Observe the moon and see if you can spot some planets and the Milky Way galaxy. Then think about the billions of stars beyond that, light years above you, and contemplate your place in the universe. How awesome it is to be a sentient little speck, part of a cosmos too enormous to comprehend. It puts your ego in its place.


5. Create sacred space. When you define something as sacred, you invest it with meaning and treat it with extra care. Choose an area in your home or garden that can be a sacred space or altar. It does not have to be any more elaborate than a tabletop with a flower in a small vase, maybe a photo of a loved one, a candle or a few sea shells. No one needs to know that the right side of your dresser in the bedroom is your sacred space. What makes it special is your intention and attention. Take care to keep it clean, maybe knit a special lace cloth for the area, let it reflect what you love—a special spirit animal for you, natural objects that change with the seasons, colors you love.
   
   “Attentiveness is the natural prayer of the soul.”—Malebranche

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Today’s prize is spinning fiber—4 ounces of alpaca combed top from Huacaya Moon (a natural golden camel color) and 2 ounces of Columbia/Border Leicester–cross roving, dyed in sunset colors.

Have a great term, Ravenclaws!