Last night, my meditation group did an Om Namah Shivaya Chanting Meditation...Before everyone arrived, I felt inspired to say a prayer for all of my attendees, one at a time I envisioned each of them surrounded by Divine Light (in Christian terms, the Light of the Holy Spirit) and called forth this aspect of each of them to be completely present during this evening, not for myself, but for themselves. Following my Inner Guide, I lit one candle representing us and our connection, The One, the holder for the candle I chose was a circle of bronze people holding hands.
As we began the evening together, I started to hear and understand why it was that this evening was different and required different preparation from me. Nearly each person shared a large challenge going on in their life, for some it was physical others, emotional. Before we began our chants, I had each person light a candle for themselves that I had earlier placed at their seat before their arrival. In doing so, I asked each of them to call on their Highest Self to be present and to guide them during the evenings chanting.
For nearly an hour we chanted Om Namah Shivaya. The most beautiful recording I ever heard of this was the one done by Dharma Mittra.
There is no literal translation of this chant, but unconsciously, Spirit had allowed its meaning to manifest through my actions that evening. Om Namaha Shivaya's essence, I now understand, is about connecting to the Divinity each of us has within us. Our lives may not be perfect, we may experience hardship and pain that changes us, but always, we are becoming...
In illness, we are becoming...In pain and sorrow, we are becoming...It may not always be clear to us how we are to be transformed, but with openness, faith and trust, we will. Om Namah Shivaya opens us to the best of ourselves, the part that each member of my group lit a candle for last night, the part of me that was able to "know" without thinking what was needed last night, the part of you that longs for expression, the part that connects us all. Om Namah Shivaya honors that which we are becoming in its greatest and most Divine expression.
As we began the evening together, I started to hear and understand why it was that this evening was different and required different preparation from me. Nearly each person shared a large challenge going on in their life, for some it was physical others, emotional. Before we began our chants, I had each person light a candle for themselves that I had earlier placed at their seat before their arrival. In doing so, I asked each of them to call on their Highest Self to be present and to guide them during the evenings chanting.
For nearly an hour we chanted Om Namah Shivaya. The most beautiful recording I ever heard of this was the one done by Dharma Mittra.
There is no literal translation of this chant, but unconsciously, Spirit had allowed its meaning to manifest through my actions that evening. Om Namaha Shivaya's essence, I now understand, is about connecting to the Divinity each of us has within us. Our lives may not be perfect, we may experience hardship and pain that changes us, but always, we are becoming...
In illness, we are becoming...In pain and sorrow, we are becoming...It may not always be clear to us how we are to be transformed, but with openness, faith and trust, we will. Om Namah Shivaya opens us to the best of ourselves, the part that each member of my group lit a candle for last night, the part of me that was able to "know" without thinking what was needed last night, the part of you that longs for expression, the part that connects us all. Om Namah Shivaya honors that which we are becoming in its greatest and most Divine expression.
