Tag Archives: Compassion

Spiritual Discernment, Peace Gathering, and Meditation Classes

At Sunrise Meditation and Counseling, we provide counseling services, meditation classes, and Spiritual Discernment services.  Whereas counseling is primarily focused on healthy thoughts, behaviors, and emotions, Spiritual Discernment addresses questions of deeper meaning.  Questions like what is my place in the Universe?  Am I alone?  Is there a God?  What does God want me to do with my life? Is God on my side, against me, or does God even care?  What will happen to me and my loved ones after we die?  Is healing possible for me and my loved ones?

lotus-1205631_1280Like in counseling, good Spiritual Discernment helps people to find their own answers in a supportive, safe, non-judging environment.  We all bring different thoughts and feelings to the table regarding God, Spirituality, and the Universe.  The ideas we bring are based on our religious backgrounds, our cultural backgrounds, and our personal experiences with our families and friends. Christian, Buddhist, Muslim, Jewish, Hindu, Atheist, something completely different, or some mix of several faiths, we all have unique takes on what it means to be human on this planet and in this Universe.  For people of faith, there is often a still, small voice, a calling, a higher power, or an intuition that helps guide us through life and the big and small questions that come with life.

My personal beliefs are Christian, and it’s my experience that the Spirit speaks through many avenues if we have ears, eyes, hearts, and the courage to listen.  The Spirit also speaks through all traditions and cultures.  No belief or idea is “too weird” or “unorthodox” to share in a Spiritual Discernment session.

The one guideline I share regarding the presence of the Spirit in life or in a decision is to lookdove-41260__180 for the fruits of the Spirit.  Love, peace, patience, kindness, gentleness, faithfulness, and self control are the fruits of the Spirit as described in the Christian tradition, and I believe this applies universally.

To celebrate Spirituality in a safe group environment, Sunrise Meditation and Counseling will again begin a weekly Peace Gathering starting Thursday September 7th, after Labor Day weekend.  The gathering will begin at 6:00 pm and last less than an hour.  The format will include a time of gathering, a time of sharing brief inspirational thoughts and readings, a time of contemplative silence, and a time for closure.  There will be no cost for attending, but donations will be accepted.

logolargerWe will also begin another round of Christian Tantric Meditation workshops beginning Saturday September 9th from 10:00-11:30AM.  This is a four class program that introduces several meditation techniques, including breath centered mind stabilization, self emptying, Divine Communion as a form of guru yoga, and Compassion outreach meditation.  If you are interested but unable to attend four weekends in a row, we are flexible, our classes often take 6 to 8 weeks to complete based on the schedules of the participants.  Now is the time to manage stress, let go of some of the luggage that holds you back, and connect with your true potential.

Our workshops cost 25.00 each, and a 20.00 discount is available for registering and paying for all 4 classes in advance.

For more information or to register for a Workshop or an Individual Therapeutic or Spiritual Discernment Session, visit our Contact and Registration page  or call 678-358-8775.

Christian Tantric Wellness and Recovery Meditation Classes

Greetings,

We are happy to remind everyone that we will be offering a series of four Christian Tantric Meditation classes in the beautiful North Georgia Mountains beginning Saturday July 9th.   This is a rare opportunity to experience all four phases of the Christian Tantric Meditation protocol in a low cost short series of classes on four consecutive Saturdays.  The traditional Wellness based Christian Tantric Meditation protocol will be offered from 11:00 AM to 12:30 PM.  And for the first time we will be offering these Meditation classes from Recovery oriented perspective from 9:00 AM-10:30 AM.  Our location is in Sautee Georgia which is near Helen Georgia, about an hour from Gwinnett and about 1.5 hours from Metro Atlanta.

FireworksBoth traditional Tantric Meditation techniques and Christian Contemplative perspectives are explored in the classes.  Our wellness meditation classes teach skills for dealing with stress and increasing enjoyment of life and personal freedom through letting go of negative thoughts and emotions.    Classes also explore increasing Spirituality and exercising Compassion with healthy boundaries for self and others.  People who are new to meditation and people who are experienced with meditation find our classes helpful.

