Larger Visions Blog

Love: A State of Presence and Connectedness

Love: A State of Presence and Connectedness

When people talk about love, they are frequently talking about romantic love. People spend a lot of time looking for the partner who will love them as they deeply want to be loved. However, very often, people forget that love is a constant in their life. And while nothing can take the place of an intimate partnership, love is a practice that does not require another person.

The basics of the practice of having love in your life are receiving and giving. When we are fully receiving and giving, we are connected and in the flow of the universe. In the following newsletters, I will offer practices to increase the flow of love in your life.

Practice #1: Breath

Spiritual disciplines around the world have emphasized the importance of a person’s breath. The breath is a primary way that we give and receive with the world around us. People stop breathing when they get tense or scared. Breathing encourages feeling and connection to one’s self. Every day for a full week, take five full breaths or more at one time. On the inhalation, breathe in love; on the exhalation, breathe out love. Really feel the fullness of your heart and the fullness of the love around you streaming in and out of your body.

Practice #2: Acts of Kindness

Between “Pay it Forward” and bumper stickers, we are all pretty much aware of the impact that small gestures of kindness have on the world around us. Many of us get caught up in our lives and forget to do the little things that mean so much. Shower the world with your love. For each day this week, do something kind for the people with whom you come in contact. If you want to challenge yourself some more, do something kind for someone that you have a difficult relationship with or for someone you have been neglecting.

Practice #3 See the Love

Does the world look dark? Do people seem not to care? Sometimes this can all seem a bit Pollyanna. Small acts don’t seem to put a dent in the suffering and despair we see all around us. But even in the worst of times and the worst of places there are glimmers of love. No matter where you are, or the current state of you life, take a few minutes every day for the next week to notice the many faces of love around you. They might be small – like a blade of grass through the pavement – but they are there.