Meditation
With your eyes open, clench each hand, one at a time.
Feel the weight of your fingertips pressing against your palms.
Feel your palms pressing against fingertips.
To strengthen these sensations, breathe deeply and slowly.
On the inhalation, feel your fingertips pressing against your palms.
On the exhalation, feel your palms pressing against your fingertips.
Squeeze hands tightly, and then release.
Close your eyes and lower your hands so that they rest comfortably by your side. Visualize a red glow emanating from within each hand. Breathe deeply. Allow each inhalation to bring fresh air to your lungs. When the air fills the lungs, allow the air to pour out into your arms all the way down to your fingertips. With each breath drawn into your fingers, sense the red glow growing brighter. With each exhalation and release of air, sense the red glow dimming slightly. Inhale and the red glow brightens. Exhale and the red glow dims.
Visualize your beautiful child sitting across from you, breathing deeply, and looking down at your hands. Imagine your child’s hands; they too are pulsing red. Their hands are pulsing at the same rate – with the same rhythm – as yours. As your child lifts her head, look at her beautiful face and smile. Your child looks to you and smiles.
In your mind’s eye, raise your hands so that they appear in front of your face. Look at each finger, the red glow emanating from deep within. Take a few moments and pour awareness into your hands. When awareness resides in your hands, your hands will begin to tingle. You know, your hands are alive. Keep awareness centered in the hands. The tingle, which may be very slight, is your hands waking up. – coming to life. Can you feel the tingle? Smile as you invite your hands to share in the experience of living.
Your child raises her hands so that all four of your hands are raised and close together, almost touching. Touch your child’s hands and the tingle spreads to her hands. The red glow brightens to a beautiful red hue; a ruby red sunset. Maintain your breathing, slow and steady.
Begin to clap your hands. Your child begins to clap her hands. Soon, all four hands are clapping. Clap your hands slowly, in rhythm with your breathing. You can sense your hands tingling.
Smile as you and your child continue to clap together in unison. Visualize the red glow moving back and forth with the clapping motion of the hands. Sense the tingling feel of your hands and allow breaths of air to pour deep into your lungs, filling your belly, and then moving out along the arms to feed your finger tips. You are energized!
Take a slow deep breath and enjoy looking at your child’s beautiful hands, a reddish glow upon your child’s beautiful face. This is a joyful time. Observe how the clapping sound fills the silence with a beautiful rhythm. Breathe into the rhythm.
Reach out and clasp your child’s hands. Feel the warmth of your child’s hands and bring them to your chest. Feel the warmth penetrate into your heart.
As this meditation comes to a close, gently move your body from side to side. Raise your arms and reach out your hands to where you have imagines your child’s hands to be. Open your eyes and smile.