People who attend our recovery oriented meditation classes learn about the disease aspects of youth-570881_1280addiction, and tools for building self awareness in recovery.  Classes will also explore emotions management, healthy relationships, and long term recovery strategies.  Note that these classes are intended for people and family members actively engaged in recovery.

Walk in registrations are welcome, or visit our Workshops page and sign up on line, or call 678-358-8775.  Our rates are very reasonable, 20.00 for a class.

April 2016 Meditation Class Reminder

Greetings,

We are happy to remind everyone that our next set of introductory meditation classes in the beautiful North Georgia Mountains will be held Saturday April 30th.  Our location is in Sautee Georgia which is near Helen Georgia, about an hour from Gwinnett and about 1.5 hours from Metro Atlanta.

logolargerPeople who attend our classes learn skills for dealing with stress and increasing enjoyment of life and personal freedom through letting go of negative thoughts and emotions.  More advanced classes explore increasing Spirituality through Divine Communion practice, and exercising Compassion with healthy boundaries for self and others.  People who are new to meditation and people who are experienced with meditation find our classes helpful.

Our Saturday morning class from 10:00-11:30 teaches basic meditation skills including breath centered mind stabilization and mindfulness.  Our afternoon class from 1:00-2:30 explores more advanced skills designed to Open our Consciousness.  Our classes generally include about 20-30 minutes of instruction and discussion, and 20-30 minutes of meditation skill practice.

Walk in registrations are welcome, or visit our Workshops page and sign up on line, or call 678-358-8775.  Our rates are very reasonable, 25.00 for a class or 40.00 for signing up for two classes or bringing a friend.

Atlanta Area North Georgia Mountain Meditation Classes

Just one week left to register for our next set of introductory meditation classes in the beautiful North Georgia Mountains.  Our location is in Sautee Georgia which is near Helen Georgia, about an hour from Gwinnett and about 1.5 hours from Metro Atlanta.

People who attend our classes learn skills for dealing with stress and increasing enjoyment of life and personal feedom through letting go of negative thoughts and emotions.  More advanced classes explore increasing Spirituality through Divine Communion practice, and exercising Compassion with healthy boundaries for self and others.  People who are new to meditation and people who are experienced with meditation find our classes helpful.

Our Saturday morning class from 10:00-11:30 teaches basic meditation skills including breath centered mind stabilization and mindfulness.  Our afternoon class from 1:00-2:30 explores more advanced skills designed to Open our Consciousness.  Our classes generally include about one hour of instruction and discussion, and 20-30 minutes of meditation skill practice.

Registration is easy, just visit our Workshops page and sign up on line or call 678-358-8775.  Our rates are very reasonable, 25.00 for a class or 40.00 for signing up for two classes or bringing a friend.

Blessings!

Unlocking Human Potential

“Unlocking Human Potential” is an overused phrase. Its used to sell drugs, food products, cosmetic products, gym memberships, yoga, Martial Arts, Meditation, and all manner of self help programs.

As over used and commercialized as the phrase is, unlocking the full potential of every human being on this planet is perhaps the most important task before us, not only for humanity to thrive, but for humanity to survive.

Human potential is incredible. Human potential brought us Einstein, Mozart, and Madame Curie. Human potential also brought us Jesus the Christ, Buddha, and Ghandi.  We are capable of so much creativity, innovation, and beauty.

Many people believe that our potential for great and wonderful things is a Divine Gift. Divinity, Spirituality, and Humanity are all part of who we were created to be, made in the Image of God.  Whether our faith is in God, Karma, or Human Potential alone, we can all agree that we are capable of great and wonderful things.

