The Spiritual Practices of the Ninja by Ross Heaven

Author:Ross Heaven
Language: eng
Format: epub
Publisher: Inner Traditions / Bear & Company
Published: 2011-09-12T16:00:00+00:00

EXERCISE 10

Your Life Mission

Lie down, relax, and breathe deeply into your abdomen for a count of four, hold for a count of four, then release for a count of four. This pattern is known as four-way breathing and will help to calm and still you. Repeat the pattern a few times, then forget about it and let your breathing take care of itself.

Stage 1: The Child’s Visionb

Close your eyes and see yourself, as you are now, walking into a deep cave that descends into the Earth. You feel quite safe here; in fact, it is comforting to be in this place.

Ahead of you, you see daylight where the tunnel ends. Beyond it is an open field. Walk toward the light and step out onto the grass. Look around. Take your time.

You begin to sense that you are not alone here, and your eye is drawn to a small figure on the horizon. You walk in that direction and, as you get closer, notice that the figure is that of a child, probably no older than five, who is sitting on the grass, hunched forward, gently crying.

As you draw close and look into the face of this child, you realize it is yourself you are looking at: a younger you who is upset at something that is taking place in his or her life. Sit down too and begin to comfort the child. He or she is delighted to see you and relaxes in your presence.

“What can I do to make things better for you?” you ask. “If you had a single wish that could change things and make a better world for you, what would it be? What would your vision of a perfect world look like?”

The child thinks for a while and then answers you. “My perfect world would be . . .”

Open your eyes and write down or draw the child’s answer.

If you had to summarize this vision of a perfect world in just one word, what would it be?

Write it down here: ________________________________

Stage 2: Saving the Child

Now close your eyes and relax again. Allow yourself to drift back to that field beyond the cave and to your younger self. “I understand your vision,” you say. “Now, what can I do to make it real for you? What actions do I need to take to make this vision happen?”

The child is silent for a moment and then answers you: “These are the actions I’d like you to take . . .”

Acknowledge what he or she is telling you and remember it. If you are inspired to do so, make the child a promise that you will do what it takes to create this more perfect world.

Spend some time with the child now, having fun, connecting, making a bond between you. Then, when you are ready to leave, hug him or her to you and tell them that you love them.

As you do so, something remarkable happens. It is as if this boy or girl, now joyful and secure

Download

Copyright Disclaimer:
This site does not store any files on its server. We only index and link to content provided by other sites. Please contact the content providers to delete copyright contents if any and email us, we'll remove relevant links or contents immediately.