the mindful empath Michael Scott Evans

Week 23:The Mindful Empath's Almanac
I will start recording these voiceovers so they hit the podcast feed, I hope you enjoy them!! If you become a paid subscriber you will begin to receive longer audio meditations (8 per year). The next one is coming up soon!!
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Transcript:
“I am not gay, but if I were, I would be the first one running out of the closet.”
~ Dolly Parton
Reflection:
I used to think that being gay was wrong.
I used to think that there was only ONE way to be human, to love, and to have a family.
I used to think that gayness was a sin, because that’s what I was told by the people that interpreted the Bible for me.
I don’t think these things anymore, and it’s not because “society” or “culture” has changed my values.
The truth of the matter is that the value of love and equality in the eyes of the divine is one that most Christians claim.
I think the one thing that really changed my opinion on this (as well as my views on race) was the realization that ASSIMILATION into the dominant culture was COUNTER to the Gospel of Love.
Assimilation requires uniformity.
It denies the dynamic uniqueness of the individual in favor of a homogenous sameness that feels safe.
Evangelization shouldn’t require assimilation, but that is what it has become. Evangelization and Colonialism are the tools of empire, of conquering.
Pride: to be conscious of one's own dignity.
Pride should be about recognizing that my dignity and personhood is not an affront to anyone else’s.
Pride should be about understanding that the Gospel of Love is an invitation to ALL who believe that LOVE is both the question and the answer to the purpose of being.
My dignity is not up for debate. Neither is the dignity of ANYONE regardless who they love, what they look like, who they pray to (or don’t), or their nationality.
Celebrate our LGBTQIA family and friends, and perhaps you might find some pride as well.
Intention:
Join me in this intention:
Today, I choose to recognize the divine presence in everyone I encounter.
Meditation:
Universal Love
Imagine a radiant light at the center of your being. This light represents the love that is inherent within all of us, a love that connects us to all beings. See this light expanding outward, reaching out to encompass everyone you know and love.
Breathe.
Now, visualize this light extending further, reaching out to people you don't know but share experiences with, like colleagues, neighbors, or fellow travelers. See the light embrace them with warmth and acceptance.
Breathe again.
Bring to mind the LGBTQIA+ community. See them bathed in this same radiant light of universal love. Recognize that their love is just as valid, just as beautiful, as any other form of love.
Silently repeat this affirmation, or one that resonates with you: "All love is welcome. All love is worthy. All love is a reflection of the universal light."
Spend some time simply basking in this feeling of universal love and acceptance. Feel the barriers between yourself and others dissolving. Recognize the shared humanity that connects us all.
Imagine yourself carrying this light of love with you as you move through your day. See yourself interacting with everyone you meet with kindness and compassion. Notice how this simple act of love can ripple outward, creating a more accepting and loving world.

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Cultivation:
Here are a few practical ideas for cultivating a compassion and connection with the LGBTQIA community.
* Educate Yourself: Learn about LGBTQIA+ identities, history, and current issues. There are many resources online and in libraries, like GLAAD or PFLAG.
* Use Inclusive Language: Avoid heteronormative assumptions and gendered language. Use people's chosen names and pronouns.
* Challenge Assumptions: Don't make assumptions about someone's sexual orientat

Week 20:The Mindful Empath Almanac
I will start recording these voiceovers so they hit the podcast feed, I hope you enjoy them!! If you become a paid subscriber you will begin to receive longer audio meditations (8 per year). The next one is coming up soon!!mindfulempath.substack.com/subscribe
Quote:
“The only thing we never get enough of is love; and the only thing we never give enough of is love.”
~ Henry Miller
A Poem about Space:
I’ve been thinking a lot about space lately.
How we use it.How we make room for it.How we manipulate it and how we abuse it.How we “take it up” or push it away.
And how, oftentimes, we don’t make time for it in our day.
Space can be holy, or can it?