Humanity has achieved a great deal, but there is so much left to do. Understanding the quantum building blocks of our universe has the potential of unleashing unlimited energy and synthesis of new and amazing materials. Understanding the building blocks of life has the potential of creating  cures for devastating diseases like cancer and Alzheimer’s.

There are symphonies to write, artworks to create, people to heal, and love to share. There are bridges to build, roads to repair, and buildings to renovate. There are forces of nature to understand and tame, like earthquakes and hurricanes. There are oceans and streams and forests to clean up, and fellow living creatures to help flourish.

There is much to do, and human beings have been given the gifts, the rights, and the responsibilities to do these things. We have the potential.

But we are held back from realizing our potential. Too many people are held back for lack of access to clean water, healthy food, healthcare, and education. Too many hard working people are held back from achieving their potential due to hard economic conditions, prejudice, lack of encouragement, and a sense of powerlesseness.

Along with the external conditions that hold us back, there are also internal conditions that hold us back. Fear, anxiety, and depression. Addiction, codependency, and resentments. Even over-confidence and lack of listening skills and empathy can hold us back.  Many of us live a balancing act, dealing with our “issues” while we limp along in our jobs and careers, our families, and our faiths, making due but also holding back, being held back, from realizing our true potential.

Our true potential includes great love and compassion, and helping and sharing hope with others. By holding ourselves back, we hold everyone back.

How can we move closer to realizing our potential? It seems like common sense that we need to let go of the burdens and blocks in life that hold us back. Only by letting go of our burdens and blocks can we move forward to accept the Divine gifts that we are all blessed with.

For many people, laying our burdens down, and surrendering them to a Higher Power can be very liberating. For most of us, it takes more than a simple act of will to let go of burdens and blocks that have taken a lifetime to build. Most of us are like the seed that falls in shallow ground, our faith sprouts, but the cares of the world prevent us from realizing our true potential.

To build up mental, emotional, and physical strength and endurance requires exercise and attention to our environments. But most of all, it requires a healthy attitude, a new way of thinking, accepting hopefulness and healthiness as a way of life, more than just a desire to change. In order for our seeds of faith and hope to flourish, we need to cultivate the ground, our inner selves, our minds, hearts, and cores.

Christian Tantric Meditation offers a method for tilling our inner ground, breaking up the clumps of clay and rock that prevent our potential from flourishing. In our four part / eight class program, we teach basic meditation skills, letting go of the inner turmoil that holds us back, accepting the Divine Grace that provides nourishment and growth, and finally, healthy relationships and compassion for others.

We offer Meditation training classes in our Sautee Georgia studio in the beautiful north Georgia mountains, just 1.5 hours from Atlanta.  Our costs are very reasonable, 25.00 for a 1.5 hour class, or 20.00 if you register for two classes or bring a friend.

Our next introductory classes are opening Saturday October 17th.  Please visit our Contact and Registration page to register online, or give us a call at 678-358-8775.  We’re looking forward to helping you to realize your full potential.

The Christian Tantric Meditation methods are also available in book form through Amazon.com and some local booksellers.  Visit our publications page for more information about the book.

Have a Blessed Day!

 

 

Meditation Classes Growing

We are happy to announce that participation in our Atlanta area Christian Tantric Meditation classes offered in the beautiful North Georgia Mountains has been growing. Our next class is offered on Saturday August 8th. Registration is open now, visit our website for more information and to register on line.

20150530_081019People who attend include working people, retirees, and people with and without meditation experience.  People participate who practice Christianity and other faiths, people who consider themselves more “spiritual” than “religious”, and people who don’t identify with Spirituality or Religion at all.  The common thread that seems to draw people to meditation is a desire to “let things go”, be more relaxed, and have a greater ability to experience joy and  personal freedom.   A desire is also expressed to become better at getting along with and helping others, personally and professionally.

