Beside Restful Waters
by Gregory Hermann
The following is from Lama Rod Owens, Love and Rage:
The Path Of Liberation through Anger, 2020
THE SEVEN HOMECOMINGS
A practice to honor our own personal “circle of care”.
- Begin contemplating the first homecoming of the guide. Reflect on any being who has been a guide, a teacher, a mentor, an adviser, or an elder for you. Reflect on the beings in your life whom you’ve gone to for guidance and support… Invite them to gather around you in a circle and say welcome. Relax. Inhale. Exhale and come home to being held by your guides.
- The second homecoming is your wisdom texts. Reflect on any text that has helped you to deepen your wisdom. These texts can include any writing, books, teachings, sacred scriptures… that have helped you to experience clarity, openness, love, and compassion… Say welcome to your texts. Relax. Inhale. Exhale and come to being held by your wisdom texts.
- The third homecoming is community. Begin by reflecting about the
communities, groups, and spaces where you experience love or the feelings of being happy… Where do you feel safe to love? Where are you being loved? Say welcome to your communities. Relax. Inhale. Exhale and come home to being held by your communities.
-The fourth homecoming is our ancestors. Begin by reflecting on those ancestors who have wanted the best for you, including wanting you to be happy and safe. You don’t need to know who those ancestors are… Also reflect on the lineages you feel connected to, like the lineage of your spiritual tradition, or tradition of art or activism… Say welcome to your ancestors and lineages. Relax. Inhale. Exhale and come home to being held by your ancestors and lineages.
- The fifth homecoming is the earth. Begin by reflecting on…how the earth sustains your life and the lives of countless beings…Coming home to the earth means touching the earth, acknowledging the earth… allowing [her] to hold you and, as [she] holds you, understanding that [she] is loving you as well… Say welcome to the earth. Relax. Inhale. Exhale and come home to being held by [Mother] earth.
- The sixth homecoming is silence. Begin by reflecting on the generosity of silence as something that helps you have the space to be with yourself… Reflect on how you can embrace silence as a friend and/or lover invested in your health and well-being… Say welcome to the silence. Relax. Inhale. Exhale and come home to being held by the silence.
- Finally, the seventh homecoming is yourself. Begin by reflecting on your experiences of your mind and body. Consider how your experiences are valuable, important, and crucial. Invite all the parts of yourself into your awareness, including the parts of yourself that seem too ugly or overwhelming… Say welcome to yourself. Relax. Inhale. Exhale and come home to yourself.
Now imagine that your circle of benefactors begins to dissolve into white light, and gather that white light into your heart center. Rest your mind and relax.
Greg here. Over the next 7-8 weeks, I will focus on these homecoming invitations one at a time. I invite your reflections as well.
Namaste’