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The room to breathe is all good and well, but the air...the energy in that space can open up for what is already there.
The space between you and me is charged with energy.
My words and body, my energetic space, can communicate anger, pity, resentment.These messages get flung with every harsh word, every dark stare.Pushing everyone away…creating distance…space.
On a different day I might be a peaceful harbor of safety, love, and contentment.that speaks kindness, grace, and forgiveness.
It is with these kind words and hopeful actions we pull people towards us in harmony, unity, and love.
Every warm embrace and loving gesture imagines a space where we are connected, alive and together.
Intention:
Join me in this intention:
Today, I allow myself to give and receive love fully.
Meditation:
To listen to the following meditation in audio form, please play below.
Making Space for Love
Within your chest, visualize a soft, warm light. This light represents your capacity for love.
With each inhale, imagine this light growing brighter and expanding outward. Feel it fill your entire body, reaching your fingertips and toes.
As you exhale, let go of any thoughts, worries, or past experiences that might be holding you back from love. Release them like clouds drifting away in the sky.
Breathe in love, expanding the light within.
Breathe out anything that might be blocking your ability to receive and give love.
Notice the spaciousness created by releasing negativity. This is the space you're making for love to flow freely.
Stay with this feeling of openness and love for a few moments. Let it fill you and radiate outward.
Cultivation:
Here are a few practical ideas for cultivating love-space around you!
Practice active listening: When someone is talking to you, give them your full attention. Make eye contact, ask clarifying questions, and avoid interrupting.
Offer words of encouragement: Notice someone's efforts and compliment them genuinely. Offer support and positive reinforcement to those around you.
Spend quality time together: Plan a meaningful activity with a loved one, friend, or family member. Put away distractions and focus on enjoying each other's company.
Appreciation:
Do you struggle with showing appreciation to the people in your life that deserve it? It’s good to remember Henry Miller’s quote. Love is ABSOLUTELY something we never get enough of or get! It’s also one of those rare elements in life that ONLY exists and grows when we give it away. Here are some examples of Gratitude statements for your loved ones….
* For love and support: "I am so grateful for your unwavering love and support. You make me feel safe and cherished."
* For laughter and joy: "Thank you for bringing so much laughter and joy into my life. You make even the ordinary days feel extraordinary."
* For growth and learning: "I'm so thankful for the ways you challenge me and help me grow as a person."
* For understanding and acceptance: "Thank you for accepting me for who I am, flaws and all. It means the world to feel understood."
* For specific qualities: "I appreciate your incredible sense of humor/patience/generosity. It m

Quote:
“I have not an ounce of regret. Every link is so valuable in forming the chain that is my life. Who I am today is because of those links, and I wouldn't change any of them.”
~ Alanis Morisette
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Reflection on Regret and Present Moment Awareness:
The past has served its purpose for you, my friends.
It has brought you here, to this very moment.
All the turns and detours, the imprecise directions that turned into unexpected adventures, the bad choices and the wonderful celebrations, all of it.
It brought you here.
You COULD concentrate and emphasize the "wrong" turns or the "bad" choices, but even they brought you HERE to this divine moment, so I ask you...what use is regret?
Release that s**t.
Release that along with any feelings of guilt or remorse you might have.
Your path is your own and comparing it to others can be a source of great suffering.
Release that.
Release that along with any and all expectations, met or unmet.
In the divine magic of unlimited opportunity in THIS moment, those expectations don't serve you.
There might have been people that you've journeyed with at times that are no longer companions.
Release those feelings of abandonment. 
Maybe they veered off into a different direction, or perhaps it was you that wandered off in curiosity?
Those crossroads and worn paths are behind you now, and those decisions brought you here.
There are likely beliefs and ways of being that you've moved beyond. It is not better or worse that others are still in those places, that is part of their journey.
Release those feelings of comparison, or even superiority, that others aren't where you are.
Release the idea that where you are, RIGHT NOW, is your final destination.
There are miles to go, dear traveler.
Release those things that are weighing you down, and walk lighter.
Walk, run, dance, and along your path you might find others dancing with you. You have found your tribe. Those are the ones that will walk you home.
Enjoy the journey.
Intention:
Join me in this intention:
Today I choose to live with courage and authenticity, embracing growth over perfection..
Meditation:
To listen to the following meditation in audio form, please play below.
Releasing Regret
Find a comfortable position, sitting or lying down. Close your eyes gently, or soften your gaze if you prefer.
Bring your awareness to your breath. Feel the rise and fall of your chest with each inhale and exhale. Let your breath be your anchor, guiding you back to the present moment when your mind wanders.
(Notice any feelings of regret that may arise. Don't judge them, simply acknowledge them with a gentle curiosity.)
Imagine regret as a physical weight, a heavy stone you're carrying. Feel its density, its shape. See yourself holding onto it tightly.
(With each exhale, visualize yourself loosening your grip on the stone. Let it become a little lighter with each breath.)
Now, see a soft light filling the space where the stone was. This light represents self-compassion, understanding, and forgiveness. Let it bathe you in its warmth.
Repeat the following phrase three times as you breathe deeply…
“I am learning and growing.”
Continue breathing deeply, feel the weight being lifted and replaced with the light of self-compassion.
When you are ready, gently bring your awareness back to your surroundings. Take a few moments to integrate this feeling of release.
Remember, releasing regret is a journey, not a destination. Be kind to yourself as you practice letting go.
Cultivation:
Releasing regret is a powerful tool, and one that takes a lot of self-care and time. Here are some tips to help you along the journey!
* Acknowledge and Feel: The first step is to acknowledge the regret. Suppressing it only gives it power. Sit with the feeling, observe it without judgment. What emotions come up?
* Learn from the Past: Instead of

