February flew by, and I am not ashamed of not writing. Lol. I won't make excuses here (brace yourself for excuses, ha!), but life has been beautifully BUSY. I'm still finding my new rhythm, which includes pouring into this blog again, amongst other things like family, my spirituality, my well-being, work, and play. Carving out time to write each week takes discipline and energy. I'm restructuring what the balanced division of my focus and energy looks like right now.
With that said, March blog post!
Red toes
amongst green blades
pierce not
my sole
but penetrate my mind
grounding my
spirit
charging my
light
green blades
clay matter
recenter my thoughts
align my walk
refine my talk
don't make
me go
blissful realm
close upon
water flows
green blades
abound
a stabilizing
force
endless gratitude
to all
that you
give
always coming
back to
you
long as
I live
Honestly, things feel really good right now. Although there is hustle, grind, and movement throughout my life this month, I feel excellent. I'm happy, focused, and grateful. I've been experiencing this reality by regularly including prayer and meditation.
I shared Mrs. Forthman's name on my threads a few weeks ago, and I told you all that I would talk more about her when the time was right. She's been a beautiful addition to my life these last few months. Meeting Mrs. Forthman was divinely orchestrated because it was during a season in my life when I was asking God to show me a few things.
The first time I met Mrs. Forthman, she prayed for me, spoke life over me, and talked about her 80+ years of faith journey. She inspiringly reminded me of what I already knew as a child and young adult: to continue to pour my heart out in prayer. Coming from her, on that particular day, at that specific place, was unreal. The transparent testimony of her spiritual journey brought me to tears, and I hugged her like she was my grandmother, whom I desperately missed at the time and still do as I am writing this now. (Ohio - I'm coming soon!)
As time went on, I saw Mrs. Forthman more. She shared that she had recently experienced some things in her life. Well, when that time came, I had a different mindset. I had followed the instructions she had given me weeks before. I included meditation and therapy into the mix with prayer and made it my spiritual development practice. So, this time, when she needed prayer, it felt effortlessly organic to stop and pray over Mrs. Forthman and intercede on her behalf.
It's never about being good enough to pray and meditate or knowing "how" to do it. If you ask me, it's about choosing to be in a benevolent, balanced space, aligned with the creator, and having a faithful willingness to advocate for your or someone else's intentions.
Now, jokingly, there are some folks whose prayers work faster and are designated into the VIP prayer mail center in heaven, which the creator gets at the start of the day, not the end. LOL. Amongst these folks would be my grandparents. They pray for me, and I know they have a direct line to the creator, LOL! My grandmother's prayers have carried me throughout my life. They got me through college, relocations, breakups, and then some. I aspire to be such a person who spends so much time with the creator even into my 80s.
This month, Mrs. Forthman called me and told me how much that prayer for her has impacted her life. She told me how the prayer was beautiful, that it brought her peace, and that she was seeing God move.
Now yall - now, if I, Kasai Marie, can pray for somebody, any of you can do this! I promise you. I was raised in church all my life; many men in my family on both sides are pastors, deacons, etc., but currently, I do not attend church.
Don’t get distracted by that. Lol. That's another blog for another day.
The point is that This. is all about Your. Intention, not your credentials or membership.
Prayer doesn't require a list of prerequisites for outstanding moral conduct and character. It requires benevolent intention as a starting point. This is the same for meditation. Psychology Today defines meditation as a mental exercise that trains attention and awareness that can help clear away the mind's chatter, reduce stress, and promote calmness.
How incredible would it be to pray and meditate for your benefit and impact someone else's life by praying for them and sharing mindfulness practices with them also?
If each of us did this and benevolently shared it with someone, and they did the same, and those people did the same, and so on, we could change the culture around us. It would be like an infection but beautiful, like a massive prayer and meditation outbreak. Could you imagine it?
In all seriousness, I don't have the words to quantify the importance of these two things and how they have reshaped my life. All I can do is share my experiences and some tips and tricks I've learned along the way.
Here are my five tips for incorporating prayer and meditation into your life:
1. Set aside dedicated time:
Schedule specific times in your day for prayer and meditation, just like any other important activity. Consistency is critical to building a habit, so stick to your chosen times as much as possible.
2. Start small and build up:
If you're new to prayer and meditation, feel free to start with smaller increments. Refrain from overwhelming yourself by trying to meditate for an hour straight or recite lengthy prayers and scriptures. Begin with a few minutes each day and gradually increase the duration as you become more comfortable.
3. Create a peaceful environment:
Find a quiet, comfortable space where you can focus without distractions. Dim the lights, light a candle, or play soothing music to help set the mood. Making your environment conducive to relaxation can enhance your prayer and meditation experience.
4. Create your prayer and meditation technique:
There are many different approaches to prayer and meditation, so don't be afraid to explore various techniques to see what works best for you. Try mindfulness meditation, guided visualization, breathwork, or chanting. Similarly, you can experiment with different types of prayers, such as gratitude prayers, prayers for healing, or prayers for guidance. Use your own religious or spiritual preferences here. If you're Christian, you can set your entire intention for your meditation practice around your beliefs and use prayers from the bible that resonate with you. Meditating on scripture can also be incorporated into a tremendous Christ-centered visualization and vocalization practice. While in church, I learned that speaking scriptures out loud when practicing scripture memorization is very helpful. I can even remember being in Sunday school chanting the books of the bible in order with a room full of other children to memorize them. "Genesis, Exodus Leviticus Number, Deuteronomy, Joshua, Judges, Ruth," and so on! I can still recite most of them from chanting them every Sunday as a little girl til this day. Create your technique by researching and creating a practice that you align with.
5. Be patient and compassionate with yourself:
Like any skill, prayer and meditation require practice and patience. Keep going if your mind wanders or if you find it challenging to stay focused at first. Be gentle with yourself, and remember that it's okay to have ups and downs along the way. The important thing is to keep showing up and making an effort to incorporate prayer and meditation into your daily routine.
And Love, don’t forget: Be sure to add and change what you need. I encourage you to make it your own thing!
I’d love to learn more about you. Comment your favorite prayer and meditation practice below!
Happy Spring
Kasai Marie