Class 4: Heart awakening

We can't make ourselves love. We can't manipulate life so that we have loads of love. We can't store love, we can't do anything but open our hearts to love, and share love in the present moment.

• For me, meditation is the process of expanding our awareness beyond the contractions that shut love out - and then simply surrendering to love, dwelling in love, and letting love flow through us into other hearts.

This fourth expansion makes sure that you aren't making the primary error that keeps love from flowing in.

You must after all love, honor and accept yourself just as you are, in order for love to flow.

When you judge yourself as bad or no good, when you condemn yourself as less than perfect, when you feel that you have to somehow change in order to be loveable, you directly impede the inflow of love into your heart.

So in this fourth expansion, first of all you want to simply expand your awareness to include the feelings in your heart. See how you're feeling toward yourself. And then say the potent focus phrase that shifts you instantly in the direction of loving youself:

• "I love myself, just as I am."

Of course many people instantly say in reaction to this statement, "I love myself just as I am," that they simply cannot do that! After all, they're not perfect, they have so many faults, they've done so many bad things in life - and they have to change so much for the better before they can love themselves just as they are.

Most people are afraid that if they stop judging and love themselves just as they are, that all forward momentum in their lives will stop - they'll never improve themselves or get over their neurotic traits, if they just easy up and accept themselves, right?

Wrong.

• The psychological truth is clear, as all therapiosts know - onl;y when you love and accept yourself just as you are, can the power of love flow into your heart, and evoke the deep healing you need in your life.

Yes, it's a paradox - as are most of the deeper realizations of life. But you know in your own life, that when you love yourself and feel good in your heart, wonderful things start happening. But if you're hating yourself and judging yourself as not good enough, then bad things happen and your life spirals downward.

• So the logical choice is self-evident - it's time to quit judging yourself, and time to start loving yourself as perfect right here and right now.

You certainly have room to grow in the future, but in the present moment it's vital to accept the reality of who you are as perfect. After all, this is God's creation - and it's perfect. And that includes even- you!

So given the choice of loving yourself or codemning yourself, Jesus was clear - love yourself.

It's curious that Jesus didn't say, go into therapy and spend ten yers trying to make yourself acceptalbe and loveable. He said, just do it. Now. Love yourself!

This meditation process is designed in this spirit - often every day, just for a short moment, say to yourself, "I love myself just as I am." And each time you say this, you'll move in this direction. Yes, it's a progressive experience. But right now, point your loving attention to your heart, and encourage movement in the direction Jesus taught!

Right now, you can aim your attention in this direction -

Just tune into the sensation of the air flowing in and out of your nose ...

Expand to include the movements in your chest and belly ...

Expand to also include the feelings in your heart ...

And say to yourself, "I love myself, just as I am."

• That's the most direct process for shifting into heart mode, and encouraging the self-love that enables you to love others, and flourish in life.

Let's move on to the audio meditation and experience this more deeply now...