“The quieter you become, the more you can hear.”
~ Anonymous

This fall our book club has gone in a slightly different direction with our book selection. Having read so many of the classic spiritual books, some of which have been quite deep and even over our heads at times, we decided to switch to titles that embed life lessons within stories for easier reading.

Our first choice was The Celestine Prophecy, the bestselling novel which was first published in 1993. I read it back then, at a coworker’s suggestion, and remember liking it. I was unfamiliar with New Age spirituality at the time but I found the tale compelling. The author, James Redfield, has a very visual storytelling style. I’ve always admired writers who can paint pictures with words. It’s been interesting revisiting the book and its wisdom, most of which is rooted in Eastern traditions, now that I have more life experience.

According to Redfield, his book is more a parable than a novel. The through-line is a mystery about nine insights found in ancient manuscripts in Peru that speak to our need to establish meaning in our lives. Through synchronicity, the main character discovers the insights one at a time just as he needs them.

Not long after I first read the story, the friend who shared it with me invited me to hear Redfield speak at a nearby college campus. I was surprised at how big the audience was, which to me speaks to our universal hunger to find our life’s purpose. More than Redfield’s talk, though, what I remember from the evening is a guided meditation his wife Salle conducted based on the book. It was my first introduction to the contemplative practice.

I was desperate for calm during those stressful years when hubby and I both had demanding jobs, a teenager, and a highly-active four-year-old. Neither kid slept much, so we were chronically tired. It was a treat to have an evening out with a girlfriend. I enjoyed James’ talk and thought the evening was over until Salle started doing her meditation. She has a beautiful, calming voice and I easily relaxed into it.

She started by having us focus on one muscle group at a time. I had no idea how much tension I was holding until I started to release it. Next she had us imagine walking into an old growth forest and choosing a particular tree to rest against. She coached us to feel the aliveness of the tree and take in its energy. She encouraged us to be open to messages we needed to receive from the universe and to trust what we received. As she had us envision leaving the forest, she suggested we take the peace we felt during the meditation back into our lives.

Redfield ended the evening by asking us to send loving energy up to the sky and out to the whole world. I’m not sure why the experience was so profound for me, but I felt spiritually lifted up in the presence of that group. I was moved to purchase Salle’s cassette tape of the meditation and take it home, envisioning using it from time to time when my stress level was higher than normal.

One evening when I was putting my little one to bed, I thought of playing the tape to help her fall asleep. I snuggled with her for a few minutes as was my habit. I could tell that she was really listening, and in just a few minutes I sensed her body becoming more still. Before long, we both nodded off.

Wondering if I had stumbled on a solution to her sleep issues, the next night, I tried it again, with the same seemingly miraculous result. I could not believe my good fortune. Over time I found some calming books on tape for her to listen to, but that first meditation tape represented a critical turning point in our quest for sleep. It remained in rotation for a long time.

Some years ago I tried to find that same meditation on CD, for old times’ sake, without luck. Last week I looked for it again and, low and behold, it was the first of Salle’s meditations that appeared in a list of YouTube links. I played it right away and it was like finding an old friend.

Meditation is actually what first drew me to our book club six years ago. Whether we meet in person or over Zoom, we start off each meeting with a brief reflection of 10-20 minutes. (Tara Brach’s website is one of my favorite sites for free meditations because you can select them based on a theme or a specified length of time).

Studies show that guided imagery (or visualization therapy as it is also called) decreases cognitive and emotional stress. More and more people are using meditation apps to manage their anxiety and improve their sleep. Just this week I saw a statistic that 14% of people in America have meditated at least once, reaping its many benefits.

When I first encountered it in the 1990s, guided meditation was considered an activity for adults. Increasingly schools are realizing its value for children, even very young ones, and are adding it to their programs to help calm and focus students and lessen “acting out” behaviors.

If you haven’t tried guided meditation in your family, now may be a good time to establish a practice. I can’t think of a better time to send loving, peaceful energy out to the world.

Affectionately,

Elaine