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Opening Prayer
BHenry every morning I pray in a nontraditional way by using a prayer form I call "Opening Prayer". In this prayer form I open myself my essential nature or my unconscious. Other folks may do essentially the same and experience this as an indwelling spirit, God, the Holy Spirit, the higher self, a higher power, or even the force. An atheist may not be challenged in abandoning themselves to their creative functions. If someone finds the name prayer problematic sounding, they might rename "Opening Prayer": "Communing with My Deeper Creative Process".
Prayer can be a sense of opening ourselves to our creative forces or unconscious. Prayer can also be viewed as communication where we are open and paying attention to what our creative unconscious, a spirit, or God provides. We may request something like an intuitive knowing or healing or to be returned to wholeness. Some folk's prayers may represent a form of praise, thanksgiving, a confession, a request for forgiveness.
Since the 80's I've started my mornings with "Opening Prayer". With this form of prayer I relax and open myself to the unconscious/essential nature or the creative spirit. Over the years what I've opened myself to has remained the same. The outer structure has altered somewhat as I have found new ways to abandon myself to my essential nature and experience it.
In "Opening Prayer" I breathe deeply though my left nostil only while I gently pinch my right nostril shut for about 12 deep and full inhalations. This helps facilitate a connection with the unconscious. In recent years I've gone to my heartbeat region and tuned in there getting an overall felt sense. I place a palm over my heartbeat region while I turn within. I get a complete feeling of my heartbeat region and call it: "That Opening". I give my relaxed and open attention to "That Opening" and let what comes naturally unfold. It's here that my unconscious or spirit begins to unfold whatever it has instore for me. Seldom do I approach it with anything concrete in mind. (If I do I might toss a brief question upon the waters: "Please let me know about _________." I just go to that place and open myself to it. My attention may soon turn into a dream. I might be experiencing an intuition arriving in a sensual form: auditory, visual, and bodily felt. Even the prayer structure may change on its own accord. I let the spirit of the moment do the leading. I let myself step out of the way. I let go of all control. The creative spirit intercedes.
Depending on my sense of the moment I may spontaneously drop my attention on the heartbeat region and shift to a feeling that appears in my body. I'll also label it: "That Opening" and pay attention to it. Sometimes my attention may shift to various senses on its own accord. Whatever comes up is whereever my attention goes. The back ground intention is something like: "I abandon myself to wherever my essential nature takes me."
Opening Prayer:
OPENING PRAYER
***Warning: Folks with a history of severe trauma, mental illness, or panic are urged not to use this process without a counselor or therapist. If you decide to do this process you will agree to dissolve the webmaster, his server, Steve Mensing, or Emoclear.com of any responsibility for the application or misapplication of this process. This is a generally safe process to use, yet within any process there is a small possibility that someone could experience some strong discomfort. So proceed with this warning.***
(c) Steve Mensing
Steps to Opening Prayer:
(1) I find a comfortable chair in a quiet room.
(2) I might prop my head and shoulders up on sofa pillows. My body relaxes from my scalp to my toes as I let my tongue relax and flatten. I breathe deeply and fully through my left nostril for 12 deep and full inhalations and exhalations while my right nostril is gently pinched shut. I remove my hand as soon as the 12 inhalations and exhalations are completed. I place my palm on my heartbeat region and allow it to remain there during the entire prayer which lasts from 25 to 30 minutes.
My eyes are closed. The breathing may be at any speed. The breathing speed sets itself according to the leading of my essential nature. After a time the breathing does the breathing.
(3) Now aside from this third step, the rest of the Opening Prayer may move in several directions set by my inner promptings. I may look up briefly and comfortably through the area around my hairline. If this is what I'm led to do, I only do it until it begins to feel strained or uncomfortable. Looking up this way generally stimulates slower brain waves and a deeper connection with my unconscious processes. I also fully attend to my heartbeat region and get an overall felt sense of it. I label it: "That Opening". This leaves my attention relaxed and open for whatever felt knowing arrives. Or sensings or even spontaneous imagery or dreams. I allow my unconscious to direct my attention to wherever it desires. It knows. My body opens itself to this process. I may even even ask a question: "Please let me know about ______________ in your own way and time. Thank you." No matter what path my unconscious has selected, I just leave myself open. I may soon get hypnogogic images and fleeting imagery. Dreams. Voices. Knowings in my body. I abandon myself to this and give my full, open, and relaxed attention. The creative process or spirit within reveals much during these times. Usually I loose all track of time, but many times something valuable arrives often in a surprising and novel way. Intuitions have suddenly occurred to me that may alter how I see things in some project I'm working upon. I may learn something about myself. Sometimes a cold or ache I had at the time may fade out.
In Opening Prayer there is an overall sense of permission, allowing, or abandoning myself to whatever comes. There is never any attempt to force issues or of pushing. The unconscious spirit knows exactly what to do. Soon this opening will feel like second nature. Everyone is slightly different in how these openings come to them. Some may be visual, deeply felt, or even heard. A mix may exist--this is the way it is for me.
I always set a time and follow through early in the morning before I begin work.
My unconscious takes me to whatever it believes is important and I keep myself open to this.
Take care, Steve