In the form of healing qigong that I have studied there is something called a “field setting.” It is a conscious establishment of alignment of the levels of one’s physical, emotional, mental and subtle bodies with a harmonious or healing intention at the larger collective, natural world and universal levels of realities. It is the very first thing one does as part of a session of practice. It “sets the field” for the direction of whatever then happens through any specific methods that one uses. It’s like the GPS that heads you in the right direction.
Similarly in Tibetan Buddhist practice, the very first thing one does to begin a period of meditation or any form of spiritual practice – including the whole day – is to connect with what is considered the most beneficial human intentions possible. In this tradition the unsurpassed GPS is considered to be “bodhicitta” or the intent to awaken from suffering and to embody perfect wisdom for the benefit of all beings, which means helping all beings without exception to themselves awaken. This tradition also first takes refuge in (i.e., humbly asks for and aspires to be part of) demonstrated beneficial fields of human possibility, which are historicallly named “Buddha, Dharma, Sangha”, but which might be considered more generically to be “The Awakened Ones, The Demonstrated Teachings and Paths for Awakening to The Way Things Are, The Fellowships of Beings on Paths of Awakening.”
Whether any of these examples of the tradition of “field setting” resonates with you, I encourage you to consider the wisdom of the principles behind aligning with and prioritizing a BIG beneficial intent in your life and stating it out loud every day. I have found that setting my GPS to such an intent is an invaluable boost for my daily journey, a way to “hitch my energy” to something that has it’s own beneficial intelligence, history and power, as well as a way to find my way back to a helpful direction when my vehicle has taken a wrong turn (which happens pretty often:-). It also is stabilizing during times that are chaotic, fragmenting and uncertain, such as those we are living through now.
Some examples of non-sectarian BIG field settings might be:
“May I live in alignment with the most harmonious principles of the universe today.”
“I ask whatever is greater than myself to help me create caring, non-harming and beneficial actions of my body, speech and mind today.”
“I am true love, I am true peace, I am true gratitude, I am true joy – may all beings benefit!”
What might your expression of a BIG field setting for your daily life be? What’s your inner GPS?
I’d love to know – email me at shana.l.klinger@gmail.com if you’d like to share.