HOMEGROUP IN YOUR HEART
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Begin this process by finding a calm, quiet place in which you feel safe to experience deep feelings without being disturbed or distracted. Begin the 5 minute meditation technique. Become still. Relax and focus on deep, comfortable breathing into your belly. Allow yourself to fully fill your belly with air, holding it gently and exhaling gently. Use your diaphragm to help you if you know how to use it. Become quiet. Allow your breathing to become softer and deeper. Allow your mind to settle gently while you detach gently from spontaneous thoughts and impulses. Relax and continue deep, gentle breathing. As you breathe, gently begin to bring each relaxing breath to the space around your heart—breathing around your heart with relaxation. Breathing though your heart with gentle relaxation. Allow your body and awareness to stay centered around the space of your heart, breathing and relaxing.
At this point, imagine your Homegroup. It is a place of warmth and companionship, love and acceptance. Imagine yourself as the greeter. This is the most loving and accepting service position in your Homegroup. You get to welcome everyone who enters. Now at this point allow yourself to feel both the comfort of relaxed breathing. Feel the emotional comfort of being at your homegroup, in a safe and loving place. Once you can “lock onto” these gentle and warm feelings, slowly visualize the Homegroup image moving down into your heart. At this point you are gently and deeply breathing into your heart, allowing your body to participate automatically in the natural rhythm of breathing. You also allow the image of your Homegroup to settle around the space of your heart. You visualize yourself standing as the greeter for your homegroup and feel the warm affection of being in this space. Take a moment to just be in this place. Use as little effort as possible, be gentle with this entire experience.
The next stage of this experience begins by imagining your sponsor entering your homegroup space. Give him/her a handshake or hug. Imagine expressing kindness and goodwill. Imagine feeling warm trust and affection toward your sponsor. Imagine it until you feel the actual feeling of love through service, this feeling will fill the space around your heart. Next, imagine any friend(s) you have entering the meeting. Greet them in the same way. Continue to generate and fill your heart with warm, affectionate feelings. Imagine your sponsees and imagine yourself greeting each in turn in the most accepting and heartfelt way. Allow the feelings of goodwill and connection to build in your heart.
Now, into this love filled space within and surrounding your heart—this space into which you are breathing deeply and gently, bring the first person on your resentment / amends list. Consider bringing first someone toward you hold a modest or low level resentment. As you remain connected to your breathing and the love in your heart allow the person you resent to change so that THEY FIT INTO THE FEELING AND SPACE you have established in your heart. They are changing to fit into YOUR space and your feelings of goodwill and love. This is a powerful affirmation that you can remain grounded in your program and that the world can fit into your benevolent attitude.
Next, bring another friendly person you know into the Homegroup in your Heart. This “warms” you heart back up and gets you grounded again in the benevolent feeling. Next, bring the second resented person into your heart. Again, allow the image of them to change to fit the loving space inside you. In a sense, they will change to fit into your choice of feeling goodwill toward them. Give yourself time to breathe deeply and gently into your heart and remain grounded in the good feelings YOU have CHOSEN. You are in power here. Continue this process for as long as you are able—bringing people and situations into the Homegroup in Your Heart. As they enter that space, greet with an attitude and feeling of love and acceptance and allow them to change so that they can recognize and receive your positive feelings toward them.
And don’t forget, frequently on a resentment list or an amends list we have placed our own name. Imagine yourself approaching your homegroup and you as a greeter are the very warmest and best person to receive the “Newcomer” (you). Imagine yourself greeting and giving a hug to yourself, accompanied with kind words of “I’ll love you until you can love yourself” and, “Keep coming back, you’re the most important person here.”