“Beauty is not in the face; Beauty is a light in the heart.”—Kahlil Gibran

Dear Friends,

Today’s essay is inspired by my ongoing struggle to keep balanced, to not be overcome by the relentless daily spewing of darkness, ugliness, disunity, and cruelty that pollutes my environment. I share with you a precious gift that strengthens my spirit in these times.

Maybe 90 years ago, when the majority of people lived in one place their whole life and their primary input was confined to local newspapers, radio shows and village gossip, the same dehumanizing thoughts of various “isms” were present. They just were not yet connected globally. Given humanity’s perpetual love of war, History shows that these “isms” surely existed in people’s psyches well before they had access to the written word or any technology.

What has changed is the impact of current technology on humanity’s psyche. Please understand I am not a Luddite. I enjoy the mod cons of technology as much as the next great-grandmother. However, we are living in a time when, in a nanosecond, social media has the capacity to amplify the emotionality lurking in the shadows of our collective psyche. An alluring 24/7 invitation is broadcast around the planet: “Come feast upon a yummy multi-course banquet of the darkest of dark stuff.”

Because I know that where one’s attention goes, so goes one’s energy, I consciously choose to place my attention on the Light. One potent place of Light to focus my attention upon is the healing power of Contemplating Beauty. Admittedly, it is not an easy choice yet I know the painful consequences of being sucked into the dark stuff’s energy. Mine is not a naive choice to deny the existence of the Death-Force with its current insidious expressions of ugliness and hateful bigotry.

Rather, Contemplating Beauty is a radical act, a stand taken with the Life-Force. It is a radical choice, made moment by moment, over and over and over, to bring balance, sanity, hope, and renewal during the many challenging moments of witnessing man’s inhumanity to man. And witnessing my own role in that dynamic. Contemplating Beauty is a choice that brings profound healing to my soul and to my world. I invite you to explore how and in what ways you are taking a firm stand with the Life-Force.

I’ve been Contemplating Beauty for most of my life and here is what I’ve experienced so far:

• Beauty is a balm for the soul.
• Beauty is a way of seeing and being.
• Beauty is an elixir for the body, mind and spirit.
• Beauty reflects the true nature of life: we are eternal souls ever evolving, ever growing in compassion and wisdom.
• Beauty is not necessarily about a thing I see, though some things I see are beautiful, to me.
• Like any act of gardening, cultivating beauty requires special tools, attention, timing, and devotion.
• Cultivating Beauty is an intentional practice that nurtures spiritual growth and brings great riches of peace, equanimity and contentment.

“Though we travel the world over to find the beautiful, we must carry it with us, or we find it not.”

Ralph Waldo Emerson

I invite you to experiment with turning your attention, over and over and over, moment by moment, to the healing power of Contemplating Beauty. Most importantly, pay attention to what happens within your being over time when you practice focusing on Beauty. Perhaps after a while, you might begin to hear comments like, “Something’s different about you. Did you change your hair? You look so young!” Or, “How come you’re not as combative as you used to be, Mom? You seem so relaxed! Are you on meds or something?” Or, “Did you go on vacation? You seem so rested.”

Object of Beauty Meditation

Today I share this new 12-minute recording of The Object of Beauty meditation. The Object of Beauty has been my primary meditation practice for many years. The practice has brought me immense peace and healing of body, mind and spirit. I sincerely hope you find Joy as you practice the meditation over time, dear friends.

Lovingkindness Mantra (Metta Prayer)

May any merit that comes from sharing the Object of Beauty meditation go to my beloved Kriya Yoga teachers, Sri Goswami Kriyananda and Swami Pranananda, mahaswami.

May you walk in Beauty today and all the days of your life, dear friends.

Love,