This morning, as I was waking and still in the liminal space between the Dream World and the physical world, I felt my heart expand toward infinity.
I wanted to share that heart-expansion feeling, so I began thinking of people in my life. I imagined I was sending them some of that heart-energy.
The more people I sent heart-energy to, the more people I wanted to send heart-energy to.
I sent heart-energy to friends, family, acquaintances, old flames, people I used to work with, people I knew in various contexts but no longer regularly contact, even people I see here in my city but whose names I don’t know.
I even sent heart-energy to the future, to people I don’t know yet who will help me with a situation I am planning.
And of course I sent heart-energy to my cats!
Anyone I could think of, I sent heart-energy to.
Now I feel grounded to the earth.
I feel the Love that I AM, that we all are.
I feel the JOY that comes from Love.
And I feel how connected I am to hundreds of other people.
How to Create Your Own Circle of Love
When To Do It
First thing upon awakening is the perfect time, as you’re fresh from the Dream World and haven’t yet clothed yourself in any of the cares of the day, but you can do this practice any time.
Start By Connecting To Your Heart
Center yourself by breathing into your heart space. Breathe into your heart and imagine it expanding to become three times its size. Keep breathing while imagining your heart expanding, growing towards infinity.
Imagine A Person
Now imagine someone you know. A loved one, perhaps. If you’re a visual thinker, picture their face in your mind. If you’re an audio thinker, say their name to yourself in your mind. If you feel people's energy, imagine the feel of this person.
Send Them Love
However you bring this person to you, hold them in your mind. Now imagine you are sending them some of the Love from the enormous wellspring of your heart.
Heart To Heart
Send your Love from your expanded heart, right to the other person's heart. A Heart-to-heart connection is the purest way to send heart energy, as our Hearts are timeless and connect us each to the great Love of the Universe.
Using A Color
the Love energy you send can be a particular color. The colors pink and green are often associated with heart energy, but you can use any color that feels like heart energy to you: pink, green, white, blue, purple, gold, any color (I like gold).
Using A Feeling
Or, you can simply FEEL some of the Love you feel in your expanded heart-space transfer to that person. You know what love feels like to you—just send that feeling to the other person.
Bless Them
Leave a little blessing of Love for the person you just imagined. You can now imagine a different person and send Love energy to them.
Grow Your Circle of Love
As you imagine and send Love to several people, you will feel your Circle of Love growing. All these people are connected to you, and through your heart-space, to one another. Together, you are a Circle of Love.
Questions About This Practice
- What if I think of a person I don’t like, or with whom I have conflicts?
This person came up in your mind for a reason. Over time, it is possible to subtly shift the dynamic between you or simply by sending that person Love on a regular basis.
- What if I can’t imagine the person?
It doesn’t have to be strong imagining for this practice to work. Let your thoughts drift and people will come to mind. Even if it’s just a flash of remembrance, this practice can be powerful.
- Isn’t this just the Buddhist practice of Metta?
It’s very similar, yes! (Metta is the practice of loving-kindness, a kind of meditation that cultivates compassion and a more loving, connected state of mind. Read more about it with instructions here.)
As you practice your Circle of Love, it will become easier and your sense of love and connection will grow.
Here’s to growing our Circles of Love!
