Love Thy Neighbor as You Love Yourself 

 The Golden Rule and variations on that theme have been in effect since ancient times, from Babylon and Egypt to Greece and China. It's written about in the Bible, the Torah, and is found in Buddhism, Hinduism, Islam, and Jainism.

The Golden Rule and the Love thy Neighbor commandment instruct us to do unto others as we would have them do unto us. Or love the other as we love ourselves.

Often when we look at these tenets we see them as instructive in ways to treat the other. Being kind and generous to others is rewarded. It's even said in the yoga tradition that the path of service, or karma yoga, can lead to enlightenment. I don't doubt that, but why is it that flight attendants have to remind us to put our own oxygen mask on in an emergency before we help others, could it be we forget to take care of ourselves in the name of service?

Let's look at this rule or commandment more closely. We often overlook the basis of the rule or commandment - which refers to how we'd like to be treated, or even how we treat ourselves. Love thy neighbor as thyself. Putting this practice into effect has to start with loving ourselves. How do you love yourself? Sometimes when people come to learn to meditate we take a look at how they treat themselves. Every one of us has thoughts in meditation or sometimes drift off in a daydream, but there are some students that are so hard on themselves when this happens - getting angry or frustrated with themselves - a habit they've fallen into as a way to make themselves do it right. Some people simply believe they can't do it at all, or that there is something inherently wrong with them. Of course they can meditate, I remind them. I've never yet met someone who can't.

I suggest that they practice being sweet to themselves, in and out of meditation. And by sweet, I don't mean buying a new outfit or an ice cream, I mean actually being kind to yourself, and paying attention to yourself. Maybe you've forgotten your own inner loveliness. You are wise, you are kind, you are aware, and you know what is good for you on a very basic level. Being unkind to ourselves can simply be an old habit. It might come up that someone stays in a relationship that isn't nourishing, or they say nasty things to themselves when they look in the mirror, or don't take good care of their body, or don't listen to their own inner wisdom. What if we treated our neighbor based on the ways that we sometimes treat (or loved) ourselves? We'd ignore them, say nasty things about them, or not care about them in some way. You see how that goes?

How we treat ourselves can inform everything we say or do. We have to become aware of it first, we each have to expand our awareness. I've written about really listening to yourself, discovering your intuition, asking yourself what you really want, living in tune with nature, beginning your meditation practice, and remembering to be grateful (see the articles here). But it really all comes down to one thing: loving one's self - which is often more difficult than it sounds.

There is a Buddhist meditation practice known as Loving Kindness (You don't have to be Buddhist to do it.) It has the immediate benefit of sweetening and changing old habituated negative patterns of mind. In this simple practice, begin with truly experiencing love for yourself, and from there, meditate on kindness to others.  It goes like this:

• Sit down and relax your body.
• Bring your attention to your heart center, place your hand there gently if you'd like.
• Take some time to cultivate a warm and gentle feeling for yourself.
• Say some sweet things to yourself, silently with a sense of kindness and warmth (see some examples below).
• Notice how your heart and mind respond. There is no need to hurry.
• Experience your heart slowly fill with the warmth and bliss of your own loving intention.
• After you give yourself the attention, send the intention for all beings to be well and free from suffering.
• Take three breaths through your nose, deeper than normal, and come back to yourself and the environment you are sitting in.
• Keep your eyes closed for a few minutes and enjoy for a few moments your state of being.

Here are some intentions I use. Choose one that resonates with you, or come up with your own:

• May I be filled with loving kindness. May I be peaceful and at ease. May I be free from suffering. May I be at peace.
• I am safe. I am cared for. I am loved and all is well.
• May I become an intimate, kind, and friendly force for myself and be intimate with my life and all of life.
• May I be completely present in my own life.
• May I know and experience God fully.
• I accept myself exactly as I am and as I am not.
• May I remember the universal kindness which surrounds me at every moment.
• There is no one on earth who is more deserving of my love than me.
• May I be on my own side and not betray myself.

The more I practice Loving Kindness, the more aware I am of how I treat myself. I get to know myself as a person capable of warmth, of sweetness, of love and a peaceful response to life. I trust myself more and have more to give. Each act of kindness to others then becomes an act of gentleness to myself and to my own spirit.

How do you choose to be kind to yourself?  What do you do? Email me to share your tips! 

Want to reduce stress, feel better, find your inner peace, or feel more connected to everyone and everything?  You can with meditation.   

Even if you've never tried it before, you'll find meditation is easy to learn and to do if you are taught correctly. Once you take a class with the Sedona Meditation Training Company you'll have everything you need to meditate on your own. 

Everyday Meditation Class: Learn how to meditate in as little as 2 hours.  Instruction with Sarah McLean. $165 per person. Reduced rates for seniors, students and veterans.  In Sedona,  Saturday, August 13th, 9:30 - 12:00 am. Offered again Sunday, October 2 1:00 - 3:30 pm.  Meditation classes are held in a private meditation studio in the Broken Arrow area of Sedona. Click here for more info.  To register for the Everyday Meditation class or to set up a private appointment contact (928)204-0067. Or click here.   

Primordial Sound Meditation in Sedona, Arizona, Saturday, August 13th, 9:30 am - 4:30 pm.  Offered again Friday, December 2. Get your own personal mantra as recommended by Deepak Chopra. Taught by Chopra recommended and certified instructor Sarah McLean (who served as the Chopra Center education director.)  Find out more about Primordial Sound Meditation here.  

To register for the Primoridal Sound Meditation class or to set up a private appointment contact (928)204-0067. Or click here.      

Outside of Sedona or Phoenix?  Listen anytime to  guided meditations here.  Or receive instruction and 3 powerful meditations on the popular CD Meditate. Read more about it here.

Check the calendar for updates including meditation retreats and special events.  Or call 928.204.0067.

The weekend includes easy morning meditations, gentle yoga practices, walks in the red rock wilderness, delicious vegetarian lunches, beautiful music, a silent auction, fabulous gifts, opportunities to have your books signed by the authors, and optional spa treatments! It's a weekend not to be missed.  Find out more about the Woman Arising event here. 

Come a day early and begin the weekend on Saturday, October 8th with an intimate day-long meditation retreat Quiet the Mind & Open the Heart facilitated by actress and advocate Lindsay Wagner  Though the dialogues are open only to women, the one day retreat on October 8 is open to men and women. Space for the day retreat is very limited - only 10 spaces left - so if you want to join this retreat, you have to sign up right away.  

Woman Arising!is sponsored by Sedona Meditation, Heart Wisdom Journeys, The Sanctuary at Sedona, Stone Nation Rising, Sedona artist Victoria Nelson, Four Corners Magazine, Natural Awakenings, and Namaste Publishing. 

Get the details, visit www.WomanArising.com  or call 928.202.7995.  Register by June 30 and save almost 50%! Enchantment Resort is offering reduced rates for accommodations for Woman Arising participants - you can call them at 800.826.4180, and let them know you are with the Woman Arising group #1036.

Enter the sweepstakes to win a pair of tickets for the Woman Arising Dialogues! Simply  "Like" us on Facebook and enter the sweepstakes until June 21! 

Email us info@sedonameditation.com

Call us (928) 204-0067