In our last class, we had a good discussion regarding the practice of “opening consciousness”.  Participants discovered that “open consciousness” develops the ability view the world from other perspectives.  As if looking through the eyes and into the heart of another, the practice allows us to experience the joys and disappointments, love and resentments, and fears and strengths that motivate others.  This powerful practice is a  prerequisite to the compassion practices that follow.

As more participants complete the first two introductory classes, “Mind Stabilization” and “Open Consciousness”, we will begin opening classes for the next phase: Self Emptying.  Ultimately, we will have four sets of classes to participate in, the Introductory classes, Self Emptying, Divine Communion, and Compassion for self and others.

Peace and all good, may our minds be filled with peace and creativity, our hearts with love, and our cores with faith and self confidence.  Blessings!

 

 

Easter Meditation and News

Greetings Clients, Colleagues, and Friends!

Rather than publishing a Blog directly this month, I have been blessed with an invitation By Kimberly Holman to share my blog through ContemplativeTheology.com.   The blog is entitled “Easter Compassion Meditation” and in it I continue to illustrate Christian Tantric Meditation techniques and experiences through narrative examples.  Kimberly gets credit for adding beautiful and meaningful illustrations to the blog.  Thank you Kimberly!

A great deal has been happening with Ecumenical Wellness.  We are working towards opening a Meditation Studio and Counseling Center in Sautee Georgia, near Helen Georgia.  The plan is to offer people the opportunity to participate in Meditation classes as part of their own holiday, day trip, or retreat weekend to the beautiful North Georgia mountains.  Stay tuned for details!

I want to thank everyone who has supported and purchased our publication, Christian Tantric Meditation.  If you have read and enjoyed the book, please consider adding a review to our publication page at Amazon.com.

I wish everyone a blessed and joyful Christian Holy week.  Whatever Spiritual or non-Spiritual, Religious or non-Religious, faith or non-faith traditions we associate with or participate in, may we experience and appreciate the hope of Resurrection that comes with Spring.  Happy Easter!

Experiencing Jesus at Christmas

lamp_trimmed_1 As we approach Christmas, Christians anticipate the coming of Jesus in the intimate form of a baby, innocent and vulnerable. While the familiar Christmas story stands in stark contrast to the hype and commercialism that accompanies the season, for many of us, the commercial façade eventually fades and a real encounter takes place.

With regard to encountering Jesus during meditation, the book “Christian Tantric Meditation Guide” says:

“As we relax, we picture Jesus in our minds. Our friend, our teacher, and our comforter, Jesus is the One who loves us unconditionally. Jesus may appear in robes, He may appear sitting in front of us or next to us, He may appear very close, comforting and embracing us. Jesus may appear as we have seen in pictures or artistic renditions, or Jesus may appear in a different form. Jesus may even appear in female form, if we need Jesus to. Some of us have been deeply hurt by men in our lives. Jesus understands, and Jesus will come to us in any form we need in order to share God’s unconditional love.”

Recently, while practicing Christian Tantric Meditation, the vision I experienced was Jesus as a homeless person.  Recently while visiting San Francisco, I encountered fully bearded homeless men with nut brown tans laying in the grass in parks. This was the Jesus I experienced during meditation.  Some time later, I was working with a group of men in recovery when the meditation encounter resurfaced in my memory. I smiled to myself as I recognized that Jesus was among this group, reaching out to me and speaking to me, even as I worked with them.

On another occasion, while meditating I heard the voices of my family in the kitchen. Usually distractions don’t connect with my consciousness while meditating, but I heard these voices while I was practicing Divine Communion, visualizing Jesus. When I heard their voices, I recognized Jesus, reaching through them to connect with me in a warm and familiar way.

On yet another occasion, I experienced Jesus in a comforting embrace. The experience was intimate and much needed at the time, and I found my eyes tearing up in spontaneous reaction to the encounter.

Of course, meditation is one of many ways to encounter Jesus. It seems that every year, the Spirit of Christmas, the Spirit of Christ, eventually becomes a part of us. Some of us encounter the Spirit while writing cards and remembering friends and loved ones who are living away from us, some at church as the candles of Advent are lit, and for some the Spirit arrives with a glimpse of a child on a Mall Santa’s lap, eyes bright with hope and anticipation.