Week 18:The Mindful Empath Almanac
I will start recording these voiceovers so they hit the podcast feed, I hope you enjoy them!! If you become a paid subscriber you will begin to receive longer audio meditations (8 per year). The next one is coming up soon!!mindfulempath.substack.com/subscribe
Quote:
“I dwell in possibility.” ~ Emily Dickinson
Reflection:
I have wrestled with, maybe not so much recently but often enough over the years, the Christian upbringing of my childhood and my more current Buddhist/Agnostic sensibilities.
Even as a former pastor/minister within the Baptist tradition I had a challenging time with the side effects of the faith. Shame being the primary issue. For one’s faith to be central, you had to carry a deep shame of the human experience. That never sat well with me. Honestly, this post is not about that…I may save that for a different week!
One of the other issues I had with how Christian faith seemed to cling to ideas and precepts that they felt were immutable and immovable. That is most definitely contradictory to one of the central themes to Buddhism, and that is that everything changes.
Everything.
For the Buddhist, change is not just a part of life, but is a part of the Buddha nature.
So as I was struggling with these two antithetical ideas I considered…if change is the only constant, wouldn't it be wise to accept it, to flow with it, to ride its wave wherever it may go? Wouldn’t it be prudent to be as Emily Dickinson suggests, to DWELL in possibility?
Buddhists believe, and I agree, that the number one reason for suffering is attachment...or the inability to accept and process change.
The only "thing", if we can describe it as such, that does not change is the I AM, which is consciousness itself. 
This is the truth of the Judeo-Christian scriptures and tradition that has been lost and found many times throughout history. The stories that we read in the Bible, like many other religious stories before it and since, are giving us the same plot over and over again. 
God "created" man to see itself.
God "became" man to show The Way of existence.
The whole aim of existence is participation. 
This is the creator aspect still creating.
Growth is expected and should be celebrated, not condemned.
We move beyond the illusion and division that we see in the different tribal God's stories once we recognize that the true potency and power of these stories is through their lived and contextual meaning, regardless of the fact they lack literal truth.
We are missing, and dismissing, the whole point of humanity being co-laborers with God/Universe when we strip away their creative responsibility in crafting the story.
The act of creation IS divine, maybe the most divine "thing" we do, other than breathe. It is the I AM.
Intention:
Join me in this intention:
Today I choose to embrace the growth that comes with change. I will be open to new experiences and perspectives, and I will see challenges as opportunities to learn and evolve.
Meditation:
To listen to the following meditation in audio form, please play below.
Finding Flow in Change
Find a comfortable position, sitting or lying down. Close your eyes gently, or soften your gaze if you prefer.
Take a few deep breaths, inhaling slowly and completely, exhaling fully.
Bring your attention to the present moment. Notice the sounds around you, the feeling of your breath, the sensations in your body.
Imagine yourself standing on the bank of a river. The water is flowing steadily, ever-changing, yet the river itself remains.
Think about the ways change flows through your life. Seasons change, relationships evolve, and even your own body is constantly renewing itself.
Notice any resistance you might have to change. Is it a fear of the unknown? A clinging to the familiar?
Now, picture yourself stepping into the river. Feel the cool water swirl around your legs. It may be unfamiliar at first, but trust that the current will carry you forward.
Change, like

Welcome to the first of a series of 8 guided meditation+soundscapes that will correspond with the seasons. It is a good thing to notice the changes, and to understand how we can do so within our own emotional and mental landscapes.
I hope you enjoy this project!


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The desire and necessity for connection is at the heart of the empathic relationship, but not all relationships are the same.

In this episode we discuss the forms and characteristics of empathic relationships.

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