Increasing the Vibration of Love through Tara Practices
First of all, I send you heartfelt greetings of love wherever you are at this moment….in the United States, Europe, the Middle East, or any other place on our beautiful and beloved home, planet Earth. This is an extraordinary time, which has generated intense emotional states in all of us across the globe.
Most of us have had moments of overwhelming fear, grief, anger, or helplessness. The following short practices calm the sympathetic nervous system, grounding us more deeply in the peace of our compassionate hearts.
First, take several breaths, lengthening the time of your exhale a few seconds past that of your inhale. Then, for the next few breaths, sound a sacred syllable as you exhale for as long possible. Use the syllable that resonates most strongly within you. OM is familiar to almost everyone. OM is the sound of awakened consciousness, which vibrates in the space within us and around us at all times.
Try Tara’s seed syllable, TAM, as well. TAM contains the entire energetic essence of Tara, pure unconditioned consciousness appearing in the subtle body of an awakened female Buddha. As you repeat TAM, imagine Tara’s pure light and love awakening within you and all around you. You could also repeat Tara’s name or the name of another holy being, a teacher, or an ancestor, in whom you have the deepest trust. Simply repeating the name of such beings generates
feelings of love, gratitude and safety.
Continue one of these practices until you feel anxiety subsiding and a sense of spaciousness arising, even for a few moments. As you relax into this feeling, imagine radiant light shining from your heart and share this blessing with everyone that comes to your mind.
For a longer practice, White Protecting Tara with the Three Jeweled Mudra (the gesture of refuge) can be profoundly helpful during this time. White Tara practice reminds us that we have everything we need in this moment: the presence of the fully awakened beings, the wisdom found in holy texts, and the warmth and support from our communities. The practice offers a method for finding refuge, and a way to pray for ourselves, our health, safety, and awakening. Of equal importance, there is a clear path to pray for those close to us and those we have never even met. The links to a free pdf and audio file of her practice will automatically come to you in a welcoming email when you subscribe to my mailing list. (I promise, you won’t be getting a lot of mail in your inbox!)
During this unprecedented time, I’m most grateful for innumerable free offerings from several great masters as well as generous teachers in the Buddhist traditions and others. Several teachers have asked that we use our daily practices to add to the collective vibration of love and spacious, pristine awareness.
The sacred syllables mentioned above, and all Tara mantras as well, vibrate at an extremely high level of consciousness. The higher vibration supports conditions that strengthen our immune systems, which helps decrease the impact of the virus for everyone on the planet. Your practice can make a significant contribution to the greater Earth community in this moment of need–without leaving your home!
I hope you will join me in supporting your health and the health of all beings by finding sacred time for spiritual practice, whether for shorter or longer periods. Let us all feel our precious connections to each other and to all beings. Let us amplify the vibration of love within and without!
May it be so!
Most of us have had moments of overwhelming fear, grief, anger, or helplessness. The following short practices calm the sympathetic nervous system, grounding us more deeply in the peace of our compassionate hearts.
First, take several breaths, lengthening the time of your exhale a few seconds past that of your inhale. Then, for the next few breaths, sound a sacred syllable as you exhale for as long possible. Use the syllable that resonates most strongly within you. OM is familiar to almost everyone. OM is the sound of awakened consciousness, which vibrates in the space within us and around us at all times.
Try Tara’s seed syllable, TAM, as well. TAM contains the entire energetic essence of Tara, pure unconditioned consciousness appearing in the subtle body of an awakened female Buddha. As you repeat TAM, imagine Tara’s pure light and love awakening within you and all around you. You could also repeat Tara’s name or the name of another holy being, a teacher, or an ancestor, in whom you have the deepest trust. Simply repeating the name of such beings generates
feelings of love, gratitude and safety.
Continue one of these practices until you feel anxiety subsiding and a sense of spaciousness arising, even for a few moments. As you relax into this feeling, imagine radiant light shining from your heart and share this blessing with everyone that comes to your mind.
For a longer practice, White Protecting Tara with the Three Jeweled Mudra (the gesture of refuge) can be profoundly helpful during this time. White Tara practice reminds us that we have everything we need in this moment: the presence of the fully awakened beings, the wisdom found in holy texts, and the warmth and support from our communities. The practice offers a method for finding refuge, and a way to pray for ourselves, our health, safety, and awakening. Of equal importance, there is a clear path to pray for those close to us and those we have never even met. The links to a free pdf and audio file of her practice will automatically come to you in a welcoming email when you subscribe to my mailing list. (I promise, you won’t be getting a lot of mail in your inbox!)
During this unprecedented time, I’m most grateful for innumerable free offerings from several great masters as well as generous teachers in the Buddhist traditions and others. Several teachers have asked that we use our daily practices to add to the collective vibration of love and spacious, pristine awareness.
The sacred syllables mentioned above, and all Tara mantras as well, vibrate at an extremely high level of consciousness. The higher vibration supports conditions that strengthen our immune systems, which helps decrease the impact of the virus for everyone on the planet. Your practice can make a significant contribution to the greater Earth community in this moment of need–without leaving your home!
I hope you will join me in supporting your health and the health of all beings by finding sacred time for spiritual practice, whether for shorter or longer periods. Let us all feel our precious connections to each other and to all beings. Let us amplify the vibration of love within and without!
May it be so!
