(excerpt from Listening In: Dialogues with the Wiser Self, by Ellen Meredith. You may wish to tape record this exercise or ask a friend to read it to you slowly)

Close your eyes and do some breathing. Take a comfortable breath in, and out. As you exhale, you release tensions and let go of tightness you might be feeling. As you breathe in, take in some fresh air, some new energy, as best you can. And feel the circulation that happens with each breath, of bringing in the new and letting go of the old, over and over.

You may notice that at the end of each breath there is a pause. As you inhale, you hesitate while you assimilate what you've taken in. As you exhale, there is a lull as you rest empty. Those pauses are important. If you don't have spaces in your breathing, you will hyperventilate. If you don't make spaces in your life, between the taking in and the letting go, you "hyperventilate" in your life as well.

We ask you to take a moment to think about the people, the places, the objects, the animals you have loved in this life. Call up images of the various recipients of your affection. Then take a moment to focus on and feel the love for one of those particular people, objects, beings or places.

Explore that feeling for a time. What is it? Where is it located in your body, or is it in your body? What are the sensations associated with it? We are not asking you to find out what Love is, with a capital L, for all time. Just this particular emotional state you have focussed on. As you feel this love, what are your reactions, what thoughts creep in? Where is your attention? Sit with the feelings for a time, watching them move and shift.

Give that person, object, being, or place a gentle blessing, and farewell, and bring your awareness back to your room again.

Notice your breathing without trying to interfere with it or change it. Are you open in this moment, connected? What is the sensation in the area of your heart and lungs?

Listening In: Dialogues with the Wiser Self, by Ellen Meredith, can be ordered through bookstores, by calling 1 (800) 442-6304(Beyond Words Bookstore), or through
Online Purchasing

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