Whatever the reason or the situation, whether through quiet contemplation, joyful encounters with friends and family, or even in sharing a moment with a stranger, if we open ourselves to the encounter, the Spirit will come.

And this is my prayer for this Season, that we may all encounter the Prince of Peace, in whatever form that touches our hearts. Come Thou Long Expected Jesus, Come.

Christmas Blessings from Ecumenical Christian Wellness Ministries.

Post Election Compassion

In counseling we teach that we cannot change others, but we can improve our relations by changing ourselves. This is usually expressed in terms of building healthy boundaries, but I believe we can cultivate compassionate relationships by exercising compassion AND healthy boundaries. 20140704_181100_1

It gets complicated when we want others to be more “like us.” In counseling we call that triangulation – bringing in a third party rather than dealing directly with another person. That creates difficulties when conservative factions triangulate to what they consider “principles” (You should have more principles!) and liberal factions triangulate to what they consider “caring for others”  (You should have more empathy!)

Maybe when we triangulate we are expressing frustration with our own limitations as human beings. “I’m not good enough on my own – you should be good too, then maybe things will get better!” “I’m not helpful enough on my own – you should contribute more, then maybe things will get better!”

As a counselor, my advice to both parties would probably be to work on building and maintaining healthy boundaries. By over-identifying with “principle” a person can feel burdened by the sin of their own inherent humanity – unrighteousness. And by over-identifying with “caring for others”, a person can become burdened by the sin of own inherent humanity – vulnerability and need to care for self.

So the question remains – can we forgive and have compassion for each other? Can we recognize and have compassion for “those who suffer for righteousness sake”, even when they triangulate their frustrations toward others? Can we recognize and have compassion for “those who suffer on behalf of others”, even when they triangulate their frustrations toward others?

This is the root of compassion – appreciating the suffering that the other endures. And it is easy, very easy, to recognize suffering, because for the most part the sources of suffering are projected onto others. In the US, just watch Fox or MSNBC news for a few minutes, and every time someone says “should”, translate the phrase into “I wish I could”.  “Obama should build a wall to protect us” turns into “I wish I could build a wall.”  “Boehner should help undocumented workers” turns into “I wish I could help undocumented workers.”  Every time someone says “should” they express their own suffering, which presents an opportunity to increase compassion.

Of course, compassion and safe boundaries need to go hand in hand. This is part of what is unique about the compassion meditation process described in the book “Christian Tantric Meditation Guide.” In some   compassion meditation protocols questions about abuse are greeted with either silence or “just be more compassionate.” If we are going to practice compassion for our enemies, we need to do so from a safe distance.

What are the benefits of compassion?  When we develop self awareness and compassion – toward ourselves, our loved ones, our enemies, and universally, when someone looks us in the eye and says “you’re not good enough!” which we may interpret in each our own way – instead of being defensive and resentful, from a safe and respectful distance we can smile back and say “I’m human, and that’s OK. Have a blessed day!”

Meditation as a Listening Prayer Practice

Hello again, my name is Dave Miller, and I am a licensed associate professional counselor in the state of Georgia, lay pastor, and author of the book Christian Tantric Meditation Guide, available at Amazon.com in Kindle and paperback editions. Form more information visit ecumenicalwellness.org.

I’m going to start today by asking a question: What are our strengths, what are our gifts, and who is it that God made us to be?

Some of us may be self aware and living our potential, accepting and being who God made us to be. Many of us are not sure, but we have some ideas. Some of us don’t have a clue, but that’s OK, in fact that’s great, because people who admit that they don’t have a clue about who they are approach the question with an open mind, which is a great place to start any adventure.

