From Fear into Light

Psalm 27:1, The Lord is my light and my salvation— whom shall I fear? The Lord is the stronghold of my life— of whom shall I be afraid?

I often wake up anxious. Fearful. Not sure why. But over the last few years I have developed a prayer practice that helps shift me from fear into light and salvation. I want to share this practice with you this morning.

The practice is tied to the chakras and opening them up to the light. I sit in my prayer place, sit up straight, and take a few deep breaths. I am aware of what is happening in my body. If I am feeling anxious, I feel the anxiety. I welcome the anxiety. It is here to teach me something, so I do not try to send it away. I am aware of the anxiety, but it is not running the show. I continue to breathe.

I focus on the top of my head, my crown. I say “Come Holy Spirit come” three times, continuing to breath. I say, “Come light of Christ, pour down into my crown, into my body, into my being.” As I say these words, I focus on my crown and imagine the light of Christ pouring down.

Next I focus on my mind, my third eye. I say, “Come light of Christ, enter my mind, my third eye.” I imagine the light moving in and through my thinking, my anxious thoughts. I see the light’s presence illuminating how I see the world from the inside out. I sit with this for a short time.

I move to my throat. I say, “Come light of Christ, enter my throat.” Often my throat is sore in the mornings. I let the light of Christ shine on that soreness. I let the light of Christ shine on what I want to say. Perhaps I am preparing for a talk or sermon or I have emails I need to send. I will let the light of Christ shine on what I am to communicate. I hold those words in the light of Christ.

My heart space is next. I image the light of Christ shine on my heart. “Come light of Christ, enter my heart.” The heart is where I focus on love, the love of who I am, the love of my family, of the Retreat House or Camp Gilmont, the love of Christ and Christ’s church. Whatever rises for me at this moment that needs the light of Christ. I often pause here for a while, allowing the light of love to flow and move. I imagine those whom I am loving as being surrounded by the love of Christ.

I move to my gut area, what I see as the area of my soul, my own life’s uniqueness. I say, “Come light of Christ, enter my soul.” If I feel anxiety and worry, this is where I feel it. I see the light of Christ moving, illuminating that anxiety. I am not trying to get the darkness to go away, such as turning on the light in a dark basement. I am seeing the light as a presence that can hold and not be overwhelm by whatever the concern is. The light has moved through the crown, the mind, the throat, and the heart. Now the light is moving into the depth of me. I spend sometime breathing here. Being present. Allowing the light to move throughout my whole being.

Next I focus on the creative part, below the gut area. I want the light of Christ to shine and dance and move with who I am. I want my creativity to stir, to help me to see and speak and feel in new ways. What are the colors? What is the energy that wants to dance? What new is asking to be birthed. This is not the area of me where I am most comfortable. For that reason, this is where I need the light of Christ to help me to be.

Last I focus on grounding myself, connecting myself to the Earth. The light of Christ is being incarnated into me. I experience this light in my body and in my connection with this Earth. The light of Christ is not something I am seeking to escape into, away from what is in me and around me. The light of Christ invites me to be present, grounded in this day and in this moment.

Clay Brantley

RH Director

House of Series Author