“Love said to me there is nothing that is not me. Be silent.” Rumi
Even under the best of times loneliness can be a hard feeling to kick.
People, people, everywhere – but with whom can you feel a deep, meaningful connection?
And then there came COVID.
Young, old, rich, poor, near, far, healthy, disabled, social isolation took a toll on all of us.
Suddenly the articles I had written previously about how to overcome loneliness seemed to take on greater importance.
You can read “3 Natural Healing Remedies for Loneliness” at this link or learn a simple, easy energy healing technique to clear the feeling of loneliness at this link.
Like many people, I came to recognize that feelings I had previously identified as depression had simply been a life-long struggle with loneliness.
Oh, you could easily argue the case for why.
At 61, I’m divorced, childless and live alone.
As an introvert I have always cherished my time alone to regenerate, ponder what books to write next, walk my dog, rest in my hammock, meditate, sit in my hot tub or stare up at the sky watching the birds, the clouds and the trees.
Lockdown hit me just as hard as anyone.
Yet one of my super powers is my ability to dive within, to face my own inner pain unflinchingly and to discover the answers that lead me into the light.
The answer I discovered has proven so fool proof that on this day, Valentine’s Day, I wanted to share what has worked for me:
Prayers that lead to oneness, the vibration of unconditional love.
For many years I have been a practitioner of loving kindness meditation.
I have created not one but two recordings of variations of loving kindness meditation.
Last year, I co-created a Global Healing Meditation with Kim Fox-Gunderson, masters in social work of Chicago, and her talented daughters Riley Gunderson and Zoë Gunderson, that you can watch and listen to for free on Youtube at this link.
Just as we all have early morning rituals – ways we wake up and begin to the face the world – for years now when I open my eyes the first thing I do is turn inwards to prayer and meditation. Read my article about the inner habit of prayer at this link.
Last year my prayer life took on even greater importance.
Knowing that we were all facing great challenges provoked by the pandemic, I began to pray in earnest for the 10 most important people in my life.
Many of you reading this may be blessed with a loving partner, children, an extended family that brings you great joy.
And yet many of you may find yourself this day and every other day missing what you feel is an essential person in your life.
You may not have the partner you want.
You may not have had the mother, father, children, brother, sister, aunt or uncle that your soul longed for.
You may be under the illusion that you are all alone in the world.
And yet if you look around the truth is there is no such thing as a vacuum in the universe.
God never fails to provide.
So here is what I did.
I identified the members of my soul family and began to pray for each and every one of them every day, twice a day, with my whole heart.
And I created a few simple steps:
Step One. I tune into each person, becoming aware of how they are feeling.
Step Two. I pray:
May (name of person) be well and free from illness.
May (name of person) be safe and free from harm.
May (name of person) be happy.
May (name of person) be at peace.
Step Three. I continue to focus on the well being of each person until I feel the shift inside them all the way to the level of their soul.
If you are unsure what I mean by spiritual family, you can read my article at this link.
Only two of the 10 people I pray for every day are my relatives (my mother and brother). I pray for my boyfriend. Everybody else is a person God has placed in my life to love and care for.
These loving kindness prayers are only part of my prayer and meditation practice, which also includes the Lord’s Prayer as well as prayers of gratitude.
What I notice is that the more fervently I focus on sending loving kindness to my spiritual family the more full my heart feels.
And as my heart expands with loving kindness I feel deeply connected not only to these 10 precious beings but to my brothers and sisters all over the planet.
And I feel incredibly happy!
What is healing? Healing happens when we fill our hearts with loving kindness.
Happy Valentine’s Day everyone! May your heart be filled with love and happiness this day and every day, all the rest of your lives!
To set up an appointment for a medical intuitive reading or healing work, please email catherine@catherinecarrigan or call 678-612-8816. If you are calling internationally, please call me at the same number through WhatsApp so I can return your call toll free!
