Sunshine Meditation

Today is an unusually windy day in my part of the world, with wind gusts up to 60  miles an hour and with heavy rain clouds and cold temps pretty much keeping everyone indoors as much as possible. Driving in to work this morning, though, was a different story: it was warmer and the sunrise was spectacularly bright and beautiful. There is something about sunshine that is powerful and healing. Anyone who has endured a long, dark winter can attest to this reality of the sun’s power to enter into body, mind and soul. Right now, though, many of us are beginning the challenging months of autumn and winter, knowing that we’re not going to see a whole lot of sunshine for quite a while. For me, it’s helpful to remember that even during the dark days of fall and winter the sun is still there, and in fact, it is actually closer to the earth than at any other time. It’s just as big and bright and beautiful as ever, even though I can’t see or feel it. Just because it is hidden behind clouds or setting early in our part of the world, does not mean that the sun cannot still be part of our daily life.

One way to do this is to meditate in a warm, quiet space and close our eyes as we breathe in and out, progressively lengthening each inhale and exhale until we feel very relaxed, peaceful, and warm. When I do this, I imagine I am experiencing a very warm summer day at the beach, and my body is warming up because of its heat. Incidentally, one of the names for Jesus, using prophetic language from the Hebrew Scriptures, is sol justitiae or Sun of Justice. As my body warms up while lying on my inner mind’s beach, I move to an awareness of Christ as the sun that has taken up residence within my heart. I focus on allowing that living flame of Christ Consciousness to become stronger and stronger, feeling its heat and embracing everything that Christ is trying to teach me in that moment. I consciously allow that heat and light to fill every part of my body, every limb and digit, until I feel nothing but the inner light of Christ. Meditation isn’t an intellectual activity, it’s an affective one, and by doing this simple, mindful refocusing on the Divine Presence within me, I feel warmed, rejuvenated, and healed. Once I come to this awareness, I spend time in the moment, trying to simply be in the presence, allowing the inner heat to radiate from inside me.

I know a lot of people struggle with the idea of meditation and can’t seem to quiet down enough inside to actually do it. Those of us who live in the northern hemisphere, where natural sunlight is scarcer in the winter months might benefit from doing this simple exercise at night in our beds as we drift off to sleep. It’s hard to be stressed and have racing thoughts if we take some time to mindfully embrace the reality of who we are and Who it is that lives within us. By keeping the sun inside of us when we are missing it on the outside is a way to embrace not only the physical sun, but also the Sun of Justice, our Emmanuel, who comes to warm the whole world through his healing rays.