Who are we, as human beings? For many people who participate in the Abrahamic traditions – Judaism, Christianity, and Islam, our first clue about who we are comes from our sacred scripture, which says that we are made in the Image of God. And also, from our sacred scriptures, we have some clues about who God is. We all believe that God is Merciful and Gracious, and we all believe that God is with us.

Lets unpack that a little bit, what does Gracious mean? Full of Grace. What does Grace mean? Grace means showing unmerited favor or having unconditional love. Unconditional means that whether we are sinners, or saints, or somewhere in between, God is with us and loves us.

So when we go back to our original question, which was what are our strengths and gifts, we have a few clues to start with. We are made in the image of God, we are loved unconditionally, and God is always with us.

These are powerful tools to start our adventure with, knowing God is with us and that we are loved unconditionally. From here the question naturally arises, what does it mean to be made in the image of God? Well for starters, we know that unconditional love is part of who we are, part of our DNA. We also know that being with others is part of our DNA, we are social beings.

The questions we have asked so far are about the nature of humanity, the remaining questions are a bit more specific, they apply to us as individuals.    How do we ask God, who is with us always and loves us unconditionally? In the Abrahamic traditions we ask God in prayer.

If we pray to God asking specific questions, we may need to take time to listen for an answer.  When we try to listen, a variety of things can happen.   Sometimes our minds become so flooded with possibilities that it was hard to pick out an answer.  Sometimes  our minds are so filled with day to day life the answers are covered up. And sometimes they

This is where meditation comes in.

The Abrahamic cultures and faiths have volumes and volumes of wonderful stories, advice, and messages from God as told through prophets, there are other traditions in this wonderful planet we live on who have spent thousands of years developing and documenting techniques for listening through meditation. And those techniques include Yogic Hindu and Tantric Buddhist practices.

There are many many mystical teachings from within the Abrahamic traditions that focus on listening, and studying and using those writings and traditions is a wonderful thing to do. But within those traditions, mysticism, meditation, and listening have been outside of the mainstream. In Eastern traditions, meditation has been a central focus for thousands of years, leading to Tantric practice techniques.

Because of the focus on listening, Tantric practices are consistent with many of the Abrahamic religious teachings and traditions. For example, Tantric Self Emptying calls to mind fasting and atonement practices in all traditions. Guruyoga calls to mind practices used to bring people close to God. And Compassion based meditation is consistent with teachings related to loving our neighbors and treating others as we would be treated.

Some of the eastern meditation techniques are finding their way into counseling practices. Mindfulness and Compassion oriented meditation techniques have applications in addiction, anger management, codependency, and all other areas of mental health.

Christian Tantric Meditation consists of three stages – self emptying, Divine Communion, and Compassion. Self emptying allows us to release the desires, resentments and attachments, and fears and burdens that hinder our ability to listen to ourselves, others, and God. Divine Communion invites God to become a part of us, increasing our intimacy and ability to listen, and allowing us to accept the gifts of Hope, Love, and Faith that God has to offer. And finally, Compassion practices help us to accept and love unconditionally ourselves and others, for who we are here and now.

So, we’ve asked and answered some questions, about who we are, who God is, how we speak with God in prayer and how we can listen to God using meditation. We have talked about Tantric practice applications to human psychology and to Abrahamic cultures. We’ve also talked about how Christian Tantric meditation uses Tantric practices in a Christian context. What have we learned, what are our take aways?

God is with us, and we are all loved unconditionally. Knowledge of this is our foundation. We are all formed in the Image of God, and we all are given strengths and gifts. Meditative practices help us learn and grow into our strengths and gifts. Meditative practices increase our ability to listen, which helps us appreciate ourselves, God, and others more fully.

Christian Tantric Meditation provides a powerful collection of Meditation practices that can be learned through the book and / or workshops, so visit ecumenicalwellness.org for more information.

My final prayer is that we all learn to listen to ourselves, and God, and to one another, so that we may all encourage each other and grow into being the people whom we were created to be.   Have a blessed day!